Barrett Astin was on a roll, retiring the first six batters he faced while Arkansas built a five-run lead to start Sunday’s game against Villanova.

Barrett Astin pitched five hitless innings, striking out seven and allowing four base runners.

But then things got a little dicey in the top of the third.

Astin walked the bases loaded, and with two outs, up came Matt Fleishman, Villanova’s best hitter, who worked it to a 2-2 count. Then he fouled off two pitches. And then he struck out swinging, and Arkansas kept on cruising.

Astin, a freshman All-American in 2011, pitched five hitless innings, striking out seven, as Arkansas pounded Villanova 17-1 in front of 5,134 fans. The game was called at 4:15 p.m., after eight innings, because of Villanova’s travel curfew.

“I went to the stretch and I hadn’t been in it the whole game,” Astin said of the third inning. “It was just a mechanical issue, but after that inning went back and got it figured out and I was good to go.”

The fourth-ranked Razorbacks (3-0) swept the three-game series, and none of the games were close. They won Friday’s game 11-5 and Saturday’s game 13-1.

Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn was happy with what he saw from the Hogs and said it was “kind of nice just to go play, play somebody else.”

“It’s like I told the team. We haven’t been behind. We haven’t been in any stressful situations,” Van Horn said. “Really the most stressful situation today was when the bases are loaded and their best hitter is up with a five- or six-run lead, whatever it was at the time. So we had a five-run lead, one swing and they would be back in the game and Barrett got out of it. That was it.

“We didn’t miss any signs all weekend as far as from me to the hitters or the base runners. That’s always nice. Base running was pretty good. We stole some bases. We had a couple of hit-and-runs. So yeah, I’m real pleased with the weekend. It probably couldn’t have gone much better.”

Designated hitter Jacob Mahan went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI, and first baseman Dominic Ficociello was 3 for 4 with 2 RBI for Arkansas on Sunday. Right fielder Sam Bates went 1 for 3 with a 2-run home run – making him 5 for 9 with 9 RBI for the opening series. Catcher Jake Wise also homered, hitting a two-run shot on the final at-bat of the game. In all, seven Razorbacks batted in at least two runs Sunday.

Bates, who missed the last few weeks of the 2011 season because of illness, said it “feels great to start the season on such a high note.”

“That will give me confidence throughout the season now,” he said. “Just being in there, getting those first three starts were really big. I feel like I have something to build off now.”

Arkansas led 8-0 after three innings before scoring six runs off five hits in fourth. Villanova, which committed all four of its errors in the first two innings, scored its lone run in the seventh.

The Hogs hammered out 17 hits off five Wildcats pitchers.

Astin allowed just four base runners – three walks and a hit batsman – and faced 19 batters before leaving the game following his 73rd pitch. Relievers Trent Daniel, Jeff Harvill and Michael Gunn gave up a combined four hits.

Max Almonte lost, giving up 6 hits and 7 runs – 6 earned – in 2 innings, walking 3 and striking out 1. Villanova used five pitchers in the game, and none were effective.

Van Horn said he thought Astin “had tremendous stuff.”

“The first couple of innings, everything he was throwing was right around the plate,” Van Horn said. “He hit his spots. A lot of movement on his fastball. He throws a cutter. They were having all sorts of trouble with it. He left a couple of pitches up that were hit hard, but they were at people.

“And really, when the bases were loaded, we had a 5-0 lead or whatever the score was, he had to face their best hitter. And he really showed us something there by going and getting him, getting us in the dugout. And then he came out the next inning or two and did a tremendous job.”

Arkansas plays host to Northwestern (La.) State on Tuesday and Wednesday before hosting Valparaiso in a three-game weekend series. Van Horn said sophomore right-hander Brandon Moore would likely start on the mound Tuesday, and freshman right-hander Greg Milhorn is expected to start Wednesday.