OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Jordan Brown looked more like the No. 3 batter he used to be in Arizona’s batting order rather than the No. 8 batter he was Sunday.

The demoted Brown hit two of his team’s four home runs as the Wildcats defeated Arkansas 7-2 in a College World Series elimination game.

“To me, as long as I’m playing on a stage like this, where I’m hitting doesn’t really mean much as long as I get my hacks,” said Brown, who was 0-for-13 in super regionals against Long Beach State and struck out three times and had two singles in Friday’s first-round CWS loss to Georgia.

Arizona (36-26-1) moves to a Tuesday game against the loser of Sunday night’s Georgia-Texas matchup.

Arkansas ended its season 45-24.

John Meloan (10-0) and Mark Melancon combined to hold Arkansas to five hits.

The Razorbacks had managed only two hits in a 13-2 loss to Texas on Friday.

Arkansas’ Dave Van Horn became the only coach to lose each of his first six games in the College World Series. Van Horn also went two-and-out in 2001 and 02 with his Nebraska teams.

Meloan stayed perfect this season by scattering five hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked six and struck out five.

“I mixed it up and tried to throw a variety of pitches at them,” Meloan said. “No matter who you’re playing in college baseball, two pitches are going to get guys out on a consistent basis. I made good pitches, hit my spots and that’s what got me outs.”

Melancon retired the last eight batters he faced for his third save.

Brown homered leading off the third inning to open the scoring off Arkansas starter Clint Brannon (4-4).

The Wildcats went up 5-0 in the fourth as Moises Duran hit a two-run homer off Brannon and Brown hit a two-run shot off reliever Jay Sawatski.

Jason Donald hit the Wildcats’ fourth home run of the game leading off the ninth inning.

Arizona coach Andy Lopez said Brown was moved lower in the order because he wanted to minimize lefty-lefty matchups with Arkansas’ Brannon and Sawatski.

Brown said he never took the demotion as a slap and that it wasn’t added incentive for Sunday’s game.

“If you need extra motive to do well on a stage like this, you’re in the wrong game,” he said.

Lopez said he appreciates Brown’s attitude.

“One strong trait this program has with this group of young guys is they don’t take anything personally as far as moving them in and out of the lineup,” Lopez said. “They understand we’re trying to make the best decision we can for that particular day.”

Arkansas got its first hit off Meloan in the fourth inning when Scott Hode sent a hard liner down the third-base line.

But for the second straight game, the Hogs couldn’t generate any offense.

Hode strayed too far from first on Haas Pratt’s deep flyout. Donald, Arizona’s shortstop, relayed center fielder Trevor Crowe’s throw to first before Hode could get back, ending the inning.

The Hogs mustered only one run in the fifth after they loaded the bases with none out on back-to-back singles and a walk. Danny Hamblin scored on Scott Bridges’ sacrifice.

After loading the bases again with two out, Meloan struck out Clay Goodwin to end the inning.

The Hogs loaded the bases one more time in the seventh, but could push across only one run, which was walked in by reliever Melancon.

“What you saw today was a team that almost looked tired,” Van Horn said. “Maybe we maxed out the last couple weekends and that was that.”

The Razorbacks were not expected to be in Omaha this year after being picked to finish last in the Southeastern Conference’s West Division. The Hogs won the West and then eight of 10 games on their way to the CWS.

“If you had told me at the beginning of the year we were going to win 45 games and go to Omaha and lose two, I would have taken it in a second and been the happiest man in the country,” Van Horn said. “Next year we’ll be better, and hopefully we’ll be back.”

AP-ES-06-20-04 1857EDT