USC 6, Arkansas 4 - Final
CJ Stubbs' walk-off, two-run home run has given USC the win and given Arkansas its first loss.
Stubbs took the third pitch he saw deep over the left-field wall.
We'll have more on this game shortly at WholeHogSports.com.
Arkansas 4, USC 4 - Bottom 10th Inning
Jamal O'Guinn's two-out, two-strike single has tied the game again. It scored pinch runner Tyler Pritchard from second base.
Trevor Halsema reached to lead off the inning on an infield hit. Casey Martin made a great diving play to stop the ball, whirled and threw to first, but the throw was just late.
Chase Bushor's sacrifice bunt moved Pritchard to second base before Patrick Wicklander struck out Blake Sabol for the second out.
Wicklander is leaving the game and is being replaced by Marshall Denton, who inherits a runner on first with two outs.
Arkansas 4, USC 3 - Middle 10th Inning
Jacob Nesbit grounded out to strand two in the 10th inning. Jack Kenley reached with a two-out single and stole second base, and Casey Opitz was intentionally walked to get to Nesbit.
The top of the USC batting order is coming to the plate in the bottom half of the inning. They will face Patrick Wicklander.
Arkansas 4, USC 3 - Top 10th Inning
The hometown kid Dominic Fletcher just hit a one-out home run to give Arkansas a 4-3 lead. Fletcher drove a first-pitch fastball from Chris Clarke over the wall in right-center field. It went just beyond the leaping attempt of center fielder Matthew Acosta.
If that proves to be the winning run remember this: Fletcher, from the Los Angeles suburb of Cypress, had a walk-off hit to beat USC in Game 3 last year in Fayetteville.
Arkansas 3, USC 3 - End 9th Inning
Patrick Wicklander has looked so much better tonight than he did two nights ago. He had a strikeout and a couple of fly outs in the ninth to send the game to extra innings.
Trevor Ezell, Dominic Fletcher and Jordan McFarland are due up for Arkansas in the 10th.
Arkansas 3, USC 3 - Middle 9th Inning
Casey Martin stole second base without a throw, but he was stranded there when Heston Kjerstad flied out to deep center field for the third out.
Patrick Wicklander will remain in the game for the bottom of the ninth inning. He will face the bottom of the USC order.
Arkansas 3, USC 3 - Top 9th Inning
Casey Opitz scored from third base on a two-out passed ball and the game is tied. Casey Martin is at the plate.
Opitz advanced to third on a well-placed hit to the right side of the infield by Jacob Nesbit, who was out on the play. But things looked bleak after Christian Franklin watched a 2-2 fastball go down the middle for the second out.
With Martin at the plate, Chris Clarke threw a pitch low that went right through the legs of catcher CJ Stubbs. Opitz slid into home plate.
USC 3, Arkansas 2 - Top 9th Inning
Casey Opitz is on board after a leadoff double. He fell behind 0-2, then took a ball and fouled off a pitch before driving a pitch the other way into left field.
USC 3, Arkansas 2 - End 8th Inning
Chris Clarke will pitch the ninth for the Trojans. He will face the bottom of the order - Casey Opitz, Jacob Nesbit and Christian Franklin.
USC 3, Arkansas 2 - Bottom 8th Inning
Arkansas defensive miscues have given USC the lead.
With two runners on and two outs, miscommunication between second baseman Jack Kenley and right fielder Heston Kjerstad allowed an easy fly ball to drop between them. On a high pop up from CJ Stubbs, Kenley retreated deep into the outfield on a ball that should have been Kjerstad's play to make.
It is being scored a double, but that's generous.
Casey Martin couldn't make a play on a two-out hit to him a batter earlier and his throw brought first baseman Trevor Ezell off the bag.
Arkansas is making a pitching change. Patrick Wicklander is coming into the game to replace Jacob Kostyshock, who retired his first 10 batters but is now in line for a loss.
Arkansas 2, USC 2 - End 7th Inning
Jacob Kostyshock has retired all nine batters he has faced after another 1-2-3 inning. Trevor Ezell got eaten up on a ground ball to first base, but did a nice job recovering in time to flick to the ball to Kostyshock covering the bag for the second out.
Dominic Fletcher, Jordan McFarland and Jack Kenley are due up in the eighth for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas 2, USC 2 - Middle 7th Inning
Chris Clarke made the plays he had to make to keep the game tied. On a chopper back to the mound off the bat of Heston Kjerstad, Clarke made a nice stop and throw to catcher CJ Stubbs, who barehanded the throw to tag out Christian Franklin at the plate.
Then Clarke threw two nice breaking balls that Trevor Ezell swung through to strand Casey Martin at third base. The Razorbacks have stranded seven tonight.
Jacob Kostyshock will see the Trojans' bottom of the order in the bottom of the inning.
Arkansas 2, USC 2 - Top 7th Inning
Christian Franklin drove Chris Clarke's first pitch up the middle to score Casey Opitz and tie the game. Franklin has both RBI hits tonight for the Razorbacks.
Casey Martin followed with a double on the next pitch to move Franklin to third. Arkansas might take the lead here with the go-ahead run at third and one out. Heston Kjerstad is up.
USC 2, Arkansas 1 - Top 7th Inning
The Razorbacks have something going in the seventh. Zack Plunkett singled on a 2-2 pitch to lead off the inning. Casey Opitz was brought in as a pinch runner and stole second base, then moved to third on a hard hit ball by Jacob Nesbit. USC second baseman Brandon Perez made a great stab to keep the ball from going into the outfield, which would have been a sure RBI.
USC has made a pitching change, going to experienced right hander Chris Clarke with a runner on third and one out.
USC 2, Arkansas 1 - End 6th Inning
Dominic Fletcher made an outstanding defensive play, a falling-down, over-the-shoulder catch to rob Jamal O'Guinn of an extra-base hit to lead off the inning. Of all of Fletcher's great plays throughout his career, that has to be one of the best.
Jacob Kostyshock struck out CJ Stubbs, and John Thomas flied out to right field to end the inning. Kostyshock hasn't allowed a base runner in two innings of relief.
Arkansas went down in order in the top of the inning against Carson Lambert. The Razorbacks' last seven batters have been retired. The bottom of the order is coming to the plate in the seventh.
USC 2, Arkansas 1 - End 5th Inning
Jacob Kostyshock retired USC in order in the fifth. He made a nice defensive play off the mound to field a slow roller off the bat of Blake Sabol, who tried to reach with a two-out bunt.
Freshman right hander Carson Lambert is coming in to pitch for USC in the sixth.
USC 2, Arkansas 1 - Middle 5th Inning
Like last week, Connor Noland won't make it past the fifth inning. Tonight he didn't make it into the fifth.
Jacob Kostyshock is taking over on the mound for Arkansas. Noland's final line: 4 innings, 2 runs, 3 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts.
The Razorbacks' top three hitters - Casey Martin, Heston Kjerstad and Trevor Ezell - went down in order against John Beller in the top of the inning. John Thomas made a great over-the-shoulder catch in foul ground to retire Ezell and end the Arkansas half.
Beller has to be nearing the end of his outing as his pitch count is now 93.
USC 2, Arkansas 1 - End 4th Inning
Brandon Perez reached on a one-out fielding error by Casey Martin - his fourth error of the season at shortstop - but Connor Noland worked around it and got consecutive flyouts to end the inning.
Noland's pitch count is 64, so he probably has about one more inning left in him.
The top of the Razorbacks' order is coming up against John Beller in the top of the fifth.
USC 2, Arkansas 1 - Middle 4th Inning
The Razorbacks are making contact against John Beller, but he has done a good job scattering five hits and limiting the damage. Jacob Nesbit had another two-out single - his second of the game - in the fourth, but he was stranded when Christian Franklin grounded out.
Beller has five strikeouts for the Trojans. His pitch count is at 73, so it is possible the Razorbacks could get to the bullpen by the sixth inning.
USC 2, Arkansas 1 - End 3rd Inning
Both teams singled in the third. Trevor Ezell's single came with one out for Arkansas, but he didn't advance after Dominic Fletcher struck out looking at 2-2 pitch, and Jordan McFarland flied out to end the inning.
Jamal O'Guinn singled to center field on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the bottom of the inning. A flyout in the next at-bat stranded him.
Connor Noland has allowed three hits and walked two batters through three innings.
USC 2, Arkansas 1 - End 2nd Inning
The Trojans are getting good results against Connor Noland so far. Blake Shockey and Brandon Perez both drew one-out walks, and Shockey scored on a two-out single by John Thomas to center field.
Noland got out of the inning by getting USC leadoff hitter Matthew Acosta to ground out, which stranded two runners.
Arkansas 1, USC 1 - Middle 2nd Inning
The Razorbacks have another two-out rally in this series, and it has tied the game.
Jacob Nesbit reached on a two-out single and scored standing up from first base on Christian Franklin's RBI double in the next at-bat. Franklin was stranded when Casey Martin flied out for the second time.
Franklin, whose bat was thought to be quite a bit behind his defense coming into the season, has really impressed in this series. He is 2-for-5 with 3 walks and 3 RBI.
Six of Arkansas' eight runs last night came with two outs in the inning.
USC 1, Arkansas 0 - End 1st Inning
USC two-hole hitter Chase Bushor took Connor Noland real deep with a one-out home run over the wall in left field. That was his second home run of the season and the Trojans' first of this series.
It was the first earned run against Noland this season. He gave up two unearned runs last week in his first start against EIU.
Arkansas 0, USC 0 - Middle 1st Inning
Arkansas made USC pitcher John Beller work in the first inning, but his 28th pitch was a good-looking off-speed pitch that Jordan McFarland swung through for strike three.
The Razorbacks stranded runners on first and second base. Heston Kjerstad fouled off consecutive 3-2 pitches, then lined a ball into right-center field with one out. Trevor Ezell struck out in the next at-bat before Dominic Fletcher drew a two-out walk.
Casey Martin, who had an impressive home run last night, drove Beller deep to left field to lead off the inning, but it was just a loud out.
Pregame
Arkansas is looking to sweep weekend series in back-to-back weeks.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Connor Noland will get the start for the Razorbacks. Noland threw 4 2/3 innings and had a no-decision in his first start last Saturday against Eastern Illinois.
USC will counter with arguably its best pitcher, sophomore left hander John Beller. Beller threw seven shutout innings last week against Nebraska-Omaha.
The Razorbacks have a couple of changes in the starting lineup tonight. Zack Plunkett is starting behind the plate in place of Casey Opitz, and Jordan McFarland is starting at designated hitter in place of Matt Goodheart. McFarland replaced Goodheart as a pinch hitter last night and went 1-for-2, including a single in the ninth inning that wound up being an insurance run in an 8-6 win.
Like the first two nights, the weather tonight is forecasted to be chilly, in the mid 40s.