UALR 9, TROY 5 (16)
Bryson Thionnet sent UALR home victorious with a winning grand slam against Troy in the bottom of the 16th inning Friday night at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock.
Troy relievers walked the bases loaded in the 16th. Thionnet, who entered the at-bat 0 for 6 in the game, then hit a home run down the left-field line.
After UALR (15-20, 4-12 Sun Belt Conference) fell behind 5-0 in the second, four Trojans relievers combined to work 10 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing 6 hits and striking out 11.
Tanner Rockwell (1-2) earned the victory after giving up 1 hit and striking out 4 in 2 2/3 innings. In relief of starter Cory Malcom, Dyllon Brownmiller struck out 3 in 2 2/3 innings, Jesse Harbin struck out 3 in 3 2/3 innings and Ethan Schlechte struck out 1 in 1 1/3 innings.
For Troy, Jeremy McGowan (2-4) was charged with two of the runs from Thionnet’s shot. In relief of starter Tanner Hocks, Marc Skinner worked 8 innings, allowing 0 runs on 5 hits with 10 strikeouts.
In the fifth, UALR tied the game when Ben Crumpton scored on a wild pitch and Austin Pfeiffer scored on a groundout by Rockwell, who started the game as UALR’s designated hitter.
ARKANSAS STATE 8, LOUISIANA-MONROE 4
David Owens allowed an unearned run in six innings and Eric Wilcoxson hit a home run to lead Arkansas State (22-16, 11-5 Sun Belt Conference) in the series opener Friday night against Louisiana-Monroe (16-24, 7-9) at Tomlinson Stadium in Jonesboro.
It was ASU’s fourth consecutive victory.
Owen (5-2) earned his team-high fifth victory after giving up 3 hits with 4 strikeouts and 2 walks. He struck out the side in the fourth inning and lowered his season earned run average to 3.96.
Wilcoxson finished 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and hit his second home run of the season off the scoreboard in right-center field in the fifth that gave the Red Wolves an 8-1 lead.
Matt Burgess and Austin Baker each had two hits and two RBI for the Red Wolves, while Ty Michelotti and Joe Schrimpf each added a hit and an RBI.
Alex Hermeling (1-5) suffered the loss after giving up 5 runs on 6 hits in 3 innings.
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 3, GRAMBLING STATE 2
Pinch-hitter Kirby Campbell beat out a throw at first base, allowing Andre Davis to score the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for Arkansas-Pine Bluff as the Golden Lions (15-22, 13-5 Southwestern Athletic Conference) defeated Grambling State (16-24, 7-9) on Friday night at the Torii Hunter Complex in Pine Bluff.
Davis and Islas Alcantar led off the eighth with singles for UAPB. After both advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Rashawn Tillman, Joshua Cassidy was intentionally walked to load the bases.
On Campbell’s grounder, Grambling attempted to turn a double play, but Campbell beat the throw at first and Davis scored.
Starter Jim Ploeger worked 7 2/3 innings for UAPB, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts and no walks.
Kevin Walsh (2-0) earned the victory after facing one batter and getting the final out in the eighth. Jaron Golden worked a perfect ninth and earned his first save.
After Grambling took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and second innings, the Golden Lions tied the score on a two-run double by Cassidy.
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 11, MCNEESE STATE 3
Junior right-hander Chris Caudle allowed one earned run over 8 1/3 innings and designated hitter Matt Anderson had three hits as Central Arkansas (20-15, 9-8 Southland Conference) opened the conference series Friday night by dumping McNeese State (20-17, 10-7) at Bear Stadium in Conway. Caudle (6-3) scattered 11 hits, but he allowed only 3 runs, 1 earned, while striking out 3 and walking 3. Bo Stitch came on in relief in the ninth and set down both batters he faced. The Bears scored six runs in the second inning, spurred by a two-run single by Chris Townsend. After RBI singles in the fourth by Charles Deckard and Anderson, Tyler Langley followed in the fifth with his first home run of the season.
Sports, Pages 25 on 04/19/2014