Dave Van Horn on Kentucky loss: 'We were playing uphill pretty much the whole game'

After pouring it on Kentucky in a 10-3 series-opening win on Friday, Arkansas was on the business end of a blowout on Saturday, losing 11-3 to the Wildcats as the series went even. And Razorbacks head coach Dave Van Horn was pretty blunt about how things got sideways for his squad.

Van Horn gave credit to Kentucky starting pitcher Dominic Niman for working in the strike zone and being effective, but felt his team squandered some early scoring chances. And after Kentucky turned a 3-2 lead into a 7-2 lead in the fourth inning, Van Horn felt like his team was just trying to climb out of a hole for most of the afternoon.

“But we were playing up hill pretty much the whole game because we got behind so far,” Van Horn said.

Niman went 5.1 innings allowing the two runs on five hits against the Razorbacks as the Kentucky offense got going to the tune of 11 hits, five for extra bases.

Though Van Horn wasn’t really interested in getting into whatever Kentucky had done, and was focused on where his team fell short.

“I don’t know anything about Kentucky or what they do, I’m not really too concerned with that,” Van Horn said. “Their pitcher did a nice job today, threw a lot of strikes. And we had a couple of opportunities to hit and drive in some runs early, give him credit, he got out of a couple of jams.” 

Van Horn praised one of his players for battling through injuries

Arkansas junior Kendall Diggs probably isn’t having quite the season he envisioned after a breakout sophomore campaign, but the Razorbacks outfielder can still turn it on at times.

He did just that on Friday night in a 10-3 win over Kentucky.

Diggs had four RBI and went 2-of-4 at the plate to help break open the game against the Wildcats and earn the Razorbacks uncontested first place in the current SEC standings.

It hasn’t been easy for Diggs.

“I think he’s done a good job. I mean it’s been tough on him,” Van Horn said. “He had the injury and a lot of soreness and battled back, had a pretty good weekend at South Carolina. Mid-week didn’t go great, but tonight did. We needed him tonight, that’s the way I look at it. Throw all the other stuff out the window and let’s just move forward, and all that really matters is what’s in front of us anyway.”

Diggs’ biggest contribution on Friday night came with the game tied 1-1 in the top of the sixth inning. He roped a double to right field to plate a pair of runs and begin the Arkansas momentum.

An inning later, he’d add more insurance when he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded.

Diggs smashed a single to plate two more runners, opening up a 6-1 lead over Kentucky.

“Obviously, the big hit, the dugout lit up after that,” Van Horn said. “It put us up two, and then we got the flare base hit that put us up three. Hagen goes out and has that really good sixth inning. We knew he was done. He knew he was done, I think. The confidence rolled over into the seventh. Three good at-bats, and we were rolling again.”

Kendall