SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE CENTRAL ARKANSAS 7, NORTHWESTERN (LA.) ST. 4
Chris Townsend went 3 for 4 and Central Arkansas (23-8, 4-5 Southland Conference) took 2 of 3 from Northwestern (La.) State (10-23, 1-8) in Natchitoches, La.
Forrestt Allday, Jonathan Davis and Michael Marietta each had two hits for the Bears, who outhit the Demons 12-9.
UCA trailed 1-0 after two innings, but scored three runs in the third for a 3-1 lead. Davis walked with the bases loaded to score Townsend to tie the game. Allday scored on Garrett Brown’s ground out and after Ethan Harris walked, Marchal came home on a wild pitch.
Northwestern State pulled within 3-2 in the bottom of the third. Marchal’s RBI single extended UCA’s lead to 4-2 in the top of the fourth.
Leading 4-3 going into the seventh, UCA scored two runs to increase its lead to 6-3 on Harris’ bases-loaded walk and Justin Treece’s RBI single. Harris drew his second bases-loaded walk in the top of the eighth to complete the Bears’ scoring.
UCA starter Bryce Biggerstaff (3-1) allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3 in 5 2/3 innings.
SUN BELT CONFERENCE ARKANSAS STATE 5, WESTERN KENTUCKY 3
Stuart Levy’s one-out pinch hit double in the bottom of the eighth inning helped propel Arkansas State past Western Kentucky on Sunday afternoon in Jonesboro.
Levy broke a 3-3 tie with a double down the right field line that scored Logan Uxa from second base after Uxa had reached earlier in the inning with a bloop single in left field. Alex Potts moved Levy to third with an infield single and the Arkansas State sophomore catcher came around to score on a wild pitch to give the Red Wolves a 4-3 advantage. Dustin Jones provided an insurance run with a single up the middle that scored Potts to make it a two-run advantage.
ASU (19-14, 6-6 Sun Belt) took the series from the Hilltoppers (17-15, 8-4) after earning a victory on Friday night. It was the first Sun Belt Conference series loss for Western Kentucky, which came into the weekend tied for first place in league play. It was also the second conference series win for the Red Wolves of the year, after sweeping Arkansas-Little Rock earlier this season.
ASU starter Bradley Wallace went 8-plus innings, struck out a career-high 12, and allowed just 3 runs on 4 hits. After allowing a lead off single to start the game, he retired the next 18 batters in a row and struck out at least one in every inning but the eighth.
The ASU baseball will host Central Arkansas on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Tomlinson Stadium.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 8, UALR 6
Middle Tennessee (18-16, 5-7 Sun Belt) won its series against UALR with an 8-6 victory Sunday at Reese Smith Jr. Field in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
UALR (15-16, 4-8 SBC) won the first game of the series on Sunday, but Middle Tennessee rebounded with back-to back wins on Saturday and Sunday.
UALR put up 11 hits in the loss on Sunday. Senior Chris Burk led the charge with a 4-for-5 effort at the plate to go along with two RBI. Senior Blake Johnson was 1-for-3 with a homer and two runs scored. Senior David Guarno hit his third home run of the season.
Junior Ethan Schlechte (3-4) got the start for the Trojans but lasted just 11/3 innings and allowed 6 runs on 7 hits.
The Trojans return to action on Wednesday when they travel to Tulsa to face Oral Roberts at 6:30 p.m.
Sports, Pages 17 on 04/08/2013