Jalen Battles hit a two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning and No. 1 Arkansas rallied from a late three-run deficit to defeat Louisiana Tech 9-7 Friday at Love Field in Ruston, La.
Battles’ homer against Bulldogs relief pitcher Cade Gibson appeared to bounce off an apartment building well beyond the 315-foot wall in left field. It scored Jacob Nesbit, who was pinch running for Charlie Welch after Welch had a pinch-hit double to lead off the inning.
Gibson threw three straight balls before Battles took a strike. Battles was looking for a fastball on a 3-1 count.
“I got into a hitter’s count,” Battles said on the Razorback Sports Network postgame radio show. “He made a mistake and I made him pay for it.
“I was expecting a heater. I’m glad he threw one.”
JALEN BATTLES WANTS TO STAY UNDEFEATED pic.twitter.com/5jSkUQYvFV
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) March 13, 2021
Arkansas freshman right hander Jaxon Wiggins struck out Louisiana Tech’s No. 2 and 3 hitters, Hunter Wells and Parker Bates, to close the game after Taylor Young reached with a one-out walk. It was Wiggins’ second save this season.
The Razorbacks (11-0) trailed 7-4 after seven innings, but tied the game with a three-run eighth that included just one hit. Arkansas walked the bases loaded before Zack Gregory was hit by a pitch to force home a run and cut the deficit to 7-5.
Robert Moore followed with a two-run, two-out single to tie the game.
Arkansas rallied from a deficit of three or more runs for the fifth time this season, including for the fourth consecutive weekend opener. The Razorbacks also won for the fifth time this year when trailing in either the eighth or ninth inning.
“I think sometimes when you start winning and come from behind, you just believe you can come from behind and you do,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “Obviously it’d be nice to play with the lead a little bit more, but we didn’t pitch good tonight out of the (bullpen) at all.
“It’s nice when things don’t go well that we do have enough firepower that we can come back.”
The 11 consecutive wins are Arkansas' most to start a season since its 1996 team began 18-0. The Razorbacks have won 15 consecutive games dating to last season, which is also the longest streak since 1996.
Louisiana Tech (8-4) kept the Razorbacks on their toes for much of the game. The Bulldogs scored four runs in the fifth inning against Arkansas starter Peyton Pallette and reliever Ryan Costeiu to take a 4-3 lead.
Bates, a preseason All-American, had a two-run triple to left field against Costeiu to tie the game 3-3. Bates scored on Steele Netterville’s sacrifice fly to center to give the Bulldogs a 4-3 lead.
Cayden Wallace homered in the top of the sixth to tie the game 4-4, but Louisiana Tech pushed across another run in the bottom of the sixth on Jorge Corona’s RBI single to score Manny Garcia and make the score 5-4.
The Bulldogs scored two more runs to take a 7-4 lead in the seventh when Ben Brantley hit a two-run single with two outs against Elijah Trest. Both runs were charged to Patrick Wicklander, who allowed 3 runs on 6 hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Wicklander made one of the game's key defensive plays in the sixth inning when he covered home plate on a pitch to the backstop. Catcher Casey Opitz threw to Wicklander, who tagged out Brantley trying to score from third base with the bases loaded.
Wicklander struck out Wells moments later to strand runners in scoring position. The Bulldogs out-hit the Razorbacks 13-9, but left 11 runners on base.
Kevin Kopps pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings to earn his third win for the Razorbacks. Kopps worked around a hit in both innings and intentionally walked Bates in the eighth to set up a right-on-right matchup with Netterville, who grounded out to strand two base runners.
Neither team had a hit until Matt Goodheart’s two-run home run to right-center field in the fourth inning. Goodheart scored Christian Franklin, who reached on an error.
Wallace doubled in the next at-bat and scored on an RBI single by Brady Slavens to give the Razorbacks a 3-0 lead with no outs in the inning. Wallace finished the game 2 for 3, reached base 4 times and scored 3 runs.
“I just think they have nine real hitters,” Louisiana Tech coach Lane Burroughs said. “It’s a hard lineup to navigate.”
Pallette pitched 4-plus innings and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks. He struck out five.
“He’s by far the best arm we’ve faced all year. It’s not even close,” Burroughs said. “He’s a real Friday night guy. I really like him.”
Louisiana Tech starter Jonathan Fincher pitched 6 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, and struck out 8.
The Bulldogs struggled with command throughout the game. Louisiana Tech issued six walks and a pair of relievers, Greg Martinez and Gibson, combined to hit three batters in the final three innings.
“I want our program to be elite and we had the No. 1 program, team in the country on the ropes and we need somebody to step up and be our closer,” Burroughs said. “Right now it’s what we’re missing. Too many freebies right there at the end of the ballgame.“