OMAHA, Neb. — Arkansas right-hander Gage Wood pitched just the third no-hitter in Men’s College World Series history, striking out 19 Murray State batters to propel Arkansas past the Racers 3-0 in Monday’s elimination game.
Wood flirted with the first-ever College World Series perfect game, going seven full innings before allowing a baserunner. A leadoff hit-by-pitch on Murray State’s Dom Decker in the eighth inning ended the perfect game, but Wood sat down the next six batters in order to close out the championship series’ first no-hitter since Oklahoma State’s Jim Wixson in 1960. The first was posted by Texas’ Jim Ehrler in 1950.
Wood also approached the MCWS record for strikeouts in a game. His 19th on Jonathan Hogart to end the game moved Wood one shy of Steve Arlin’s 20 thrown for Ohio State in 1965.
The first no-hitter in the MCWS in 65 years required 119 pitches (83 for strikes), but Wood said his fastball felt great throughout the game.
“I didn’t throw a pitch out of the stretch for a while,” Wood told ESPN when asked when he realized how close he was getting to a no-hitter.
Wood gave the Razorbacks a cushion to come alive in the seventh inning after Murray State starter Isaac Silva pitched his own outstanding game.
Silva allowed just one run and six hits in six innings with the Razorbacks scoring on Charles Davalan’s RBI single to drive in Reese Robinett in the third inning.
Arkansas batters gave Wood some run support in the seventh inning. After consecutive singles from Justin Thomas Jr. and Davalan, Wehiwa Aloy delivered a run-scoring double to drive in Thomas. The run punctuated Thomas’ first career four-hit game, as he went 4-for-4 at the dish.
Davalan later came home on a fielding error in the outfield. Both runs came against Murray State reliever Graham Kelham.
Murray State (0-2) concludes its first-ever College World Series run with Monday’s loss. Arkansas (1-1) advances to another elimination game on Tuesday against the loser of Monday evening’s UCLA-LSU matchup.
–Field Level Media
