HOOVER, Ala. (AP) — A trio of Arkansas pitchers combined for the first no-hitter in Southeastern Conference Tournament history Thursday and Chad Spanberger homered three times as the Razorbacks breezed to a 12-0 victory over Auburn.
Dominic Taccolini, Matt Cronin (3-0) and Josh Alberius kept Auburn hitless while striking out seven, walking seven and hitting a batter. The 10-run mercy rule shortened the game to seven innings.
Taccolini started and went two innings, Cronin pitched three innings of relief and Alberius worked the final two innings.
Spanberger's three homers and seven RBIs set SEC Tournament single-game records. Spanberger hit a solo homer in the first inning, a two-run shot in the third and a grand slam in the fourth.
Arkansas (40-16) eliminated Auburn (35-24) and advanced to a Friday matchup against either Florida or Mississippi State. Davis Daniel (4-3) allowed seven runs in 3 1/3 innings and gave up Spanberger's first two homers. The Razorbacks were playing their second game of the day, after losing 4-3 to Mississippi State earlier.
Bulldogs 4,
Razorbacks 3
Brent Rooker had an RBI double and Cody Brown drew a bases loaded walk to help Mississippi State produce a ninth-inning rally in a 4-3 victory over Arkansas Thursday.
The Bulldogs (36-22) face top-seeded Florida today in the winner's bracket.
The double by SEC player of the year Rooker scored Ryan Gridley, who led off with a single. Jake Mangum followed with a bunt single and Hunter Stovall was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Brown.
For Arkansas, Luke Bonfield hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Jack Kenley added an RBI double in the second.
The Razorbacks managed just five hits.