FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas right hander Connor Noland pitched with a black eye and an edge Thursday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Noland tied a career high with 11 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings to lead the seventh-ranked Razorbacks to a 12-4 victory over Illinois-Chicago in the first game of a doubleheader. The teams are scheduled to play the second of their four-game series Thursday at 3:45 p.m.
Noland, who had a hard-hit grounder strike underneath his right eye during a start last week, turned in his longest outing of the season. He threw 100 pitches before he was replaced by left hander Evan Taylor with two outs in the seventh.