SUN BELT

STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 3, UALR 1

Stephen F. Austin (13-14) got strong pitching and early run support to earn a 3-1 victory over UALR (11-14) on Tuesday at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock.

Senior Mackenzie Handel led the way for the Lumberjacks, going 2 for 3. Handel, who hit his seventh home run of the season and a single, accounted for two of Stephen F. Austin’s three runs with an RBI and a run scored.

The Lumberjacks got to Trojans starter Chad Bradford (2-1) early, scoring single runs in the first and second innings. After a foul out on the game’s first pitch, freshman Brandon Smith singled to left field and was followed by Handel, who singled to right and put runners at first and third base. Smith later scored on a wild pitch.

Stephen F. Austin put two runners on with consecutive singles in the second inning. Freshman Nick Ramos, who singled to start the inning, advanced to third base on a foul out and later scored on a single from sophomore Kyle Thornell to take a 2-0 lead.

UALR got its lone run in the third inning. Junior Tanner Rockwell singled to right field with one out, then stole second base and advanced to third on an error. After a strikeout, Rockwell scored on a single by redshirt freshman Joseph Paulino.

Handel hit a home run over the right field wall to open the eighth inning to give the Lumberjacks a 3-1 lead.

SE MISSOURI STATE 7, ARKANSAS STATE 0

Three Southeast Missouri State pitchers combined to hold Arkansas State scoreless in a game for the third time this season as the Red Wolves (16-13) lost to the Redhawks (18-10) at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

ASU pitcher Bryan Ayers was sharp through his first 2 2/3 innings, but he walked the bases loaded with two outs in the third inning. Derek Gibson hit a two-run single to give SE Missouri State a 2-0 lead.

Andy Lennington added to the lead with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning that gave the Redhawks a 3-0 lead. Jason Blum drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and Scott Mitchell followed with an RBI single in the seventh inning to make it a 5-0 lead. Two more Redhawks runs scored in the eighth inning to set the final margin.

Sports, Pages 26 on 04/02/2014

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