Louisiana Tech 2, Arkansas 0 — FINAL
Brady Slavens struck out looking at a borderline inside pitch to strand runners on the corners. It was the 10th strikeout for Jarret Whorff, who threw a complete game.
Christian Franklin advanced to third base on a fly out by Cayden Wallace, but pinch runner Zack Gregory did not advance. Slavens took a ball and fouled off a couple of pitches before being called out looking.
Arkansas' 16-game winning streak is over and Louisiana Tech has defeated a No. 1 team for the first time in program history.
The Razorbacks are scheduled to play again Tuesday against Oklahoma at 5 p.m.
We'll have more soon at WholeHogSports.com.
Louisiana Tech 2, Arkansas 0 — Top 9th Inning
Christian Franklin was hit by a 3-0 pitch and Matt Goodheart walked on a 3-2 fastball that was too high. Cayden Wallace is at the plate with one out.
Louisiana Tech 2, Arkansas 0 — End 8th Inning
Blake Adams struck out two in the eighth inning, with Alex Ray and Hunter Wells both looking at a called third strike. Taylor Young grounded out for the second out of the inning.
Robert Moore, Christian Franklin and Matt Goodheart will bat for the Razorbacks in the ninth. Goodheart has one of Arkansas' two hits today.
Louisiana Tech 2, Arkansas 0 — Middle 8th Inning
Jarret Whorff has now retired 20 straight without allowing a base hit. Cullen Smith and Braydon Webb struck out on 0-2 pitches, and Jalen Battles flied out in a nine-pitch eighth inning. Whorff has struck out nine today.
The Razorbacks will send the top of the order to the plate in the ninth. Blake Adams is back to pitch the bottom of the eighth against the Tech's 9, 1 and 2 hitters.
Louisiana Tech 2, Arkansas 0 — End 7th Inning
Blake Adams allowed a one-out single to Ben Brantley, but Kyle Hasler hit into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning. That is the second double play began by Arkansas third baseman Cullen Smith today.
The bottom of the Razorbacks' lineup will come to the plate in the top of the eighth inning.
Louisiana Tech 2, Arkansas 0 — Middle 7th Inning
Jarret Whorff has retired 17 straight Razorbacks without a hit. Cayden Wallace flied out, Brady Slavens struck out and Casey Opitz grounded out into a good defensive alignment at second base in the seventh inning.
Opitz's second-inning single was the last of Arkansas' two hits against Whorff, whose pitch count is still relatively low. He has taken advantage of a wide strike zone and the Razorbacks have had to chase some because of it. Slavens swung through a high fastball away that would have been a ball, but Arkansas' hitters have had to expand their zone this afternoon.
Whorff has struck out seven and has not walked any batters. He has thrown 56 of 75 pitches for strikes.
Louisiana Tech 2, Arkansas 0 — End 6th Inning
Caleb Bolden retired the Bulldogs' 3-4-5 hitters in order. Parker Bates and Steele Netterville flied out to center field while trying to drive a ball into the stiff wind, and Adarius Myers was out on an odd play at first base.
Myers thought his ground ball went foul and quit running, but Brady Slavens fielded it and flipped to Bolden for the final out after first-base umpire Shawn Clark called the ball fair.
Louisiana Tech 2, Arkansas 0 — Middle 6th Inning
It might just be the Bulldogs' day. Matt Goodheart grounded out on an usual 1-2-3 play when the ball ricocheted off the glove of pitcher Jarret Whorff, but catcher Kyle Hasler alertly picked it up and threw him out on a close play at first base.
Robert Moore struck out looking to begin the inning and Christian Franklin flied out into a strong wind in center field. The strike zone for home plate umpire Chris Magourik is huge right now and Whorff is taking advantage. The strike-three pitch to Moore was well inside.
Caleb Bolden will pitch the sixth for the Razorbacks.
Louisiana Tech 2, Arkansas 0 — End 5th Inning
The Bulldogs tacked on a second run on a fielder's choice RBI for Taylor Young that scored Manny Garcia from third base. Arkansas shortstop Jalen Battles did a great job of making a stop falling down, and threw to third to force out Ben Brantley for the second out.
Hunter Wells flied out to left field to end the inning and strand two runners.
Louisiana Tech thought it had scored the second run earlier in the inning when Garcia ran home on a ball that got away from catcher Casey Opitz. But Alex Ray was hit in the foot by the pitch and Garcia had to return to third base to load the bases with one out.
Caleb Bolden is up in the bullpen for the Razorbacks. Arkansas will send the top of the order to the plate in the top of the sixth. It will be the third time they have seen Jarret Whorff.
Louisiana Tech 1, Arkansas 0 — Bottom 5th Inning
The Bulldogs strike first on Ben Brantley's RBI single over the head of Cullen Smith, who was playing up. He might have made the catch if he was playing further back.
There are still no outs in the inning. Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs is out to talk with Lael Lockhart.
Arkansas 0, Louisiana Tech 0 — Bottom 5th Inning
Adarius Myers and Manny Garcia have singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth and present Louisiana Tech with the best scoring opportunity of the game. Myers advanced to third on Garcia's hit that went over the head of third baseman Cullen Smith.
Arkansas 0, Louisiana Tech 0 — Middle 5th Inning
The strike zone for Chris Magourik seemed to expand in the fifth. Casey Opitz was called out on a pitch that appeared to be out of the zone, and a second strike call to Jalen Battles might have made Battles reach for a ball that was out of the zone for his third strike.
Bradydon Webb lined out to second base to end the inning.
Jarret Whorff has five strikeouts for the Bulldogs.
Arkansas 0, Louisiana Tech 0 — End 4th Inning
Lael Lockhart and Jarret Whorff are liked in a real pitchers' duel.
After Whorff retired the Razorbacks in six pitches in the top of the fourth inning, Lockhart needed five pitches to retire the Bulldogs in the bottom of the inning. Both have low pitch counts and could potentially pitch well into this game.
The hit count right now is Arkansas 2, Louisiana Tech 1.
Arkansas 0, Louisiana Tech 0 — Middle 4th Inning
The Razorbacks went down in order in the fourth inning. It was Arkansas' first inning without a base runner.
Both pitchers are cruising right now. Louisiana Tech's Jarret Whorff threw six pitches in that inning and has thrown just 40 through four innings. The Razorbacks are swinging away.
Arkansas 0, Louisiana Tech 0 — End 3rd Inning
Lael Lockhart worked around a two-out single by nine-hole hitter Alex Ray in the third inning. Taylor Young grounded out to shortstop a couple of pitches later.
Lockhart struck out Kyle Hasler after Ben Brantley grounded out to lead off the inning. Both pitchers have three strikeouts in three innings.
Arkansas 0, Louisiana Tech 0 — Middle 3rd Inning
Braydon Webb reached on an error by the third baseman to lead off the inning, but he and Robert Moore were out on a double play with base-running interference after Moore grounded to the shortstop. Christian Franklin struck out to end the inning.
Jarrett Whorff has struck out three in three innings.
Arkansas 0, Louisiana Tech 0 — End 2nd Inning
Lael Lockhart worked a nice, easy second inning that included strikeouts of Steele Netterville and Philip Matulia. Netterville struck out looking at a 3-2 pitch and didn't agree with the call. Matulia struck out in three pitches.
Lockhart needed only 11 pitches in the inning. His pitch count is 26.
Arkansas 0, Louisiana Tech 0 — Middle 2nd Inning
The Razorbacks have stranded a runner at second base two innings in a row. Casey Opitz singled with one out to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, and stole second.
The inning ended when Jalen Battles grounded out to second base Taylor Young, who bobbled the ball but recovered for a 4-3 putout.
Arkansas 0, Louisiana Tech 0 — End 1st Inning
Arkansas erased a leadoff walk with a 5-4-3 double play and the inning ended when Parker Bates grounded out to first base.
Lael Lockhart walked Taylor Young on a 3-2 pitch. Hunter Wells then hit into a double play for the second time this series. Arkansas third baseman Cullen Smith began both double plays.
Arkansas 0, Louisiana Tech 0 — Middle 1st Inning
Matt Goodheart doubled with two outs, but that was all for the Razorbacks in the top of the first. Cayden Wallace struck out to end the inning, one of two strikeouts against Jarret Whorff. Robert Moore also struck out to lead off the game.
Pregame
Arkansas and Louisiana Tech are just about underway this morning. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.
This will be the third game between the teams in 35 hours. They played late Friday and an afternoon game yesterday, and moved the start of today's game up by two hours because of the threat of thunderstorms this afternoon in Ruston.
There is a chance for rain during the game, but the threat for thunderstorms increases by mid-afternoon.
On the mound for Arkansas today is senior left hander Lael Lockhart, who pitched five scoreless innings a week ago against Murray State. Louisiana Tech will counter with senior right hander Jarret Whorff, who is 1-0 with a 2.76 ERA.
Braydon Webb will get the start in that rotating door in left field, but otherwise Arkansas will keep its usual lineup intact today.
The Razorbacks have won all 12 games this season and 16 straight dating to last season. Those are program bests since Arkansas began 18-0 in 1996.