SOUTHLAND
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 10, EVANSVILLE 9 (10)
Central Arkansas (2-0) scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday to send the game into extra innings, then got a two-out game-winning home run from Josh Somdecerff to beat Evansville (0-2) at Bear Stadium in Conway.
Somdecerff, a junior shortstop who transferred from Connors State, hit his second home run of the season on a 1-1 pitch from Evansville closer Ryan Brady.
The Bears were no-hit through five innings by Evansville starter Patrick Schnieders, striking out 11 times and trailing 9-0 going into the bottom of the sixth. The comeback began with a three-run sixth, in which the Bears got a run on a walk, a sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Eddie Sanchez to cut the lead to 9-3.
Evansville kept the lead until the bottom of the ninth inning. Rigo Aguilar drew a one-out walk against reliever Nathan Croner and Somdecerff hit a two-out single to left field. Cody Davenport was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Jansen McCurdy walked to make it 9-4. Brady came in to get the final out, but Sanchez reached on a fielding error by shortstop Stewart Nelson, with Somdecerff scoring.
Junior right fielder Michael Haun then hit a triple off the wall in right-center field to clear the bases and close the gap to 9-8. Keaton Presley reached on a throwing error by Nelson, which scored Haun to tie the game at 9-9 and force extra innings.
Somdecerff finished 2 for 5 with 1 RBI and 3 runs scored. Haun was 2 for 4 with 3 RBI and a run scored, while Aguilar went 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored. Junior closer Tyler Gray (2-0) earned the victory after setting down the Purple Aces in order in the top of the 10th inning.
SUN BELT
ARKANSAS STATE 11-5,NYIT 5-2
Arkansas State scored a combined nine runs in the middle innings of Saturday's first game against New York Institute of Technology to earn a series victory at Tomlinson/Kell Field in Jonesboro, then jumped out to an early lead in the second game to earn a series sweep.
The Red Wolves scored single runs in the second and third innings of the first game on an RBI double from Alex Howard and a run-scoring single from Justin Felix, but the Bears responded with their big fourth inning. Two passed balls, a wild pitch and three walks by ASU starter Tyler Mitzel cut the lead to 2-1 and left the bases loaded. Bo Ritter relieved Mitzel, only to give up a three-run double to Benjamin McNeill and an RBI double to Nicolas Lombardi as the Bears led 5-2.
ASU scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run single by Jeremy Brown and an RBI single by Felix to tie the game at 5-5, then took control in the sixth inning. A sacrifice fly from Joe Schrimpf and a three-run double from Felix gave the Red Wolves a 9-5 lead. An RBI single from Jake Bakamus and an RBI groundout from Schrimpf in the seventh inning provided the final margin.
The Red Wolves jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning of the second game. Two walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with one out, before Bakamus lined a two-run single to right field to give ASU a 2-0 lead. After a double steal advanced the runners, Schrimpf doubled to left field to give the Red Wolves a 4-0 lead.
The Bears responded with their two runs in the top of the third inning. Brown's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth scored the Red Wolves' final run.
Each team managed just four hits in the second game. NYIT left four runners on base in the first game, then left seven on in the second.
ORAL ROBERTS 4, UALR 3 (13)
Michael Hungate's home run on the second pitch in the bottom of the 13th inning gave Oral Roberts (2-0) a series victory over UALR (0-2) at J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa.
The Golden Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI single by Noah Cummings. The Trojans answered with a three-run home run by Dalton Thomas in the top of the eighth inning to take a 3-1 lead, but surrendered a sacrifice fly from Brent Williams and an RBI single from Hungate in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings.
Riley Pittman was 2 for 3 to lead UALR, while Danny Mitchell Jr., went 2 for 4.
Nick Rotola was 3 for 6 to lead Oral Roberts and Hungate finished 2 for 6.
UALR starter Cory Malcolm was strong over 7 innings, allowing 1 earned run on 3 hits with 11 strikeouts, but didn't factor in the decision. Keenan Wingfield (0-1) took the loss after allowing Hungate's home run in the 13th inning.
Kyler Stout (1-0) got the victory after pitching two scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
SWAC
LOUISIANA TECH 13, UAPB 3
Louisiana Tech (2-0) scored four runs in the second inning and four more in the seventh to beat UAPB (0-2) at J.C. Love Field in Ruston, La.
The Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from Cody Daigle and an RBI double from Marshall Boggs, but the Golden Lions tied the game in the top of the second. Jordan Knox hit a one-out single, stole second base and scored on Corey Henderson's single down the left-field line to cut the lead to 2-1. Bradly Lopez followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 2-2.
Louisiana Tech took control of the game in the second inning. Dalton Skelton singled to start the second and stole second base. Jonathan Washam walked and Raphael Gladu reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases with no outs. Brent Diaz hit a sacrifice fly to score Skelton for a 3-2 lead. Chase Lunceford followed with a three-run home run to right field for a 6-2 lead.
The Bulldogs added a run in the third inning and two more in the fifth, stretching the lead to 9-3, then put the game out of reach in the seventh. An RBI single from Colby Hamilton, a sacrifice fly by Lunceford and a two-run home run from Daigle gave Louisiana Tech a 13-3 advantage.
-- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Lunceford was 2 for 2 with 2 runs scored and 4 RBI to lead the Bulldogs, while Washam was 2 for 3 with 3 runs scored and 1 RBI.
Knox was 2 for 2 with 2 runs scored for the Golden Lions, while Henderson was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI.
Louisiana Tech starter Case Sutton (1-0) got the victory after allowing 3 earned runs on 7 hits over 6 innings.
Tyrus Lopez (0-1) took the loss after allowing 7 earned runs on 8 hits over 4 innings.
Sports on 02/19/2017