SUN BELT CONFERENCE TEXAS-ARLINGTON 6, ARKANSAS STATE 2
The Red Wolves (12-10, 4-1) suffered their first Sun Belt Conference loss of the season at Texas-Arlington on Saturday afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark in Arlington, Texas.
The Mavericks (8-15, 1-4) led 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning, but a home run by Darien McLemore stretched the margin to 4-1. With one out and after consecutive singles by Texas-Arlington, Matt Shortall hit a two-run double to make it 6-1.
In the ninth, ASU’s Austin Baker hit a double to left-center field to score Ty Michelotti, who led off with a walk, to make it 6-2. A walk put runners on first and second, but pinch-hitter Tanner Ring grounded into a fielder’s choice to third base to end the game.
Chandler Hawkins (2-3) took the loss for Arkansas State, allowing 3 earned runs on 9 hits with no walks and 3 strikeouts in 5 innings.
Zach Maggio and Baker had two hits each to lead the Red Wolves. Baker hit his team-high fourth home run and drove in both ASU runs. Shortall was 5 for 5 with a home run and 3 RBI for the Mavericks. McLemore was 4 for 4 with 1 home run and 3 RBI.
SOUTH ALABAMA 6, UALR 5
South Alabama’s four-run fourth inning kept UALR’s Sun Belt Conference losing streak intact Saturday at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock.
The Jaguars (12-9, 3-1) added a run in the fifth on Matt Bolger’s RBI single to make it 6-1, and that stood up to a Trojans rally.
Justin Steelmon hit an RBI single in the fifth, then Hayden Martin was hit by a pitch in the sixth, moved to third on a single by Ben Crumpton and stole home to make it 6-4. Steelmon drove in a run on a ground out to make it 6-5 in the eighth, but the Trojans left runners on first and third in the inning and the tying run on second in the ninth.
Crumpton went 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored for the Trojans (10-10, 0-5), while Ryan Scott went 2 for 4.
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE CENTRAL ARKANSAS 4, SAM HOUSTON STATE 2
A Central Arkansas pitcher turned in a complete-game performance for the second day in a row as the Bears earned their second consecutive victory over No. 16 Sam Houston State at Bear Stadium in Conway.
Junior Chris Caudle (4-2) allowed 7 hits, all singles, struck out 4 and walked 4 to earn the victory a day after Connor Gilmore went the distance in a 9-7 victory.
UCA has won four in a row and five of six.
The Bears (12-8, 3-2 Southland Conference) led 1-0 early, then overcame a 2-1 deficit in the fifth inning and never trailed again. Sam Houston starter Sam Odom (4-1) gave up three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings and handed him his first loss of the season.
UCA took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Nate Ferrell had a lead off double and eventually scored on Scott Zimmerle’s ground out. After the Bearkats (16-7, 3-2) added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 2-1 lead, UCA responded with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Center fielder Nick Rougeau reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second before Tyler Langley walked. Doug Votolato’s sacrifice bunt moved both runners and Chris Townsend followed with a two-run single to right center, giving UCA a 3-2 lead.
UCA made it 4-2 in the seventh when Votolato had an infield single, went to second on a ground out and scored on an error by Bearkats shortstop Corey Toups.
Caudle allowed a base runner in the eighth, but he was helped by a double play. Sam Houston put two more runners on in the ninth, but Caudle got Casey Atwood to hit a grounder back to the mound to end the game.
Votolato had two of UCA’s seven hits, while Townsend had two RBI for the Bears.
SWAC WEST ALABAMA 3, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 0
Mikey Ramirez held West Alabama to one run over eight innings, but West Alabama starter Fernando Gonzalez was even better Saturday in Pine Bluff.
Gonzalez held UAPB to two hits over eight innings in leading West Alabama to a victory at the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex. He struck out five and walked two, and Tanner Rainey pitched around a walk in the ninth to earn the save.
Jack Cockrum drove in all three West Alabama runs. He hit a sacrifice fly off Ramirez in the first and hit a two-run single in the ninth off reliever Redmond Floyd. Cockrum went 2 for 4 for West Alabama (18-9).
Joshua Cassidy and Jason Ibrahim recorded the only hits for UAPB (7-15). Ramirez struck out 4 and scattered 9 hits over 8 innings for UAPB.
Sports, Pages 30 on 03/23/2014