Louisiana Tech hands Arkansas first loss

Louisiana Tech's Jordan Washam swings and misses a Mississippi State pitch during their NCAA Regional Baseball Tournament championship game at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Miss., Sunday, June 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Louisiana Tech's Jordan Washam swings and misses a Mississippi State pitch during their NCAA Regional Baseball Tournament championship game at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Miss., Sunday, June 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Louisiana Tech scored four runs in the sixth inning and beat Arkansas 4-3 Tuesday in Ruston, La.

Chase Lunceford and Jonathan Washam each had two-run doubles for the Bulldogs (8-0). Three of Tech's runs were unearned after Arkansas third baseman Carson Shaddy committed a one-out fielding error.

Shaddy pulled the Razorbacks within 4-3 with a two-run home run with no outs in the top of the ninth inning, but Bulldogs reliever Nate Harris retired the Razorbacks' 7-8-9 hitters in order to end the game and record his third save.

Arkansas (6-1) suffered its first loss in its first game away from Baum Stadium.

Redshirt senior Josh Alberius struck out a career-high seven batters in 5 1/3 innings for the Razorbacks, but he was pulled after loading the bases with one out in the sixth. He allowed two hits and walked two.

Lunceford's double came on the first and only pitch by Arkansas reliever Weston Rogers, and Washam's double came off Cannon Chadwick, who struck out two in 2 2/3 innings.

The Razorbacks put its leadoff batter on base the first five innings, but scored only once when Jaxon Williams doubled to plate Dominic Fletcher in the second inning. Arkansas was 2-for-16 with runners on base.

Louisiana Tech reliever Graham Ahlrich struck out three in three scoreless innings to earn the win.

An announced crowd of 3,129 attended the game, marking the third-largest in J.C. Love Field history. Arkansas is the first SEC team to visit the stadium since the Razorbacks played there in 2007.

The teams are scheduled to play again Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Earlier

Louisiana Tech 4, Arkansas 1 - Final

Carson Shaddy hit a two-run home run with no outs in the top of the ninth. Dominic Fletcher reached ahead of him after he struck out but the catcher couldn't hold on to the ball.

The Razorbacks' next three hitters went down in order, however, and the Bulldogs won. Nate Harris, the reigning Conference-USA pitcher of the week, earned his third save.

The game was attended by 3,129 people, which was the third-largest crowd in the history of Love Field. The teams play again tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Louisiana Tech is now 8-0 this season, while the Razorbacks fell to 6-1.

Louisiana Tech 4, Arkansas 1 - Middle 8th Inning

Louisiana Tech right-hander Graham Ahlrich has shut down the Razorbacks since he entered the game in the sixth inning. Ahlrich has three strikeouts and has given up just one hit in three quick innings for the Bulldogs. He retired Eric Cole and Luke Bonfield with groundballs, and struck out Grant Koch to end the top of the eighth.

Louisiana Tech 4, Arkansas 1 - End 7th Inning

Both teams went down in order in the seventh inning. Arkansas is sending its 2-3-4 batters to the plate in the eighth in what probably will be its best chance to get back into the game.

Louisiana Tech 4, Arkansas 1 - End 6th Inning

Jonathan Washam added a two-out, two-run double off Cannon Chadwick to extend Louisiana Tech's lead to 4-1 after six innings.

A one-out error by Carson Shaddy opened the floodgates in the inning. Shaddy, who had a team-high 14 errors last season, has a team-high four errors this year.

Louisiana Tech 2, Arkansas 1 - Bottom 6th Inning

Louisiana Tech finally solved Josh Alberius in the bottom of the sixth. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with a double, a fielding error and a walk.

Chase Lunceford doubled off Arkansas reliever Weston Rogers in the first pitch of the at-bat. Rogers was pulled and Cannon Chadwick is coming on in relief.

Alberius allowed two hits and walked two in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out a career-high seven batters. He is in line to be the loser.

Arkansas 1, Louisiana Tech 0 - Middle 6th Inning

The Razorbacks put two on with two outs in the sixth. Fletcher reached with a two-out double and Carson Shaddy was hit by a pitch, but Chad Spanberger struck out to end the top of the inning. The Razorbacks have stranded six runners.

Arkansas 1, Louisiana Tech 0 - End 5th Inning

Josh Alberius needed only six pitches to get through the fifth inning. He has been efficient tonight and has increased his career-high strikeout total to seven through five innings. He has thrown 62 pitches.

Louisiana Tech has one hit.

Arkansas 1, Louisiana Tech 0 - Middle 5th Inning

Jaxon Williams walked in five pitches to give the Razorbacks' their fifth leadoff batter on base in as many innings, but he was stranded at third after advancing on a bunt and a sacrifice fly. Jax Biggers' chopper to pitcher Austin Harrison ended the inning.

Arkansas is only 1-for-14 tonight with a runner on base.

Arkansas 1, Louisiana Tech 0 - End 4th Inning

Alberius struck out two more in the fourth and now has a career-high six strikeouts tonight. His off-speed pitches have been good, in particular the breaking ball.

Louisiana Tech recorded its first hit in the inning, a hot-shot groundball past Jaxon Williams at second base.

Arkansas 1, Louisiana Tech 0 - Middle 4th Inning

The Razorbacks have put the leadoff batter on base in every inning, including in the fourth when Dominic Fletcher reached on a five-pitch walk. But the inning ended when Chad Spanberger hit into a 6-4-3 double play.

Louisiana Tech starter Austin Harrison has done a good job of working around base runners.

Arkansas 1, Louisiana Tech 0 - End 3rd Inning

Josh Alberius has been real sharp for Arkansas. He hasn't allowed a hit and has four strikeouts. He threw a first-pitch strike to the first 10 batters he faced.

Alberius' only blemishes have been a first-inning walk and a hit batter in the third on a 1-2 pitch with two outs. He's thrown 45 pitches, likely on a limited pitch count tonight.

Arkansas 1, Louisiana Tech 0 - Middle 2nd Inning

The Razorbacks' leadoff man has had hits both innings. Jake Arledge was stranded at second in the first inning, but Dominic Fletcher scored the game's first run in the second.

Jaxon Williams' bloop double fell just inside the line in right field and Fletcher scored from first with two outs in the inning. It was Williams' 10th RBI in eight at-bats. Williams is a freshman second baseman.

Josh Alberius worked around a two-out walk in the first inning.

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