State Division I Baseball Roundups

SUN BELT

COASTAL CAROLINA 11, ARKANSAS STATE 6

Matt Beaird went 3 for 5 with a career-high 5 RBI, and Coastal Carolina (14-9, 3-2 Sun Belt Conference) used a seven-run fourth inning to beat Arkansas State University (11-11, 2-3 Sun Belt) at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C.

Beaird hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning that broke the game open for the Chanticleers. Coastal Carolina trailed 1-0 going into the inning, thanks to an Alex Howard home run in the third inning, before getting RBI singles from Seth Lancaster, Dalton Ewing and Cory Wood to take a 3-1 lead prior to Beaird's home run. Jordan Gore added another RBI single in the fourth for a 7-1 lead.

The Red Wolves responded with four runs in the fifth inning, coming on a bases-loaded walk to Joe Schrimpf, an RBI groundout from Garrett Rucker and a two-run double from Justin Felix that cut the lead to 7-5. Beaird had an RBI single and Billy Cooke added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth to increase the lead to 9-5. An RBI single from Lancaster in the sixth inning and another RBI single from Beaird in the seventh accounted for the final Coastal Carolina runs. Grant Hawkins had an RBI single in the eighth for Arkansas State to set the final margin.

Howard was 4 for 5 with 3 runs scored to lead the Red Wolves, while Hawkins was 3 for 5 and Rucker was 2 for 4. Lancaster was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI for the Chanticleers and Cooke was 4 for 4 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored. Andrew Beckwith got the victory for Coastal Carolina after allowing 5 earned runs on 8 hits with 2 walks, 2 hit batters and 1 strikeout over 52/3 innings. Peyton Culbertson took the loss for Arkansas State after allowing 9 earned runs on 12 hits with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts over 41/3 innings.

LOUISIANA-MONROE 6,UALR 4

Blake Buckman went 2 for 3 with a home run and 2 RBI to lead Louisiana-Monroe (7-18, 2-3 Sun Belt), which used a four-run third inning to beat the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (9-14, 2-3 Sun Belt) and even the weekend series at Warhawk Field in Monroe, La.

Buckman began the Warhawks' scoring with an RBI single in the bottom of the first and ended their scoring with his home run in the seventh inning. Louisiana-Monroe's four-run third inning came on RBI singles from Matthew Reynolds and Johnny DeLaCruz, as well as an RBI double from Chad Bell to take a 4-3 lead.

The Trojans took a 2-1 lead in the second inning on an RBI single from Bryce Dimitroff, who later scored on a throwing error. Hunter Owens had a home run to left field in the fourth inning and Nik Gifford added a home run to left-center field in the seventh.

Kale Emshoff was 2 for 2 for UALR, while Owens was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI. Cole Townsend (2-1) took the loss on the mound after allowing 5 earned runs on 6 hits with 1 walk and 1 strikeout over 22/3 innings. Louisiana-Monroe starter Chase Beal (2-2) got the victory, allowing 4 runs -- 3 earned -- on 7 hits with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts over 7 innings.

SOUTHLAND

NEW ORLEANS 11,CENTRAL ARKANSAS 4

The University of Central Arkansas scored three runs in the second inning Saturday to take a 3-1 lead, but New Orleans responded with five runs in the sixth inning and four more in the seventh to even the series at Bear Stadium in Conway.

The Privateers (14-10, 4-4 Southland Conference) got a home run from Tristan Clarke in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead, but the Bears (11-14, 2-6 Southland) responded with RBI singles from Brooks Balisterri and Keaton Presley to take a 2-1 lead. Michael Haun, who singled earlier in the inning, scored on a throwing error by New Orleans first baseman Dakota Dean to increase the lead to 3-1. Presley added a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to give UCA a 4-1 lead.

Clarke hit an RBI single with two runners on base to get the Privateers' rally started in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 4-2, and Chase Crump followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Owen Magee to make it 4-3. Orynn Veillon hit a three-run home run to right-center field to give New Orleans a 6-4 lead.

Magee had an RBI groundout in the seventh inning, followed by a two-run home run by John Cable for a 9-4 lead. After a pitching change, Clarke hit a home run of his own to increase the lead to 10-4. The Privateers' final run came on an Aaron Palmer RBI groundout in the eighth.

Balisterri was 2 for 3 with 1 run scored for Central Arkansas. Hunter Strong and Jansen McCurdy were both 2 for 5. Bryan Warzek got the victory on the mound after allowing all four UCA runs -- 2 of them earned -- on 9 hits with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts over 52/3 innings. Tyler Gray took the loss for UCA after allowing 5 earned runs on 5 hits with 2 strikeouts in 11/3 innings.

SWAC

UAPB 7,PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 6

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (6-15, 5-3 Southwestern Athletic Conference) survived a four-run rally by Prairie View A&M (7-21, 3-5 SWAC) in the fifth inning, then added two insurance runs in the sixth inning to earn a series victory in Prairie View, Texas.

The Golden Lions used a wild pitch and an RBI single from Joshua Williams in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead. Williams hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to increase the lead to 3-0. Jaquese Moore, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning, stole home plate for a 4-0 lead and Jerimiah Figueroa reached on a fielding error that allowed Williams to score and increased the lead to 5-0.

The Panthers responded with their rally in the bottom of the inning, getting a two-run double from Avery Williams, who later scored when Steven Williams hit into a double play, and Josh Jefferson scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 5-4.

UAPB added some insurance in the sixth inning, scoring on a Sergio Esparza fielder's choice and Williams was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Jaylon Jackson for a 7-4 lead. Prairie View's final runs scored in the eighth inning when Kevin Macias reached on a fielding error and a Avery Williams sacrifice fly.

Moore was 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored to lead UAPB, while Williams was 2 for 4 with 3 RBI. Avery Williams was 2 for 3 with 3 RBI to lead Prairie View, while Steven Williams was 2 for 5. UAPB starter Thomas Sanchez (1-3) got his first victory of the season despite giving up Prairie View's four runs in the fifth inning. He allowed 5 hits with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts. Kenny Hinton earned his first save of the season.

-- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Sports on 03/26/2017

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