SUN BELT
UALR 11, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 4
Nik Gifford was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI, Cameron Knight went 2 for 4, while Zach Baker and Riley Pittman both went 2 for 5 as the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (16-26, 7-12 Sun Belt Conference) used a nine-run burst in the second and third innings to claim Friday's series opener over Georgia Southern (28-15, 11-8) at J.J. Clements Stadium in Statesboro, Ga.
Pittman hit a home run on the second pitch of the second inning, while Baker and Hunter Owens added consecutive two-run doubles to give the Trojans a 5-0 lead. Gifford and Christian Reyes added RBI singles in the third inning. Reyes and Jonathan Davis also scored on wild pitches in the third as UALR's lead grew to 9-0.
After Georgia Southern's Ryan Cleveland hit an RBI single in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 9-1, UALR responded with two runs in the sixth inning as Ty Gunter was hit by a pitch and Reyes drew a bases-loaded walk. Gunter, Knight and Davis were all hit by pitches in the inning.
The Eagles got an RBI groundout, an RBI single and scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Ryan LeMoine (2-4) got the victory, allowing all 4 Georgia Southern runs -- none were earned -- on 5 hits with 1 walk and 9 strikeouts over 8 2/3 innings.
APPALACHIAN STATE 7, ARKANSAS STATE 6
Arkansas State University took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning Friday, but Appalachian State responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning, then added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to beat the Red Wolves in Boone, N.C.
ASU (20-21, 8-11 Sun Belt) scored its first-inning runs on a Justin Felix sacrifice fly and a Jeremy Brown single that scored Garrett Rucker. Appalachian State (18-24, 7-12) countered with RBI singles from Tyler Stroup, Brian Bauk, Chandler Seagle and Jared McCarver to take a 4-2 lead.
The Mountaineers added a run in the third inning when Bauk drew a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk, but the Red Wolves responded with two runs in the fourth, cutting the lead to 5-4 with a Drew Tipton RBI groundout. Bauk scored when Joe Schrimpf was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Applachian State's single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, coming on a Matt Vernon RBI double down the left-field line and an RBI groundout from Seagle, increased the lead to 7-4. Felix hit a home run in the seventh inning and Schrimpf had an RBI single in the eighth to account for ASU's final two runs.
Brown, Schrimpf and Grant Hawkins all went 2 for 4 for the Red Wolves, who finished with 9 hits, left 11 runners on base and had 2 errors. Bryan Ayers (2-4) took the loss for Arkansas State, allowing all 4 Appalachian State runs in the first inning on 6 hits with 1 walk.
SOUTHLAND
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 8, TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI 4
Hunter Strong went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored for the University of Central Arkansas (23-19, 11-8 Southland Conference), which also got a strong pitching performance from starter Tyler Gray in Friday's victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Chapman Field in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The Bears took the lead in the first inning when Keaton Presley scored on William Hancock's fielder's choice. Presley hit a two-run double in the fifth inning to increase the lead to 3-0, but the Islanders got a run back in the bottom of the inning on Brian Deaver's RBI groundout.
Eddy Sanchez drew a four-pitch walk to start the seventh inning for UCA, then scored when Jansen McCurdy reached on a fielder's choice. Strong followed with a two-run home run on the first pitch he saw to increase the lead to 6-1.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi made things interesting in the eighth inning, getting a two-run double down the left-field line from Jackson Owens, who later scored on Brett Burner's RBI single to cut the lead to 6-4.
Strong hit an RBI double to right field in the ninth and scored on McCarty's RBI single to provide some insurance for UCA, which finished with 8 hits.
Gray earned the victory on the mound, allowing 4 earned runs on 8 hits with 1 walk and 8 strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings. Ty Tice allowed a hit and threw two wild pitches without retiring a batter, while Brandon Hagerla allowed 1 hit and struck out 2 over the final 1 1/3 innings.
SWAC
UAPB 10-4, PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 5-9
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff jumped on Prairie View A&M early to earn a victory in the first game of Friday's doubleheader at the Torii Hunter Complex in Pine Bluff, then fell victim to a six-run fourth inning in the second game.
The Golden Lions (13-27, 9-11 Southwestern Athletic Conference) scored four runs in the first inning of the opening game, getting a two-run double from Aderly Perez and a two-run home run from Corey Henderson to take a 4-1 lead.
The lead grew to 6-1 in the fourth inning on a Jaquese Moore RBI groundout and an RBI triple from Jerimiah Figueroa. The Panthers (17-29, 10-10) scored on a wild pitch in the fifth to cut the lead to 7-2, but UAPB got that run back in the bottom of the inning when Perez stole home.
Cody Den Beste hit a three-run triple in the sixth inning that trimmed the lead to 7-5, but UAPB responded with a three-run home run from Jaylen Jackson in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 10-5 lead.
Already leading 3-0 in the second game, the Panthers scored six runs in the fourth inning to take control. They got a two-run single from Avery Williams, a two-run triple from Den Beste and RBI singles from Carson Lee and Jalyn Baker.
The Golden Lions' runs came in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Jackson and a three-run home run from Jacob Giron.
-- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Sports on 04/29/2017