FAYETTEVILLE — The Diamond Hogs defeated the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 7-4 in Friday's series opener. Here is how it happened:
Louisiana Tech lineup
1. Brody Drost, CF
2. Jonathan Hogart, RF
3. Dalton Davis, 2B
4. Jorge Corona, C
5. Ethan Bates, 3B
6. Adarius Myers, LF
7. Walker Burchfield, DH
8. Karson Evans, 1B
9. Logan McLeod, SS
Arkansas lineup
1. Tavian Josenberger, CF
2. Peyton Stovall, 2B
3. Jared Wegner, LF
4. Brady Slavens, 1B
5. Jace Bohrofen, RF
6. Caleb Cali, 3B
7. Kendall Diggs, DH
8. Parker Rowland, C
9. John Bolton, SS
Top 1
Smith finds himself in pitch count trouble again, needing 20 to get through a scoreless first.
Bottom 1
Fincher faces the minimum on just seven pitches.
Top 2
Smith issues a leadoff walk to the former Razorback Bates, but he retires the next three Bulldogs in order.
Bottom 2
Slavens leads off with a 108-mph single, and Bohrofen hits one 39.5° in the air to right that bounces off the facade of the development center. Rowland delivers a two-run jack of his own for a 4-0 lead.
Top 3
Smith raises his walk and strikeout totals to four apiece, ending the third inning with 53 pitches.
Bottom 3
Slavens, Bohrofen and Cali load the bases for Diggs, whose 4-6 fielder's choice plates the fifth run. Rowland works a nine-pitch at-bat, but it culminates in an inning-ending double play.
Top 4
Smith logs his first perfect inning of the day, requiring just 11 pitches to do so. He is up to 64 on the afternoon.
Bottom 4
Looking strikeouts sandwich a 10-pitch Josenberger flyout, and Fincher returns the favor.
Top 5
The Bulldogs end Smith's no-hit bid with a double by Evans, and they load the bases with back-to-back singles. With two strikes and two outs, Davis singles to right and cuts the lead to 5-2.
Bottom 5
Wegner singles against new pitcher Nick Fraginals, marking the fourth leadoff man to reach base, moves up 180 feet with a pair of hit batsmen and scores on Diggs' sacrifice fly. The Razorbacks chase the Louisiana Tech righty with a third free pass, but Bolton grounds out on Justin Williams' first pitch to leave the bases loaded.
Top 6
Right-hander Cody Adcock enters in place of Smith. He fans his first two batters but surrenders a pair of hits, including a two-run homer to Evans.
Bottom 6
Arkansas loads the bases for the second straight inning, but all three runners are stranded once again.
Top 7
Adcock issues a walk and a single to begin the late innings, and righty Dylan Carter relieves him with the tying run at first. Nine pitches is all he needs to keep the runners where he found them and return to the dugout with a two-run advantage intact.
Bottom 7
In the Razorbacks' fifth plate appearance with the bases loaded, Stovall makes it 7-4 with a sac fly. A 101-mph liner to center off the bat of Wegner ends the inning, stranding the 10th and 11th runners of the game.
Top 8
A 6-4-3 double play ball erases a leadoff single, and Carter retires Evans for the first time since the second.
Bottom 8
The Hogs get a pair of baserunners with two outs, but a Rowland strikeout strands both.
Top 9
Carter retires the side in order, going nine up, nine down to earn his first career save.
