SOUTHLAND
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 7, SAM HOUSTON STATE 5
CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Bears completed a three-game sweep of Sam Houston State on Sunday at Bear Stadium, handing the Bearkats (26-14, 13-5) their fifth consecutive loss and first conference series sweep since losing three in a row to the Bears in 2014 in Conway.
UCA (22-18, 10-8) scored runs in seven consecutive innings, breaking a 5-5 tie with runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
Justin McCarty’s sacrifice fly scored Hunter Strong for the go-ahead run in the seventh. A bunt by Michael Haun and a throwing error by the Bearkats made it 7-5 in the bottom of the eighth inning.
UCA senior Brandon Hagerla (6-3) pitched the final 3 2/3 innings, allowing 4 hits and 0 runs while striking out 2. Starter Mark Moyer went 5 1/3 innings, striking out 3 and allowing 8 hits.
Sam Houston State, which committed 9 errors in the series and 3 on Sunday, used 5 pitchers, with reliever Hayden Wesneski (2-1) picking up the loss, allowing the final 3 runs.
Eddy Sanchez finished 3 for 3 for UCA, while Brooks Balisterri, Hunter Strong and William Hancock had 2 hits each, including Strong’s league-leading 18th double.
SUN BELT
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 5,
ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK 3
Steven Sensley hit a two-run tie-breaking home run in the top of the ninth, and Louisiana-Lafayette completed a three-game sweep of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojans with a come-from-behind 5-3 victory Sunday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field.
UALR starting pitcher Chandler Field yielded one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings, allowing 3 hits, 4 walks and a hit batsman before leaving the game after 115 pitches. He struck out nine. The Trojans (14-26, 6-12 Sun Belt) took a 3-1 lead with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Louisiana-Lafayette (26-14-1, 13-4-1) tied it 3-3 in the top of the eighth on a tworun single by Alex Pinero.
Cameron Knight’s RBI single highlighted UALR’s seventh-inning rally, which started with Hunter Owens’ two-out single and was aided by two Louisiana-Lafayette throwing errors. Dylan Slayton (3-2) took the loss after taking over for Justin Garcia, who got the final out for Fidel in the top of the seventh but was charged with two runs and two hits after failing to retire a batter in the eighth.
Slayton allowed Pinero’s game-tying single with one out in the eighth, got out of the inning by inducing a double play before yielding Sensley’s home run in the top of the ninth.
UALR took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Riley Pittman’s RBI single, and held the lead until the Ragin Cajuns tied it in the seventh.
Louisiana-Lafayette reliever Dylan Moore (1-1) picked up the victory with 12/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Pitchers from Louisiana-Lafayette and UALR combined to struck out 23 batters, with UALR striking out 11 of the batters.
SOUTH ALABAMA 15,
ARKANSAS STATE 5
JONESBORO — South Alabama scored the game’s final nine runs to break open a close game in a series-clinching victory Sunday afternoon at Tomlinson Stadium. Arkansas State University (20-19, 8-10) led 3-2 after one inning, scoring all three when South Alabama shortstop Drew LaBounty dropped a popup with two outs and the bases loaded.
South Alabama (25-16, 12-6) scored three in the top of the second off ASU starter Peyton Culbertson (3-5) and added another run in the top of the third off Culbertson on Dylan Hardy’s RBI single to put the Jaguars up 6-3.
Culbertson threw 101 pitches in 4 innings, allowing 7 hits, 5 earned runs and 4 walks. He struck out 8.
ASU drew within 6-5 on Joe Schrimpf’s home run to left center and an RBI single by Alex Howard.
That was as close the Red Wolves would get.
South Alabama scored an unearned run on a RBI ground out in the fourth before adding two more runs in the sixth inning to go ahead 9-5. The Jaguars scored another six runs in the top of the ninth on five hits to set the final.
Schrimpf led ASU with 3 hits; Hardy had four hits and three RBI to lead the Jaguars.
SWAC
TEXAS SOUTHERN 7,
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 2
PINE BLUFF — Texas Southern put together a five-run fourth inning to overcome an early 2-0 deficit and beat the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions Sunday afternoon at the Torii Hunter Complex in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game.
UAPB (12-26,8-10 SWAC) scored once in the second on an RBI single by Dontre Brown and again in the third on an infield single by Jordan Knox, but that was all they could do off Texas Southern starter and winner Anthony Martinez (2-2), who allowed 7 hits while walking 3 and striking out 7 over 7 innings.
Texas Southern (15-24, 13-7) scored 5 in the top of the fourth on 4 hits and 1 UAPB error against UAPB starter and loser Jake Waters (2-3). Waters yielded 5 hits and 5 runs, 2 earned, over 3 2/3 innings.