Nate Allen

FAYETTEVILLE -  Nationally No. 1 Arkansas won its baseball series at Louisiana Tech but finally tasted defeat in Sunday’s third game of the nonconference series at Ruston, La.

Coach Dave Van Horn’s 12-1 Razorbacks lost, 2-0 Sunday to the 2-hit, complete game shutout pitching of Tech’s Jarrett Whorff after coming from behind to win, 9-7 Friday night in 10 innings and dominating Saturday’s game  start to finish, 8-1.

The Razorbacks squandered a good effort Sunday by losing starter Lael Lockhart, two runs through five innings.

Caleb Bolden for one inning and Blake Adams for two shut out the Bulldogs thereafter.

First baseman Brady Slavens and freshman right fielder Cayden Wallace of Greenbrier, three hits including a home runm, paced Saturday’s offense while winning starter Zebulon Vermillion pitched his by far best start of the season, a 3-hitter through eight innings.

Kole Ramage pitched a scoreless ninth.

Wallace homered Friday night  and along with Robert Moore helped the Razorbacks rally to tie it 7-7 after nine setting up shortstop Jalen Battles’ game-winning 2-run 10th-inning  home run after Charlie Welch’s pinch-hit double.

Kevin Kopps, a scoreless eighth and ninth, won in relief with freshman Jaxon Wiggins’s scoreless 10th netting the save.

The Razorbacks return Tuesday night to Baum-Walker Stadium to play the Oklahoma Sooners of the Big 12 in a 5 p.m. game televised by the SEC Network and for their first SEC series host the Alabama Crimson Tide at 6:30 p.m. Friday, 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Sunday’s game will be televised by the SEC Network.