Louisiana Tech 12, Arkansas 7 - Final
Braxton Smith struck out Zack Plunkett and Christian Franklin to start the ninth. After Casey Opitz walked with two outs, Smith struck out Jacob Nesbit to close out a big win for Louisiana Tech.
The Razorbacks out-hit the Bulldogs 15-11, but Tech's multi-run homers were a big equalizer.
More coming at WholeHogSports.com.
Louisiana Tech 12, Arkansas 7 - Top 9th Inning
Mason Robinson's three-run home run with two outs might have put the game away. And it has gotten heated after Jacob Burton was ejected for allegedly throwing at the head of Chris Clayton.
Clayton was hit in the helmet. Burton and Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn were shocked at the call. Tech players stepped onto the field, but there were no altercations.
Louisiana Tech 9, Arkansas 7 - End 8th Inning
Dominic Fletcher doubled with two outs and was stranded at second base when Trey Harris struck out to end the inning. Marshall Denton will pitch the top of the ninth for the Razorbacks, but things are looking bleak for Arkansas against the Louisiana Tech closer Braxton Smith.
Louisiana Tech 9, Arkansas 7 - Middle 8th Inning
The Bulldogs loaded the bases with two outs against Zebulon Vermillion, but Marshall Denton came into the game and got a ground ball out to Casey Opitz at third base. Denton is a really good ground ball pitcher and got the out in one pitch.
Arkansas will send Heston Kjerstad, Trevor Ezell and Dominic Fletcher to the plate in the bottom of the inning against Tech closer Braxton Smith.
Louisiana Tech 9, Arkansas 7 - End 7th Inning
Arkansas loaded the bases with one out, but like so many times this season the Razorbacks were unable to score with runners in scoring position and less than two outs.
After Casey Opitz walked in five pitches, Jacob Nesbit struck out swinging at three straight pitches away. Casey Martin then flied out to center field.
Arkansas has stranded nine runners today and trails despite out-hitting the Bulldogs 14-8.
Louisiana Tech 9, Arkansas 7 - Bottom 7th Inning
Dominic Fletcher led off with a bunt single, advanced to third on a single by Trey Harris and scored on Zack Plunkett's sacrifice fly. Christian Franklin followed with a single and there are two on and one out for pinch hitter Casey Opitz.
It feels like there are a lot of runs left to be scored in this game. Louisiana Tech is making another pitching change, going to right hander Braxton Smith. This is his first appearance in more than a week. He injured his oblique at Arkansas-Little Rock last week.
Louisiana Tech 9, Arkansas 6 - Middle 7th Inning
The Bulldogs scored two playing aggressive baseball, sending the runners from third and second on a Parker Bates fly ball to the fence in center field. It did not appear that the second runner touched the plate, but there was no challenge or review.
Louisiana Tech 7, Arkansas 6 - Top 7th Inning
The Bulldogs are back on top after a single, a hit by pitch and a throwing error to start the seventh. Jacob Nesbit tried to go to second for a force out after the first two runners reached, but threw the ball into the outfield instead of taking the easy out at first.
Arkansas 6, Louisiana Tech 6 - Bottom 6th Inning
Casey Martin and Heston Kjerstad finally teamed up to score a run. Martin doubled with two outs, advanced to third on a balk and scored on a Kjerstad RBI single that came on a 1-2 pitch from Quinton Logan. Kjerstad timed his swing perfectly and drove the ball back up the middle.
He was stranded when Trevor Ezell grounded out to end the inning.
Louisiana Tech 6, Arkansas 5 - Middle 6th Inning
Jacob Kostyshock struck out Chris Clayton on a 93 mph fastball away to strand a runner. Clayton chased the 2-2 pitch out of the zone.
Arkansas will send Jack Kenley, Jacob Nesbit and Casey Martin to the plate in the bottom of the inning.
Louisiana Tech 6, Arkansas 5 - Top 6th Inning
The Bulldogs have put together a five-run inning and have taken the lead on Mason Robinson's two-out single. Christian Franklin dove for the ball in left and had it in his glove, but it bounced out as he hit the ground.
I'm not sure Tech would have scored had Franklin not left his feet. The base runner at second base didn't get a great break and might stopped at third on the hit to shallow left.
That's all for Kole Ramage, who recorded two outs. Jacob Kostyshock is entering the game for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas 5, Louisiana Tech 5 - Top 6th Inning
Manny Garcia crushed a two-out home run off Kole Ramage to tie the game. Garcia hit that well into the Hog Pen in left field.
Connor Noland is going to take his fourth no-decision of the season.
Arkansas 5, Louisiana Tech 4 - Top 6th Inning
Mason Mallard hit a three-run home to center field - wind aided - and that has chased Connor Noland, whose great start came undone quickly. Kole Ramage is now on the mound.
The homer scored Hunter Wells, who reached on a throwing error by first baseman Trevor Ezell, and Taylor Young, who singled.
Noland's final line: 5-plus innings, 4 runs (3 earned), 3 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts. He threw 69 pitches. He is in line for the win.
Arkansas 5, Louisiana Tech 1 - End 5th Inning
Trey Harris' two-out RBI double scored Heston Kjerstad from second base to extend the Arkansas lead. Kjerstad singled to lead off the inning.
Zack Plunkett reached on a two-out error, but Christian Franklin struck out to strand two.
Tech starter Logan Robbins has thrown 91 pitches today and probably won't come back out. He has pitched OK and limited the damage when it looked like the Razorbacks might break the game open a couple of times.
Harris has a two-out RBI double in consecutive games.
Arkansas 4, Louisiana Tech 1 - Middle 5th Inning
The story of this game is becoming Connor Noland's strong, efficient performance. He issued his first walk with two outs in the fifth, but got three groundouts. He has only thrown 60 pitches today, and 21 of them came in that half inning.
Arkansas 4, Louisiana Tech 1 - Middle 4th Inning
Connor Noland has retired nine consecutive batters and is pitching really well today. He is also pitching quick, taking about 10 seconds from the time he catches the ball until he completes his windup.
He made a good defensive play in the fourth, grounding a ball between the mound and third base, and bare handing it to first. Noland has allowed one hit, no walks and struck out three.
Arkansas 4, Louisiana Tech 1 - Bottom 2nd Inning
Casey Martin just hit an inside-the-park home run to score three. Martin drove the ball to the wall in left and the fielders gave up on it, apparently hoping to get a stop in play on a ball that went underneath the padding on the outfield wall. But Martin kept running and the umpires never stopped play.
Christian Franklin and Jacob Nesbit, who both reached base with singles, also scored.
That snapped a 0-for-16 streak for Martin. That was the first inside-the-park homer since Eric Cole hit one against Miami (Ohio) in 2017.
Arkansas 1, Louisiana Tech 1 - Bottom 2nd Inning
Zack Plunkett led off the bottom of the second with a home run to left. It was a line drive that just kept carrying in that strong southwest wind. It probably would have landed 10-15 feet short of the fence on a normal day.
That is Plunkett's first home run of the season.
Louisiana Tech 1, Arkansas 0 - Middle 2nd Inning
A wild pitch cost Arkansas a run in the second. Connor Noland struck out Steele Netterville to lead off the inning, but he reached when Zack Plunkett wasn't able to corral the ball quick enough to throw him out at first. Netterville moved to third on a double by Parker Bates and scored on an RBI groundout by Shelton Wallace.
Arkansas 0, Louisiana Tech 0 - End 1st Inning
Connor Noland worked a quick, perfect top of the first. Heston Kjerstad and Trevor Ezell each had one-out singles to right field in the bottom of the inning, but Kjerstad was thrown out trying to go first to third for the second out. Dominic Fletcher walked before Trey Harris grounded out.
Pregame
It is a beautiful day in Fayetteville - sunny, in the 60s and with a strong southwest wind that could gust 40-50 mph toward left field throughout the afternoon.
Arkansas has made a small change in its lineup today, moving Christian Franklin from the ninth to seventh in the batting order. Jack Kenley has moved from seventh to eighth and Jacob Nesbit from eighth to ninth.
This comes one night after Dave Van Horn said he wasn't touching the batting order as long as the Razorbacks are winning.
Other notable personnel include Trey Harris, predictably, getting the start at designated hitter after his go-ahead hit last night. He hits left handers well and Louisiana Tech will throw lefty Logan Robbins (0-0, 8.03 ERA in 12 1/3 innings) today.
Zack Plunkett is starting behind the plate in place of Casey Opitz, probably a platoon situation to get another right-handed bat in the lineup.
The top of the order remains the same. Arkansas is looking for more production from its most notable hitters. Casey Martin, Heston Kjerstad and Dominic Fletcher all enter today's game with .250 batting averages.
Martin, who hits leadoff, was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts last night. He is hitless in his last 15 at-bats.
Connor Noland (0-0, 3.86 ERA in 11 2/3 innings) is on the mound for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas enters today's game with home win streaks of 18 against non-conference opponents and in regular-season games.