SUN BELT
UALR 7, TEXAS STATE 6
UALR's struggling pitching almost cost it a lead made by one of the Sun Belt Conference's best offenses Saturday. But, With the tying run on third base and the winning run on second, Cody Daylor forced a ground ball that led to an out at home plate, and then got the final batter to fly out to preserve a victory at Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos, Texas.
UALR's victory clinched a series sweep over Texas State (21-16, 9-6), which entered the weekend in second place in the Sun Belt standings and moved UALR into third place. It was also the Trojans' first Sun Belt road series sweep since 2008.
The Trojans (18-17, 11-7) took control with four runs in the second inning and three in the third. Keegan Meyn went 2 for 4 with an RBI single and a three-run home run, his first of the season. Hunter Owens and Hayden Martin also drove in one run each, while Dalton Thomas had three hits and Zach Baker and Kyle Kirk each scored twice.
UALR starter Cory Malcom held Texas State scoreless through four innings and earned the victory after giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and he struck out 4 in 5 innings. Joe Corbett gave up three runs in the eighth, before Daylor earned his second save after giving up one run in the ninth.
Meyn gave UALR a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the second, Martin drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Owens' RBI single plus a throwing error that led to another run made it 3-0.
In the third, Baker reached on a fielder's choice and Kirk singled to set up Meyn's three-run home run to left field, which made it 7-0.
ARKANSAS STATE 4, TROY 3
Trailing 3-1 midway through Saturday's game, Arkansas State (14-20, 5-12 Sun Belt) scored a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh to beat Troy (21-15, 7-7) at Tomlinson Stadium in Jonesboro.
ASU took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning on a home run by Garrett Rucker, but Troy countered with two runs in the fourth on a single by Chase Smartt and one in the sixth on a Brandon Lockridge sacrifice fly.
The Red Wolves cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth when Jeremy Brown reached on a fielder's choice, which allowed Tanner Ring to score. Ring reached on a fielder's choice in the seventh, scoring Jake Bakamus to tie the game. Rucker then hit an RBI double down the right field line for what turned out to be the game-winning run.
Rucker and Ty White were both 2 for 3 to lead ASU, while Bakamus was 2 for 4. Smartt was 3 for 4 to lead Troy.
Coulton Lee got the victory in relief for the Red Wolves. He allowed 1 unearned run on 3 hits with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks over 21/3 innings. Trey Johns took the loss for the Trojans after allowing 2 earned runs on 2 hits to just 3 batters in one-third of an inning.
SOUTHLAND
NICHOLLS STATE 6, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 5
Nicholls State (16-20, 7-10 Southland) led 4-0 through six innings Saturday, then withstood an eighth-inning rally from Central Arkansas (13-19, 5-9) to claim a series victory at Ray Didier Field in Thibodaux, La.
The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single from Chris Townsend. The Colonels got an RBI single from Gavin Wehby in the first inning and an RBI double from Dylan Manichia in the second inning to take a 2-1 lead. The lead grew to 4-1 after an RBI single from Kyle Knauth in the fifth and a sacrifice fly from Manichia in the sixth.
UCA rallied to tie the game at 4-4 in the eighth inning as Townsend hit a two-run double and Logan Preston had a sacrifice fly. Nicholls State responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double from Quade Smith, who later scored on a passed ball to give the Colonels a 6-4 lead. The Bears added a run in the ninth on an RBI single by Ty Tice.
Townsend was 3 for 5 to lead UCA offensively and Tice was 2 for 4. Wehby was 3 for 4 for Nicholls State.
Robbie Petty got the victory in relief for Nicholls State. He allowed 1 earned run on 2 hits with 2 strikeouts in 2 innings. Chris Durham took the loss for UCA after allowing the 2 runs in the eighth inning.
SWAC
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 5, TEXAS SOUTHERN 2
Arkansas-Pine Bluff scored in each of the first three innings to gain control and beat Texas Southern for the second day in a row Saturday at the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex in Pine Bluff.
Jacob Columbo went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Golden Lions (13-19, 10-4), while Tommy Haas, Julian Jones, Aderly Perez and Jerimiah Figueroa each scored runs.
Haas singled, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Jones' single to give UAPB a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Haas then scored on Jordan Knox' double to make it 2-0. Columbo singled and scored on an error in the second and Perez walked and scored in the third to make it 4-0.
UAPB got its final run in the sixth, when Figueroa led off with a double and scored on Moore's single.
Texas Southern (15-17, 9-8) scored two runs in the top of the eighth, but stranded a runner and Skyler Henson pitched a perfect ninth inning.
Humberto Medina earned his fourth victory when he held Texas Southern to 2 runs on 4 hits and struck out 9 over 72/3 innings.
-- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Sports on 04/17/2016