Arkansas scored six runs in the first inning and the No. 6 Razorbacks never looked back in a 17-3 victory over Grambling State on Tuesday in front of 9,758 at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
Four Arkansas batters reached on free passes in the first inning and the Razorbacks didn’t have a base hit until seven-hole hitter Jordan McFarland singled. Zack Plunkett cleared the bases with a three-run home run in the next at-bat to put Arkansas ahead 6-1.
The Razorbacks (35-11) have won 10 of their past 11 games, including four straight since a home loss to Northwestern State last Wednesday.
Arkansas improved to 9-1 at Dickey-Stephens Park, where it began playing once per year in 2010.
The Razorbacks recorded 15 hits and blew out its Tuesday opponent for the third consecutive week. Arkansas outscored Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Northwestern State and Grambling State by a combined 52-9.
Five Razorbacks had multi-hit games, led by Trevor Ezell and Casey Martin with three hits apiece. Both players were playing less than 30 miles from their hometowns. Ezell is from Bryant and Martin is from Lonoke.
Ezell went 3-for-3, walked 3 times and tied the single-game school record with 6 runs. The last Arkansas player to score six runs in a game was Jeremy Jackson against Northeastern (Okla.) State in 1997.
Martin was 3-for-4 with 4 RBI and finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Martin hit an inside-the-park home run in the fourth inning.
Dominic Fletcher, Heston Kjerstad and Curtis Washington had two hits apiece. Fletcher and Martin each hit a double, and both are tied for the SEC lead with 19 doubles this season.
Kjerstad crushed a three-run home run in the eighth inning. It was his 13th home run this season and fourth in six games.
Counting Martin’s inside-the-park homer, Arkansas hit three home runs Tuesday. The Razorbacks had a combined five home runs in their first nine games at the cavernous Dickey-Stephens Park.
Kole Ramage allowed 3 runs - 2 earned - in a 4-inning start. Ramage struck out 7, but struggled with command and walked 4, threw 2 wild pitches and hit a batter.
Ramage loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first inning, but limited the jam to just one run. He was strong during the second, third and fourth innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth when he loaded the bases again with no outs.
Four Arkansas relievers combined to pitch five scoreless innings.
Marshall Denton struck out four in two innings after inheriting Ramage's bases-loaded jam in the fifth. Collin Taylor stranded the bases loaded with a strikeout of Warren Laster in the seventh after Elijah Trest walked two and hit a batter.
Grambling (23-21) stranded 12 runners. The Tigers were 3-for-20 with runners on base and 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
Taylor pitched 1 1/3 innings and Jacob Burton pitched a scoreless ninth.
Tuesday’s game was the Razorbacks’ final non-conference game of the regular season. Arkansas is scheduled to play nine more SEC games, beginning with a three-game series at Kentucky on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
EARLIER
Arkansas 17, Grambling State 3 - Bottom 8th Inning
Heston Kjerstad's 13th home run of the season was a three-run shot over the bullpen in right field. That is Arkansas' third home run of the game. Zack Plunkett hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Casey Martin had a two-run inside-the-park home run.
Arkansas 14, Grambling State 3 - End 7th Inning
Jordan McFarland' sacrifice fly scored Christian Franklin in the seventh. Franklin was pinch running for Dominic Fletcher, who doubled. It was Fletcher's 19th double of the season, which tied Casey Martin for the most in the SEC.
Arkansas 13, Grambling State 3 - Middle 7th Inning
Collin Taylor struck out Warren Lester looking at a 3-2 fastball to end the top of the seventh inning. That is the second time tonight that Lester has struck out to strand the bases loaded. Grambling has stranded 11.
Arkansas 13, Grambling State 3 - Top 7th Inning
Elijah Trest struggled in a relief appearance. He walked two and hit a batter, and is giving way to Collin Taylor with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning.
That 2/3-inning outing was not a good followup to Trest's strong 10th inning against Tennessee on Sunday.
The attendance at the 7,200-seat Dickey-Stephens Park tonight is 9,758. There were 10,463 tickets distributed. There are a number of general-admission seats at the park, including along the fence in the outfield.
Arkansas 13, Grambling State 3 - End 6th Inning
Trevor Ezell has reached base all five times in the leadoff spot for the Razorbacks, including with an RBI double in the sixth. The hit to center field scored Curtis Washington, who singled and stole second base.
Ezell scored for the fifth time on Casey Martin's RBI single in the next at-bat. Martin is a triple shy of hitting for the cycle (he was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple earlier in the game).
The inning ended when Jack Kenley grounded out to second base.
Both runs in the inning came with two outs. Washington also reached with a two-out single.
Arkansas 11, Grambling State 3 - Middle 6th Inning
Marshall Denton retired all three Grambling batters in the sixth, including two via strikeout. He has four strikeouts in two innings of relief.
For those wondering, there is no run rule in place for tonight's game, so - weather permitting - they will play all nine innings.
Arkansas 11, Grambling State 3 - End 5th Inning
Trevor Ezell scored the Razorbacks' second run of the inning on a wild pitch. He also advanced to third base on a wild pitch.
Trey Harris struck out to end the inning and stranded two runners.
Arkansas 10, Grambling State 3 - Bottom 5th Inning
Curtis Washington doubled off the wall to lead off the inning and scored on Trevor Ezell's RBI single in the next at-bat. Ezell stole second base.
Washington has a hit in four of the Razorbacks' past five Tuesday games.
Arkansas 9, Grambling State 3 - Middle 5th Inning
For the second time tonight, Grambling loaded the bases with no outs but only managed one run in the inning. Garrett Smith had a two-out RBI hit against Marshall Denton, who struck out two and got a line out after inheriting three base runners from Kole Ramage.
The final line for Ramage: 4-plus innings, 3 runs (2 earned), 5 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts. He also threw two wild pitches and hit a batter.
Arkansas 9, Grambling State 2 - Top 5th Inning
Kole Ramage won't make it through five innings. He allowed a single, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and issued a four-pitch walk in the fifth, and Dave Van Horn is going to Marshall Denton in the bullpen.
Partial line for Ramage: 4-plus innings, 2 runs (1 earned), 5 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts. He also threw two wild pitches and hit a batter. All three runners are his responsibility.
Arkansas 9, Grambling State 2 - End 4th Inning
The Razorbacks stranded the bases loaded when Zack Plunkett struck out on a 2-2 pitch in the dirt. Jordan McFarland had reached with a two-out walk.
Both teams have left five on base.
Kole Ramage will pitch again in the fifth inning. If he makes it through five, he will be in line for his team-leading eighth win of the year.
Arkansas 9, Grambling State 2 - Bottom 4th Inning
Trevor Ezell hit an infield single to lead off the bottom of the inning, then Casey Martin followed with an inside-the-park home run. Martin scored standing up. That is his second inside-the-park homer this year.
Remember Martin was thrown out trying to extend a double into a triple in his last at-bat.
Two more Razorbacks, Heston Kjerstad and Dominic Fletcher, have singled since Martin's homer and Arkansas is on the verge of blowing the game open.
Arkansas 7, Grambling State 2 - Middle 4th Inning
Kevin Whitaker singled to lead off the fourth. He advanced to second on a groundout, to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error by catcher Zack Plunkett.
It was part of an up-and-down inning for Kole Ramage, who walked two other batters before getting back-to-back strikeouts to strand them. Grambling has left five on base.
Ramage, who has seven strikeouts, has thrown 76 pitches, so he might not come back for the fifth inning. Marshall Denton is up in the bullpen.
Arkansas 7, Grambling State 1 - End 3rd Inning
Jack Kenley led off with a single and Zack Plunkett reached on a two-out walk, but the inning ended when Curtis Washington struck out. Those were the first base runners stranded tonight for Arkansas.
Arkansas 7, Grambling State 1 - Middle 3rd Inning
Kole Ramage struck out the Tigers' 2-3-4 hitters in the third. He has settled down since that rough start and has five strikeouts through three innings.
Arkansas 7, Grambling State 1 - Bottom 2nd Inning
Almost all of the Razorbacks' games in North Little Rock have been low-scoring nail biters, but the Razorbacks are putting it on Grambling early. Trevor Ezell walked to lead off the inning and scored on Casey Martin's RBI double. Martin was thrown out at third base.
Martin complained that the third baseman was blocking the bag, but to no avail.
Arkansas 6, Grambling State 1 - Middle 2nd Inning
Kole Ramage worked around a one-out walk and a stolen base in the second inning. Ramage struck out the Tigers' leadoff hitter to end the inning.
Arkansas 6, Grambling State 1 - Bottom 1st Inning
GSU pitcher Kaelin Woodard fielded a Jordan McFarland chopper near third base, faked a throw to first and then attempted to tag out Heston Kjerstad who was running home from third. But the home plate umpire ruled Woodard missed the tag and Kjerstad scored to extend the inning.
Because the game is not on TV, there is no replay for the game tonight.
Zack Plunkett followed with a three-run home run, which was the Razorbacks' first base hit of the inning. That is a rare home run for Arkansas at Dickey-Stephens. The Razorbacks have not shown much power at the park through the years.
Arkansas 2, Grambling State 1 - Bottom 1st Inning
Trey Harris' sacrifice fly scored Casey Martin from third base and the Razorbacks have taken a 2-1 lead with two outs in the first inning. The Razorbacks do not have a hit yet in the inning.
Arkansas 1, Grambling State 1 - Bottom 1st Inning
Jack Kenley drew a bases-loaded walk with one out to force home Trevor Ezell and tie the game 1-1. That is sending Grambling State to the bullpen. D'Quan Matthews recorded just one out - a strikeout of Dominic Fletcher - and allowed four free bases on three walks and a hit batsman.
Grambling State 1, Arkansas 0 - Bottom 1st Inning
Both teams have put their first three hitters aboard in much different ways. Trevor Ezell and Heston Kjerstad walked, sandwiched around a Casey Martin hit by pitch. Dominic Fletcher is at the plate with no outs.
Grambling State 1, Arkansas 0 - Middle 1st Inning
Kole Ramage limited the damage to one run after GSU loaded the bases with no outs. Isaiah Torres scored from third base on an RBI groundout by Kevin Whitaker that resulted in the second out. Casey Martin made a good play on the ball to record the out.
Ramage struck out Rafael Ramirez for the first out, then stranded two runners when Jahmoi Percival grounded out to end the inning.
Arkansas 0, Grambling State 0 - Top 1st Inning
This has not been a good start for Kole Ramage, who has allowed three consecutive singles to start the game. The Tigers have the bases loaded with no outs.
Pregame
Fortunately for the Razorbacks, this game isn't being played at Baum-Walker Stadium. Thunderstorms have soaked Fayetteville all afternoon.
There is a chance for thunderstorms in North Little Rock tonight, but it appears the teams will be able to get the game in before the worst hits the central part of the state. Right now it is very warm and muggy.
Arkansas is starting several backups tonight, including Zack Plunkett at catcher, Trey Harris at designated hitter and Curtis Washington Jr. in left field. Arkansas also is using its typical midweek infield with Jordan McFarland at first base, Trevor Ezell at second and Jack Kenley at third.
Ezell and Harris are both from the Little Rock area, and Martin is from not far away in Lonoke.
Kole Ramage (7-1, 4.91 ERA) will start on the mound for the Razorbacks. Grambling will throw senior right hander D'Quan Matthews (0-1, 6.17 ERA).