Razorbacks Suffer First Loss to Louisiana Tech

RUSTON, La. - The 23rd-ranked Arkansas baseball team lost its first game of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling 10-8 to Louisiana Tech at J.C. Love Field in front of 1,619 fans.
The Razorbacks (5-1) jumped out to an early 4-0 lead before things started going bad for Arkansas. Starting pitcher Charley Boyce got through the first inning unscathed, but got into trouble in the second inning, allowing four runs on four hits. The big blow in the inning was a three-run home run by Tech's Gil Laird.
Boyce (1-1) surrendered two more runs in the third inning before being replaced by Devon Collis. Boyce pitched two-plus innings and allowed six runs (all earned) on seven hits while walking three. Collis faced four batters, allowing three singles and walking one run in with the bases loaded. Lee Land replaced Collis and eventually got the Hogs out of the inning.
When the dust settled after the third inning, the Bulldogs had scored six runs on five hits and led the game 10-4.
"We got them down early, and then we didn't pitch worth a darn for about two innings," Arkansas Head Coach Dave Van Horn said. "I was really disappointed on the pitching side of things. Charley (Boyce) and Devon Collis were not good - at all. After that the pitching was pretty good."
Land would throw three-scoreless innings and allow just three hits while striking out three. Smith then pitched the final three innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four.
"They (Land and Josh Smith) gave us a chance," Van Horn said. "I can't ask for more out of our bullpen. They held them down, got some zeros and gave us a chance to claw back into the game."
The Hogs tallied a run on a sacrifice fly to center by Danny Hamblin in the fourth inning as Arkansas tried to scratch back into the game. UA then scored two runs in the fifth inning on a RBI ground out by Clint Arnold that scored John Marquardt who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning. Scott Bridges, who had doubled to move Marquardt to third base, also scored on the play after a throwing error by the shortstop.
Bridges finished the day 2 for 4 with three runs scored, while Arnold, Casey Rowlett, and Scott Hode also collected two hits apiece.
Arkansas pulled to within 10-8 in the seventh inning on a RBI single by Jake Dugger. Dugger drove in two runs on the day.
The Razorbacks threatened in the ninth when Hode lead off with a single to left field. Marquardt followed with a scorching shot up the middle that was snagged by the pitcher, who started the double play that ended the Hogs' hopes.
The Razorbacks and Bulldogs will play the rubber game of the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at J.C. Love Field. 


 Arkansas Razorbacks #23 Arkansas Razorbacks at Louisiana Tech Feb 19, 2005 at Ruston, La. (J.C. Love Field) Arkansas Razorbacks 8 (5-1) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Clint Arnold lf.......... 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 Jake Dugger rf........... 4 0 1 2 0 1 1 0 0 Casey Rowlett cf......... 5 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 Danny Hamblin dh......... 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 Clay Goodwin 1b.......... 4 0 2 0 0 0 10 0 2 Brian Walker c........... 5 0 0 0 0 1 7 2 4 Scott Hode ss............ 5 1 2 0 0 2 0 4 1 John Marquardt 3b........ 4 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 Scott Bridges 2b......... 3 3 2 0 1 0 5 6 1 Charley Boyce p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Devon Collis p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lee Land p.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Josh Smith p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 37 8 12 5 2 5 24 14 10 Louisiana Tech 10 (4-4) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Cobb, Adam cf............ 5 1 1 1 0 0 4 0 2 Haygood, Brandon 2b...... 4 0 1 3 1 1 0 1 0 Tabor, Ben dh............ 5 0 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 Bastion, Dusty pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Granberry, Travis lf..... 4 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 Santiago, Jason lf...... 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Goulder, Albie 1b........ 4 2 2 0 1 1 9 0 2 McCarthy, Joseph 1b..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Hamilton, Ryan 3b........ 3 2 1 0 1 1 2 2 0 Laird, Gil rf............ 3 2 2 3 1 0 2 0 0 Boyce, Mims c............ 2 2 1 1 2 1 5 0 0 Holik, Gary ss........... 4 1 3 1 0 0 1 2 0 Hudson, Brandon p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lassere, Andrew p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tucker, Mitch p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 35 10 15 10 6 7 26 7 7 Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Arkansas Razorbacks. 130 120 100 - 8 12 0 Louisiana Tech...... 046 000 00X - 10 15 3 ------------------------------------------- Note: 2 outs, 0 runners LOB when the game ended. E - Cobb(1); Laird(3); Holik(4). DP - ARKANSAS 2; LT 1. LOB - ARKANSAS 10; LT 7. 2B - Rowlett(2); Hode(3); Bridges 2(2); Haygood(4). HR - Laird(2). HBP - Arnold; Dugger; Goodwin; Marquardt. SF - Hamblin(1). SB - Bridges(4); Bastion(2); Holik(2). CS - Granberry(1); Laird(1). Arkansas Razorbacks IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Charley Boyce....... 2.0 7 6 6 3 0 12 15 53 Devon Collis........ 0.0 3 4 4 1 0 3 4 16 Lee Land............ 3.0 3 0 0 1 3 11 12 56 Josh Smith.......... 3.0 2 0 0 1 4 9 10 36 Louisiana Tech IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hudson, Brandon..... 1.1 3 3 3 1 0 7 9 35 Lassere, Andrew..... 3.1 5 4 3 1 2 15 20 84 Tucker, Mitch....... 4.0 4 1 1 0 3 15 15 66 Win - Lassere (1-1). Loss - Boyce (1-1). Save - Hudson (1). WP - Land(1); Hudson(1). HBP - by Hudson (Goodwin); by Lassere (Arnold); by Lassere (Dugger); by Lassere (Marquardt). BK - Lassere(2). PB - Boyce(1). Inherited runners/scored: Collis 2/2; Land 3/3; Lassere 1/1; Tucker 1/0. Pitches/strikes: Boyce 53/29; Collis 16/8; Land 56/30; Smith 36/22; Hudson 35/20; Lassere 84/54; Tucker 66/44. Umpires - HP: Brian Martin 1B: Chris Magouirk 3B: Tommy Durrett Start: 1:01 pm Time: 3:11 Attendance: 1619 Boyce faced 2 batters in the 3rd. Collis faced 4 batters in the 3rd.