FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Ben Bybee’s five strikeouts and Charles Davalan’s three-hit effort helped lead No. 3 Arkansas (19-2) past Oral Roberts (12-7), 4-1, and to its 17th consecutive midweek win Tuesday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Hogs, who went a perfect 12-0 in midweek contests in 2024, improved to 5-0 in midweek matchups this season. Arkansas’ last midweek loss came against Lipscomb on May 2, 2023, at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock, Ark.
With a win in tomorrow’s double midweek series finale against the Golden Eagles, the Razorbacks would improve to 20-2 overall through their first 22 games of the season for the sixth time in program history, and for the fourth time in the Dave Van Horn era (2003-present). Since 1960, Arkansas has started 20-2 overall or better through its first 22 games of a season only five times in program history: 1982 (20-1-1), 1996 (20-2), 2005 (20-2), 2012 (20-2) and 2023 (20-2).
Bybee set the tone on the mound, tossing four shutout innings with a season-high five strikeouts. The right-hander allowed only one hit and did not issue a free pass in his dominant outing Tuesday night against Oral Roberts.
Davalan’s first of three hits on the night opened the scoring in the bottom half of the second inning. The Razorback outfielder laced a one-out single to left, bringing home Nolan Souza from second and putting Arkansas ahead, 1-0.
Left-hander Cole Gibler, who earned his first career win Tuesday night, entered in relief of Bybee. The Golden Eagles strung together three consecutive singles in the top of the fifth off the true freshman and scored a run to tie the game.
Arkansas punched back immediately, however, in the bottom half of the frame. Kuhio Aloy’s RBI single broke the deadlock before Brent Iredale’s sacrifice fly to center extended the Razorbacks’ advantage to 3-1 entering the sixth.
Aloy finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, raising his team-leading season slash line to .423/.500/.859 with a team-high 34 RBI. He was one of three Hogs, along with Davalan and his older brother Wehiwa (2-for-4), with multiple hits Tuesday.
The Razorbacks tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth to open a three-run lead, which was more than enough for Parker Coil and Christian Foutch to secure in relief. Coil struck out one over two shutout innings to lower his season ERA to 0.69 in 13.0 innings, while Foutch tossed a scoreless frame with a strikeout to record his third save of the year.
First pitch in the double midweek series finale between Arkansas and Oral Roberts is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday on SEC Network+. Left-hander Colin Fisher (2-0, 3.09 ERA) is set to make his third start of the season on the mound.
