Kyle Clement's three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a tie game and was the final blow in Louisiana-Lafayette's 7-4 victory over Arkansas State on Wednesday in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament.
Clement's three-run home run off Tyler Zuber in the bottom of the eighth broke a tie game, then Eric Carter struck out the side in the ninth to send ASU to a first-round loss and to an elimination game today. Eighth-seeded ASU (27-28) will play No. 4 seed Troy, which lost to Texas State on Wednesday, at 12:30 p.m. today needing a victory to keep playing at Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos, Texas.
Ty White went 1 for 5 with a run scored, while Tanner Ring went 1 for 3 with a run scored. Catcher Daltan Lovell hit his third home run of the season in the sixth inning to tie the game at 4-4, then Tony Ortiz tripled. But Carter then came in on relief, struck out the next two Red Wolves batters and didn't allow a hit over 3 2/3 innings pitched.
Carter struck out nine of the 12 batters he faced. ASU starter Cody Jackson gave up 4 runs, 3 earned, on 3 hits in 4 1/3 inning. Zuber took the loss after giving up 2 runs on 3 hits in 1 inning.