SOUTHLAND
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 15,
TAMU-CORPUS CHRISTI 13
The University of Central Arkansas (24-19, 12-8 Southland Conference) scored 11 runs through the first 5 innings Saturday, but Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (14-29, 6-14) used an 8-run fifth inning to take a 12-11 lead, only to see the Bears score 4 more runs in the 8th to earn a series victory at Chapman Field in Corpus Christi, Texas.
UCA used RBI singles from Hunter Strong and Brooks Balisterri, as well as a throwing error by Islanders first baseman Dawson Yates, to take a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
The lead grew to 6-0 in the third on a three-run double by Rigo Aguliar. Cullen Jozwiak’s RBI groundout in the bottom of the inning cut the lead to 6-1, but the Bears got the run back in the top of the fourth on a Jansen McCarty sacrifice fly to bump the lead to 7-1.
The Islanders got an RBI double from Brian Deaver, a sacrifice fly from Lukas Hermanson and used a throwing error by UCA catcher William Hancock to cut the lead to 7-4 in the bottom of the fourth.
Keaton Presley hit a two-run triple in the fifth inning, Hunter Strong added an RBI double down the right-field line and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Bears an 11-4 lead, but the Islanders got three RBI singles, a two-run single and a three-run triple in the bottom of the inning to take a 12-11 lead.
UCA took the lead for good in the eighth inning, using consecutive tworun singles from Presley and Dusty Wright to take a 15-12 lead. Nick Anderson hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning to account for the game’s final run.
McCarty and Strong both finished 2 for 3 to lead the Bears, while Aguilar and Michael Haun were both 2 for 4 and Presley was 2 for 5.
Brandon Hagerla earned the victory after giving up 4 earned runs on 9 hits with 2 strikeouts over 4 innings.
SUN BELT
ARKANSAS STATE 5,
APPALACHIAN STATE 3
Arkansas State University (21-21, 9-11 Sun Belt Conference) scored four runs in the fourth inning Saturday to beat Appalachian State University (18-25, 7-13) and even the weekend series in Boone, N.C.
Tyler Stroup hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning to score Matt Vernon that gave the Mountaineers a 1-0 lead before the Red Wolves took control in the fourth inning. Garrett Rucker singled to start the inning and moved to second on Jeremy Brown’s walk. The runners advanced a base on Alex Howard’s sacrifice bunt and they scored when Jake Bakamus hit a single to center field, giving ASU a 2-1 lead. Bakamus advanced to third on Drew Tipton’s single through the right side and Derek Birginske drew a full-count walk to load the bases with one out. Grant Hawkins struck out after a 10-pitch at-at bat for the second out before Joe Schrimpf’s double down the left-field line scored Bakamus and Tipton for a 4-1 lead. Birginske was thrown out at the plate on the play.
Bradley Davis had an RBI single in the sixth and an RBI double down the rightfield line in the eighth to account for Appalachian State’s final two runs. Brown added an RBI single for Arkansas State in the seventh to score Justin Felix.
Bakamus and Birginske both went 2 for 3 to lead the Red Wolves, who finished with 11 hits and left 8 runners on base, while Hawkins finished 2 for 5. Bradey Welsh (3-1) earned the victory after allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits with 4 walks and 3 strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. Tyler Zuber got his sixth save after allowing 1 hit with 5 strikeouts over the final 2 innings.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 5,
UALR 0
Evan Challenger threw a complete-game three hitter, allowing 4 walks with 7 strikeouts, to lead Georgia Southern (29-15, 12-8 Sun Belt) over the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (16-27, 7-13) at J.J. Clements Stadium in Statesboro, Ga.
The Eagles got a sacrifice fly from Mason McWhorter that scored C.J. Brazil in the third inning, a two-run single in the fourth inning from Evan McDonald, who later scored when Steven Curry reached on a fielder’s choice in the seventh inning, and an RBI single from Tyler Martin in the eighth inning.
McDonald went 2 for 4 to lead Georgia Southern, which finished with 8 hits.
UALR, which had 2 errors and 9 runners left on base, got its hits from Riley Pittman, Cameron Knight and Christian Reyes.
UALR starter Cory Malcom (2-5) took the loss after allowing 4 runs — 3 earned — on 6 hits with 1 walk and 7 strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.
SWAC
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 12,
UAPB 9
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff had a 5-3 lead over Prairie View A&M University after 3 innings Saturday, but the Panthers scored 3 runs in the fourth inning, 2 more in the fifth and 4 in the ninth to win the weekend series at the Torii Hunter Complex in Pine Bluff.
Jaquese Moore singled up the middle to start the first inning for the Golden Lions (14-28, 9-12 Southwestern Athletic), then Jordan Knox and Aderly Perez were hit by pitches to load the bases. Sergio Esparza hit a one-out, bases-clearing double to left field for a 3-0 lead.
Kevin Macias hit an RBI single in the second inning for the Panthers to cut the lead to 3-1. They tied the game in the third inning on an RBI single from Carson Lee and on a throwing error by Esparza.
UAPB got the two runs back in the bottom of the third on an RBI double from Joshua Williams and an RBI single from Corey Henderson for a 5-3 lead. Prairie View A&M took the lead for good in the fourth inning. Kaylor Lewis doubled to start the inning, then scored on an RBI single from Corbin Jamison to cut the lead to 5-4. Jamison advanced to second on an error and later scored on Cody Den Beste’s RBI single that tied the game at 5-5.
Steven Williams added an RBI single to give the Panthers a 6-5 lead, which grew to 8-5 in the fifth inning on a tworun double by Jamison.
UAPB got a run back in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Knox to cut the lead to 8-6, but Prairie View added insurance runs in the ninth inning, getting two runs on a throwing error by Jaylen Jackson and a two-run single from Steven Williams to take a 12-6 lead.
The Golden Lions tried to mount a rally in the bottom of the ninth, scoring three runs on a sacrifice fly by Perez, an RBI groundout by Juan Pablo Soriano and an RBI single from Henderson.
Moore and Henderson both finished 2 for 4 to lead UAPB, which finished with 8 hits and committed 6 errors.
Avery Williams finished 4 for 6 with 3 runs scored for Prairie View, which had 19 hits, while Lewis was 2 for 5. Both Steven Williams and Lee finished 2 for 6.
Golden Lions starter C.J. Lewington (1-3) took the loss after allowing 6 runs — 3 earned — on 8 hits with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings.