SUN BELT
ARKANSAS STATE 1,
ILLINOIS STATE 0
A home run by first baseman Kyle MacDonald was all Arkansas State University needed Friday to claim a season-opening victory over Illinois State at Tomlinson Stadium in Jonesboro.
MacDonald had both of ASU’s hits in the game and the Red Wolves held Illinois State to one hit, a fifth inning single by catcher Nick Zouras.
Bradey Welsh picked up the victory for ASU after giving up a walk and a wild pitch with eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.
TENNESSEE TECH 7, UALR 3
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Tennessee Tech countered with a five-run third inning in Cookeville, Tenn.
Marcus Ragan walked to start the game and stole second base. Riley Pittman then doubled to left-center field to score Ragan for a 1-0 lead. Pittman later scored on Ryan Benevidez’s two-out single for a 2-0 lead. Benevidez tried to stretch it to a double and was thrown out at second base.
After scoring a run in the bottom of the first to cut the lead to 2-1, the Golden Eagles took control of the game in the third inning on a three-run home run by John Ham, an RBI double from Jason Hinchman and an RBI single by Brennon Kaleiwahea.
Kale Emshoff and Troy Alexander both went 2 for 4 for the Trojans, who finished with 9 hits. Chandler Fidel took the loss after allowing 6 earned runs on 9 hits with 4 strikeouts over 3 innings.
SOUTHLAND
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 3,
N. ILLINOIS 2
Josh Somdecerff’s only hit of the game turned out to be a game winner for the University of Central Arkansas against Northern Illinois at Bear Stadium in Conway.
Northern Illinois took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a two-run single by Scooter Bynum. UCA’s rally started in the fourth inning when Justin McCarty hit a one-out single, stole second base and scored on Rigo Aguilar’s single to cut the lead to 2-1.
Aguilar reached on a fielder’s choice with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Tyler Smith, who singled earlier in the inning and advanced to second when Jay Anderson was hit by a pitch, scored on a throwing error by Huskies second baseman Samuel Vega to tie the game at 2-2.
Smith finished with three of the Bears’ nine hits, while Bynum and Tommy Szczasny had two hits apiece to lead the Huskies.
SWAC
ALCORN STATE 5, UAPB 4
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff had a 4-0 lead after six innings, but three home runs in the seventh and eighth innings allowed Alcorn State to claim a season-opening victory at the Andre Dawson Classic in New Orleans. The Golden Lions built a 2-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI triple from Kacy Higgins, who later scored on Austin Toth’s double down the right-field line. Toth scored in the sixth inning on Jaylen Jackson’s single up the middle for a 3-0 lead. Jackson scored later in the inning on an RBI single by Larry Sims to increase the lead to 4-0.
A two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh by Kyle Jenkins cut the lead to 4-2. Kirt Cormier’s home run in the eighth made it 4-3, and Alcorn State (1-0) took the lead for good later in the inning on a two-run home run by Hunter Wilson.
Davion White finished 2 for 3 with a run scored to lead UAPB (0-1) offensively, while Toth finished 2 for 4 and an RBI.