Reliever Dylan Carter closes door for Hogs’ 7-4 win over Bulldogs

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas finally got some offense early.

Second-inning homers from Jace Bohrofen and Parker Roland keyed a four-run burst, then the pitching held up to down Louisiana Tech, 7-4, in the first game of a weekend series at Baum-Walker Stadium.

If they had gotten a little of that later it would have blown the game wide open.

“We haven’t gotten one big blow to blow the game open,” Hogs coach Dave Van Horn said later.

It’s not like they didn’t have chances.

“We loaded the bases a couple of times there and got a sacrifice fly,” Van Horn said. “But not a double or something that would have blown it open.”

In the third inning, the Hogs got a lead-off walk from Brady Slavens, a single from Jace Bohrofen and another walk from Caleb Cali. Kendall Diggs got Bohrofen across on a fielder’s choice by the second baseman.

In the fifth inning, a lead-off single from Jared Wegner and Diggs brought him home, but that was the only run with a crowded group of Hogs on the bases.

The Hogs got solor runs over the last three innings and the pitching held up with Dylan Carter coming on in relief of starter Hagen Smith, who lasted five innings.

Smith struck out seven, gave up four hits and four walks which ld to a couple of earned runs.

Cody Adcock worked the sixth and gave up a couple of runs before Carter came on and closed the door, allowing just one hit over three innings.

Van Horn has been looking for some bullpen help.

“He might work into a guy that can go Friday and Sunday, we’ll see,” Van Horn said.

That was the same answer if Carter would be back in this weekend, but it’s a positive sign with all the injuries to the pitching staff.

The Hogs and Bulldogs will play again Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.