A day after struggling to get hits in its Sun Belt Conference Tournament opener, Arkansas State scored nine runs in the middle innings Thursday to avoid elimination at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field in Lafayette, La.
The eighth-seeded Red Wolves scored four runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and three in the sixth inning of a 10-4 victory over fifth-seeded Western Kentucky, extending their season at least another day. ASU will play Florida Atlantic or Troy in another elimination game at 4 p.m. today.
ASU’s big offensive performance came a day after ASU was held scoreless for eight innings and stranded the tying run in a 3-2 loss to Troy.
ASU (27-30) pounded out 12 hits Thursday, including three by Alex Potts and two each by Dustin Jones, Ryan Roberts and Logan Uxa, who struck out with the tying run on first base to end Wednesday’s game.
Uxa also scored three runs and drove in another, while Derek Birginske drove in two runs and Ryan Emery and Potts scored twice. Bradley Wallace improved to 5-2 after giving up 4 runs on 5 hits and striking out 7 in 6 1/3 innings.The sophomore held Western Kentucky (28-29) scoreless through the first five innings before giving up a run in the sixth and three in the seventh.
But ASU had already taken a 7-0 lead before Western Kentucky scored a run.
The Red Wolves took a 1-0 lead off Hilltoppers starter Andrew Edwards in the second inning when Potts singled scored Uxa. Potts drove in Uxa again in the fourth inning, this time when the throw from his bunt single went wide of first base.
Dustin Jones followed with a single to left field, but Adam Lavelle couldn’t field the ball and it rolled to the wall, allowing Birginske, Potts and Jones to score for a 5-0 lead.
Birginske added a two-run triple in the fifth to make it 7-0, and ASU took a 10-1 lead in the sixth when Kevin Fitzpatrick, Roberts and Uxa hit run-scoring singles.
Wallace was relieved by John Koch after Wallace allowed an RBI single to Blake Crabtree with one out in the seventh.
FLA. INT. 4, UALR 3
UALR put a runner in scoring position twice in the ninth inning Thursday afternoon, but Florida International threw a runner out at third and threw another out at the plate to end UALR’s season.
Blake Johnson led off the ninth and was hit by a pitch. John Clark singled to left field, but Johnson was thrown out by shortstop Edwin Rios as he tried to advance to third base. Clark advanced to second on the throw and was replaced by pinch-runner Sage Gasaway. Chris Burk followed with a single to left field, but Gasaway was thrown out by left fielder Zach Sweety trying to score.
Myles Parma flew out to left field to end the game.
Florida International (26-31) took a 2-0 lead in the first on Edwin Rios’ home run off starter Blake Huffman. Sam Vogel’s ground ball scored Chris Burk in the fourth, and UALR (28-28) tied the game when Guarno walked with the bases loaded in the sixth.
Rios’ second home run gave FIU a 4-2 lead in the sixth, and Johnson’s home run made it 4-3 in the seventh.
At a glance At Lafayette, La.
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Arkansas State 10, Western Kentucky 4 Fla. International 4, UALR 3 Troy vs. Fla. Atlantic, susp., weather
TODAY’S GAMES All times Central
Troy vs. Fla. Atlantic, 11 a.m.
S. Alabama vs. La.-Lafayette, 12:30 p.m.
Arkansas St. vs. Fla. Atlantic/Troy, 4 p.m.
Fla. Int. vs. S. Ala./La. Laf., 6:30 p.m.
Sports, Pages 23 on 05/24/2013