On Saturday, the Arkansas Razorbacks got a 4-3 win over the Tennessee Volunteers in the Fayetteville super regional, a win was highlighted by shut-down pitching performances from Zach Root and Gabe Gaeckle.
Root got the start on the mound for Arkansas and immediately went to work. Through the first four innings, the Arkansas ace allowed no hits or walks. Tennessee did not get their first base runner until the fifth inning.
Root ended up going seven innings, allowing one earned run and just two total runs. He struck out six Tennessee hitters while allowing one hit and just two walks.
It was the fourth time in the last six starts Root went six or more innings.
Gaeckle came on to relieve Root in the eighth inning. He went on to close out the game in the final two innings of the contest.
It took Gaeckle 25 total pitches to earn the save. Out of those 25 pitches, 15 of them were strikes. He struck out two Tennessee hitters and gave up just one hit while having no walks. It was the ninth save of Gaeckle’s career in Fayetteville.
Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn talked about how good the combination of Root and Gaeckle was for the Razorbacks with the media.
“Whenever you have two pitchers like the two guys we threw today, you’re confident enough that you can keep teams down, even great teams like Tennessee,” Van Horn said, “It gives me a lot of confidence.”
Up Next – Arkansas is now one win away from making it to the College World Series for the 12th time in program history.
The second game of the Fayetteville super regional between Arkansas and Tennessee is scheduled for 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 8.
The game can be watched on ESPN.
Photo: Arkansas pitcher Gabe Gaeckle throws a pitch against Washington State during an NCAA baseball game on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, in Fayetteville, Ark. Gaeckle earned a save as the Razorbacks opened the super regional against Tennessee with a win. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
