SUN BELT
UALR 15, GEORGIA STATE 2
UALR (14-16, 7-7 Sun Belt) scored five runs in both the sixth and seventh innings Saturday against Georgia State (15-16, 4-7), then added two more in the eighth to break the game open and force a rubber game in the series at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock.
The Trojans scored first in the bottom of the second inning on a Zach Baker sacrifice fly. Nik Gifford added a two-run single to left-center field in the third inning to increase the lead to 3-0. The Panthers got a home run from Darius Sewell in the top of the sixth to cut the lead to 3-1.
UALR's five runs in the sixth inning all came with two outs. Hayden Martin walked to start the inning, and Hunter Owens flied out to left field. Martin stole second, then Ryan Scott struck out swinging for the second out of the inning. Martin scored on Dalton Thomas' single, Gifford walked on four pitches, which chased Georgia State pitcher Devin Vainer. Alex Hegner replaced Vainer and issued walks to Cameron Knight and Kyle Kirk to load the bases. Thomas scored on Kirk's walk, then Zach Baker hit a three-run double to give the Trojans an 8-1 lead.
Thomas hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning, his sixth of the season, to increase the lead to 11-1. After Gifford grounded out for the inning's second out, Jonathan Davis singled and Kirk walked. They both scored on Baker's double down the left field line for a 13-1 lead. Hunter Owens scored in the eighth inning when Gifford reached on a throwing error, then Davis singled to score Scott for a 15-1 lead. Georgia State, which managed only seven hits, got an RBI groundout in the top of the ninth to set the final score.
Scott was 3 for 6 with 3 runs scored, while Knight was 2 for 2, Baker was 2 for 3 and Thomas was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 4 RBI. Jack Thompson was 3 for 3 and was the only Georgia State player with multiple hits. Cory Malcom (2-3) got the victory for the Trojans after allowing 3 hits with 6 strikeouts and 3 walks in 5 innings. Dylan Slayton got his second save of the season after allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits with 3 strikeouts in 31/3 innings. Marc-Andre Habeck (1-2) took the loss for the Panthers. He allowed 3 earned runs on 4 hits with 3 strikeouts, 7 walks and 1 wild pitch in 42/3 innings.
SOUTH ALABAMA 12, ARKANSAS STATE 7
Arkansas State scored four runs in the fourth inning to take a 6-3 lead Saturday, but South Alabama (24-8, 14-0) scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth, added two more in the seventh and used a four-run eighth inning to take the weekend series at Stanky Field in Mobile, Ala.
ASU (13-17, 4-10) trailed 3-2 going into the fourth inning, but Garrett Rucker walked to start the inning and advanced to second on Jeremy Brown's groundout. Neil Lambert walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Rucker scored on a throwing error by the catcher as he tried to throw Lambert out at second base. Lambert scored on a two-out RBI single from Daltan Lovell for a 4-3 lead. Ty White singled to right field, then scored along with Lovell on Tanner Ring's double to left-center field to take a 6-3 lead.
South Alabama countered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, coming on a two-run single by Drew LaBounty. Each team scored a run in the fifth inning for a 7-6 ASU lead. The Jaguars took the lead for good in the seventh inning on a two-run single by Cole Billingsley, then scored four runs in the eighth on a balk, a two-run single by Travis Swaggerty and a sacrifice bunt by Billingsley.
SOUTHLAND
OREGON STATE 6,
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 2
Central Arkansas scored both of its runs in the fourth inning, cutting the Oregon State lead to 3-2, but the Beavers responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the bottom of the sixth to claim Saturday's victory at Ron Tonkin Field in Corvallis, Ore.
Oregon State (21-7) jumped out early with a run in the first inning on a bases-loaded walk, then added two more runs in the second inning. Trevor Larnach singled to start the inning for the Beavers, then Cadyn Grenier got a bunt single to put runners at first and second with no outs. Trever Morrison also reached base on a bunt, and he advanced to second on a throwing error, which allowed Larnach to score for a 2-0 lead. Christian Donahue then got an RBI groundout to score Grenier to increase the lead to 3-0.
UCA (13-16) made the game close with its two runs in the fourth inning. Chris Townsend singled to start the inning, then Brandon Montalvo doubled to put runners at second and third. Townsend scored on Matt Anderson's sacrifice fly and Montalvo scored on Logan Preston's RBI groundout to cut the lead to 3-2.
The Beavers responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single from Nick Madrigal, then added two insurance runs in the sixth. Donahue hit a one-out triple to left-center field, scoring Grenier for a 5-2 lead. After Madrigal walked, Donahue scored on a KJ Harrison sacrifice fly to give Oregon State a 6-2 lead.
SWAC
UAPB 4-1,
ALABAMA A&M 3-0
Jaqueese Moore went a combined 5 for 7 Saturday and had the game-winning hit in the 10th inning of the first game to lead UAPB (10-19, 8-4 SWAC) to a doubleheader victory over Alabama A&M (6-27, 3-8) at the Torii Hunter Complex in Pine Bluff.
Alabama A&M scored single runs in the first two innings of the first game to take a 2-0 lead. Eugene Freeman scored on a Tanner Ivey groundout in the first inning, then Carlton Peppers scored on a double from Boston Martinez-Neal in the second inning. Moore hit a single up the middle in the bottom of the second, scoring Joshua Williams and cutting the lead to 2-1. UAPB tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth inning when Jordan Knox scored on a Julian Jones RBI single.
Each team scored a run in the seventh inning to tie the game at 3-3. Peppers scored in the top of the inning on a Nolan Ramsey single to give Alabama A&M a 3-2 lead, but UAPB answered in the bottom of the inning as Aderly Perez scored when Jones reached on a throwing error by Ivey.
UAPB won the game in the bottom of the 10th inning after retiring Alabama A&M in order in the top of the inning. Williams walked to start the inning for the Golden Lions and was lifted for pinch runner Adam Graham. After Jacob Columbo struck out, Dontre Brown singled to put runners at first and second. Moore singled on an 0-2 pitch to score Graham and win the first game.
The lone run for either team in the second game came in the bottom of the third inning. Jaylon Jackson walked on four pitches to start the inning and he advanced to second on Robert Colon's groundout. Jackson advanced to third on Moore's single to left, then scored when Knox singled up the middle.
Sports on 04/10/2016