No. 14 Vanderbilt Baseball took on No. 2 Arkansas for the second game of a weekend series at Hawkins Field. After falling to the Razorbacks on Friday evening — and suffering their first home loss of the season — the Commodores were unable to rebound and fell to the Razorbacks 6-4, but not before the game went to extra innings.

After a two-run home run from Cam Kozeal, the Razorbacks led the Commodores 2-0 until the bottom of the fifth when Vanderbilt cut the lead in half on an RBI single from Rustan Rigdon. Vanderbilt then tied the game in the sixth inning with another RBI single, this time from Mac Rose. Arkansas and the Black and Gold traded runs in the eighth inning to tie the game at three-apiece — where it would stay until the 10th inning. The Arkansas offense put up a three-spot in the 10th,  aided by several uncharacteristic mistakes by Vanderbilt’s defense. Although the Commodores scored one run in the bottom of the inning, it was not enough, and the ‘Dores dropped their second straight contest and, with it, the series against Arkansas.

“As the game got closer, I felt like we were going to win, and I think the kids did too,” head coach Tim Corbin said. “But, you know, you get into a situation like that at the end, you’ve got to take care of the ball, and if you don’t take care of the ball, then a good team like that’s going to take advantage of it. And they did.”

Top 1: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 0

Junior Cody Bowker took the mound as Vanderbilt’s starter. The Maine native allowed a single up the middle from Charles Davalan but quickly recovered when he forced Wehiwa Aloy into a double play. He then promptly jammed Logan Maxwell, who hit a pop-up fly ball that Mike Mancini put away. 

Bottom 1: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 0

Arkansas pitcher Gabe Gaeckle quickly went to work on the top of Vanderbilt’s lineup, forcing Jacob Humphrey and Brodie Johnston to ground out and also striking out RJ Austin. 

Top 2: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 2

Kozeal picked right up where he left off the night before when he blasted a ball to the left field bleachers, also bringing Brent Iredale — who had reached on a single to left field — across home plate. As soon as the Razorbacks cleared the bases, they added another runner when Bowker hit Ryder Helfrick with a pitch. Vanderbilt would limit the damage to two, though, with Austin putting away a deep fly at the warning track and Bowker gaining his first strikeout of the afternoon. 

Bottom 2: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 2

The Commodores got their first hit and base runner of the game in Rose who reached on a deep fly ball that hit off the left field wall, bringing him into second base standing. Rose eventually reached third on a sac fly from Colin Barczi when the Razorbacks centerfielder slipped after catching the ball. Vanderbilt was unable to capitalize on its base runner though with Vastine hitting a fly ball which Arkansas put away to end the inning.

Top 3: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 2

After getting two outs, Bowker walked back-to-back batters, leaving the bases loaded with Kozeal up to bat. Bowker challenged him, though, retiring the sophomore in four pitches to end the half-inning and leaving three Razorbacks stranded. 

Bottom 3: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 2

Vanderbilt’s bats remained largely quiet in the third, with Mancini Commodore mustering a hit — a single to center field. Both Rigdon and Humphrey struck out, while Austin lined out with a ball hit well but squarely to the right fielder. 

Top 4: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 2

The Commodores forced the Razorbacks lineup to go down in order, keeping the difference at two. 

Bottom 4: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 2

Vanderbilt’s middle of the lineup in Johnston, Nelson and Rose went up and down in order at the plate, with Gaeckle grabbing two more strikeouts to bring his game total to five.

Top 5: Vanderbilt 0, Arkansas 2

Bowker once again limited the Razorbacks offense. Although he allowed two grounders to get through the left-side gap, he forced Maxwell and Brent Iredale to pop the ball up to first base and left field, respectively, while also adding his third strikeout of the afternoon. 

Bottom 5: Vanderbilt 1, Arkansas 2

Vanderbilt started its offense off on the right foot with Barczi getting a knock that got down in right field. Two batters later, Rigdon singled to the center fielder committed an error that allowed Rigdon to advance to second and score Barczi. One run was all the Commodores would get in the fifth, though, with Mancini grounding out and Humphrey striking out. 

Top 6: Vanderbilt 1, Arkansas 2

Junior Sawyer Hawks entered the game, replacing Bowker on the mound for the Commodores. Bowker would end his afternoon allowing six hits and two earned runs across five innings pitched. Hawks shut down the bottom of the Razorbacks lineup in order while also gaining his first strikeout of the night in Nolan Souza.

Bottom 6: Vanderbilt 2, Arkansas 2

After Austin started the offense with a well-hit infield single back to the pitcher, he advanced to second on a single from Nelson that ultimately had Nelson out at first. Promptly after, a pass ball allowed Austin to advance to third and a single from Rose that dropped in no-mand land in center field scored Austin and tied the game at two-all. Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn then paid a visit to the mound, replacing Gaeckle with Wiggins. The inning ended shortly thereafter when Barczi hit a grounder to the shortstop, who elected to get Rose on the force play for the third out.

Top 7: Vanderbilt 2, Arkansas 3

Arkansas quickly regained the lead in the seventh when Justin Thomas Jr. hit a no-doubt home run to the left-field bleachers. After the solo homer, though, Hawks settled back in on the mound, retiring the next three Razorback batters in order.

Bottom 7: Vanderbilt 3, Arkansas 3

Once again Vanderbilt’s offense started with its first batter of the inning, this time it was Vastine. After the senior drew a walk, he stole second and then advanced to third on a Mancini groundout. He would then score on a wild pitch, evening the score with two outs and Humphrey up to bat. After Wiggins walked Humphrey, Arkansas made another pitching change, bringing right-hander Aiden Jimenez out to the mound. A pitch that narrowly missed Austin’s face brought Humphrey into scoring position, but Austin hit a fly ball, which the Arkansas center fielder put away to end the inning.

Top 8: Vanderbilt 3, Arkansas 3

Vanderbilt quickly disposed of Arkansas batters Kuhio Aloy, Iredale and Kozeal to keep the game knotted at three. Austin flashed some leather on a hit from Kuhio Aloy that looked like it was going to drop in the centerfield gap, but the speedy southpaw made a diving catch to grab the inning’s first out.

Bottom 8: Vanderbilt 3, Arkansas 3

Vanderbilt went three up, three down in the eighth with the side — Johnston, Nelson and Rose — all striking out.

Top 9: Vanderbilt 3, Arkansas 3

After Hawks got two quick outs in Helfrick (strikeout) and Souza (ground-out) Thomas Jr. walked on a pitch that just narrowly missed low. Austin would end the inning by putting away a high fly ball from Davalan and keep the game tied going into the bottom of the ninth.

Bottom 9: Vanderbilt 3, Arkansas 3

With two quick outs from a Barczi ground-out and Vastine strikeout, Rigdon got some offense going for the Commodores with a single to right field, but Mancini followed with a ground-out to end the inning and sent the game to extras.

Top 10: Vanderbilt 3, Arkansas 6

Sophomore Miller Green took the mound for the Commodores in the 10th inning, replacing Hawks, who ended his evening with four innings of relief, allowing one hit and one run while striking out three. Wehiwa Aloy reached for the Razorbacks on a fielding error by Mancini and then quickly advanced to scoring position when he stole second. A hard-hit ball by Maxwell through the middle advanced Aloy and put runners on first and third with no outs. 

Green gained a much-needed out when he caught Kuhio Aloy looking, but Arkansas took the lead on the next hit, a single to right field from Iredale, to score Wehiwa Aloy. A wild pitch from Green advanced runners to second and third, with Kozeal up to the plate and one out. A bunt from Kozeal brought Maxwell home with the flip from Green not being on time. A second bunt that Nelson fumbled brought Iredale home and once again had runners safe. Vanderbilt got its second out on a long fly ball that Humphrey put away but also put Razorback runners on the corners. The half inning concluded on a looking strikeout, but not before Arkansas had put up three runs, and the ‘Dores had a hole to climb out of in the bottom to keep the game alive.

Bottom 10: Vanderbilt 6, Arkansas 4

Humphrey started the Commodores off on the right foot with a hit that dropped in center field for a single, and the senior then advanced on a wild pitch that narrowly missed Austin. Austin sent a pitch right back up the middle, which bounced off Jimenez’s glove, and now Vanderbilt had runners at the corners with no outs and the three-hole hitter, Johnston, at the plate. Johnston hit a foul ball straight up, and the catcher, Helfrick, was able to get under for the first out. Nelson hit a high sac fly, scoring Humphrey from third to cut the deficit. Rose then grounded out to first base, ending the Commodores rally and the game.

Vanderbilt will look to salvage the series in its third game against Arkansas at 1 p.m. on March 30.