James D. Smith photo / special for the Democrat-Gazette
Arkansas 5, Texas Tech 6 – 6th bottom entry
Kole Ramage is about to start this inning.
Kopps: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1BB, 2K, 19 pitches.
Technology places the leader with a walk, he steals second place and advances to third in the pitch. Opitz had a pitch and would have been late in the pitch. The next hitter walks and there are runners around the curves.
Ramage’s night ends after not recording an exit. Right-handed Ryan Costeiu joins the Hogs
Ramage: 0.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER (both runners are your responsibility) 1 BB, 0 K, 15 shots.
Another potential double game ball for Razorbacks, but this time the roll is too slow for the turn to arrive in time. Pigs come out second. Technology marks a race and regains leadership.
Costeiu did a good job of limiting the damage. He gets a flyout and groundout to finish the inning.
Arkansas 5, Texas Tech 5 – Middle 6th inning
Arkansas is full of bases, with no outs, after a hit and two hikes, and the day is over for Wells. At launch is Ryan Sublette for the Red Raiders
Wells: 0.1 IP 0 H, 0R, 0 ER (all three corridors are your responsibility). 0 K, 2 BB, 18 shots.
Nesbit attacks looking. He is the second Razorback to attack looking with bases loaded today.
Jalen Battles puts a load on one, jumping the fence in the left field and the Razorbacks score 2 to cut the lead to 5-3 Texas Tech. Robert Moore had three good hits today and has runners in the scoring position and one out for the Hogs.
A wild shot indicates another race for the Razorbacks. 5-4 Tech.
Robert Moore does his job, he flies to the center right and Battles scores and scores easily. Arkansas responds to Tech’s five races with four of them topping 6th.
Franklin counters for the third time in this game, but the Hogs took advantage of the free passes that the Red Raiders distributed and tied the game.
Arkansas 1, Texas Tech 5 – End of 5th entry
Runion leads the inning with a double leadoff, so Vermillion walks the next hitter and his night is over. Caden Monke is about to shoot for the Razorbacks. Monke is probably the best pitcher on the Razorbacks floor.
Vermillion: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0R, 0 ER (Both runners are your responsibility) 4 k, 2 BB, 59 shots.
The Red Raiders carry the bases and Conley advances on the right side of the infield. Technology scores 2 points to take the lead. Monke’s night ends after giving 2 hits to the only 2 batters he faced.
Kevin Kopps will enter the runners first and second with no one outside.
The first batter reaches a first pitch slider right between Kopps’ legs for a single RBI. Technology leads 3-1.
A wild shot goes through Opitz and then a base shot gives Texas Tech a 5-1 lead. The bullpen has not been spectacular so far for Razorbacks. They still need to leave.
Kopps makes the last two batters strike to finish the inning, but the damage was done by the Red Raiders by scoring 5 runs in 5 hits.
Arkansas 1, Texas Tech 0 – Middle 5th inning
Arkansas loaded the bases with 1 exit. Nesbit walked, Battles chose and Moore walked. Arkansas is with Christian Franklin. This is Razorback’s best chance to score this game.
Franklin countered by looking at a 3-2 slider.
Arkansas is on the board. Cullen Smith takes a walk and the Razorbacks take the lead.
Birdsell’s night is over. 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2K, 30 steps. On the field is the mighty Levi Wells.
Arkansas will only get a run after Webb reaches third place to close the entry.
Arkansas 0, Texas Tech 0 – End of 4th entry
Braydon Webb takes a leap to the right in front of the Razorback bullpen in the central left field. This can be found at SportsCenter.
Vermillion gets a strikeout and and a flyout to end the inning. Vermillion is in 51 shots. He could go out to the fifth. Van Horn said pitchers’ limits will be around 60 pitches this weekend. Something to take into account in the next entry.
Monteverde’s night ended his line – 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 K, 2 BB, 64 pitches
The powerful Brandon Birdsell is for the Red Raiders.
Arkansas 0, Texas Tech 0 – 4th intermediate entry
Arkansas comes in order at the 4th entry. Two groundouts and a flyout leave the game goalless.
Monteverde launched 64 pitches for the Red Raiders.
Arkansas 0, Texas Tech 0 – End of 3rd entry
Texas Tech threatened in the inning to place the first two hitters, but Vermillion stranded the runners with two fly out and a strikeout.
Vermillion launched 38 shots in 3 entries for the Hogs.
Arkansas 0, Texas Tech 0 – Third intermediate entry
Monteverde puts Jacob Nesbit on a high curve. Nesbit worked the full count, but was unable to connect.
Battles take place in a fastball, the one reaching 91 mph according to the announcers. Monteverde eliminated 5 Razorbacks in his first time in the lineup.
Robert Moore chose the left field for the first hit of the Razorbacks of the year. He picked up a fast high ball and pulled.
Moore was knocked down first, but he never stopped running for second place and slid before the wrong throw.
Moore is on the move at this entrance. He stole third base, failed to see the mark or jump, but he seemed to be there in time. Moore had three steals in the shortened covid-19 season. He has two in the first game.
The Hogs managed corner runners after Franklin’s walk, but Smith stopped at the shortstop to end the inning.
Arkansas 0, Texas Tech 0 – End of 2nd entry
There is no radar gun reading on the transmission, but announcers said Vermillion played 93 mph this turn. He retires the first two hitters in four shots.
Former Razorback Easton Murrell catches up with shortstop Jalen Battles. The battles failed to play clean and Murrell hit the pitch. Vermillion hits the next batter on the first pitch.
Vermillion comes out of the inning by hitting Runion in a dirt field. Arkansas will have 8.9.1 due to the top of the 3rd.
Arkansas 0, Texas Tech 0 – 2nd intermediate entry
Texas Tech incumbent Patrick Monteverde has his broken ball working early. He hits the first two hitters of the turn, but Casey Opitz takes a step forward to give the Razorbacks their first base in the game. Opitz was able to advance to second base in a wild shot on the ground, but Wallace dropped to third to close the entry. Montverde hasn’t dominated Arkansas hitters with speed, but his breaking material makes the Hogs guess.
Arkansas 0, Texas Tech 0 – End of 1st entry
Leadoff Dru Baker goes to Jalen Battles on the shortstop. 1 out.
Cal Conley kicks a ball in the middle for the first hit of the game.
Dylan Neuse comes to a double 6-4-3 game. Moore battles for Cullen Smith at the beginning to end the shift.
We heard a lot about Battles and Moore’s double play combo during the off-season and the pair didn’t disappoint that shift. Very smooth in the middle.
Arkansas 0, Texas Tech 0 – 1st intermediate entry
Robert Moore flies left to start the shift. 1 out.
Christian Franklin attacks swinging on a breaking ball. 2 exits.
Braydon Webb flies to the shortstop and the Hogs go in order at the start of the shift.
Pre-game
The official start time for the first Arkansas game of the season against Texas Tech is at 8:20 pm. The previous game between Ole Miss and TCU did not end before 19h25; 25 minutes after the scheduled start time for the game between Arkansas and Texas Tech. Arkansas will be the visiting team today. Matt Goodheart did not make the trip for an undisclosed medical reason.
Texas Tech incumbent Patrick Monteverde has only released four games since the start of the 2019 season. He required Tommy John’s surgery after three appearances in 2019, and threw only 2 2/3 entries last season before the season to end … Arkansas’s pitcher, Zebulon Vermilion, is making his first career start. Vermillion appeared in 32 games during his career, including five last season, when he didn’t allow a run and eliminated 12 in 7 1/3 innings
Lineups
Arkansas
2B Robert Moore
CF Christian Franklin
1B Cullen Smith
LF Braydon Webb
DH Brady Slavens
C Casey Opitz
RF Cayden Wallace
3B Jacob Nesbit
SS Jalen Battles
P Zebulon Vermillion – 1-0, 0.00 ERA in 7 1/3 innings in 2020
Texas Tech
LF Dru Baker
3B Cal Conley
CF Dylan Neuse
2B Jace Jung
1B Cole Stilwell
RF Easton Murrell
C Braxton Fulford
DH Braydon Runion
SS Kurt Wilson
P Patrick Monteverde – 0-0, 0,00 ERA in 2 2/3 entries in Division II Seton Hill (Pa.) In 2020