SUN BELT
SOUTH ALABAMA 10, UALR 7
A four-run eighth inning rally wasn't enough Saturday as the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (24-20, 13-9) lost to South Alabama (26-18, 14-8) at Gary Hogan Field and, with Louisiana-Lafayette's 5-1 victory over Coastal Carolina, fell one-half game behind the Ragin' Cajuns for first place in the Sun Belt Conference's West Division standings.
After Kale Emshoff's RBI single in the bottom of the first inning gave the Trojans a 1-0 lead, the Jaguars scored five unanswered runs in the second, third and fourth innings. That included three runs in the third inning, which came on two RBI singles and a bases-loaded walk. Marcus Ragan reached on a fielder's choice with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, which allowed Ryan Benevidez to score and cut the lead to 5-2.
But South Alabama padded its lead with three more runs in the top of the fifth inning, using a sacrifice fly and a two-run triple from Wells Davis to take an 8-2 lead. Matt Merino was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, cutting the lead to 8-3, but the Jaguars countered with two runs in the seventh on a Paul Russo RBI single and a bases-loaded walk to Travis Swaggerty.
The Trojans rallied in the eighth inning. A single by Ragan and walks to Christian Reyes and Chase Coker loaded the bases with no outs before Merino hit an RBI single to left field to trim the lead to 10-4. Emshoff was hit by a pitch to score Ragan and Riley Pittman added a two-run single to right field.
UALR managed just 6 hits and stranded 13 runners, while South Alabama had 11 hits and stranded 18. Ethan Daily (0-2) took the loss on the mound after allowing 4 earned runs on 2 hits with 6 walks and 3 strikeouts in his 2 innings of work.
TEXAS STATE 10,
ARKANSAS STATE 3
After Arkansas State University took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the first inning Saturday, Texas State (23-23-1, 11-12) scored eight unanswered runs at Tomlinson Stadium in Jonesboro to force a series rubber match today.
The Red Wolves (16-26, 7-16) scored all three runs with two outs in the first inning. Jeremy Brown drew a four-pitch walk and advanced to third on Kyle MacDonald’s single to right-center field. Casey Vaughan followed with an RBI single to give ASU an early 1-0 lead. A wild pitch allowed Vaughan and MacDonald to advance to second and third before Winston Welch hit a two-run single to right field for a 3-0 lead.
SOUTHLAND
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 9, ABILENE CHRISTIAN 8
Hunter Strong was 3 for 4 and William Hancock was 3 for 5 as the University of Central Arkansas (27-18, 15-8 Southland Conference) had 15 hits on Saturday to claim a series victory over Abilene Christian (19-25, 5-18) at Crutcher Scott Field in Abilene, Texas.
Strong and Hancock both singled in a three-run third inning that helped the Bears tie the game at 4-4. The three runs came on a sacrifice fly from Tyler Smith, an RBI groundout from Rigo Aguilar and an RBI single from TJ Black. Strong added an RBI single in the sixth inning that tied the game at 5-5 and Hancock had an RBI double in the seventh that tied the game at 6-6. Strong's third hit was an RBI double with one out in the eighth inning tied the game at 7-7. He scored on Smith's two-out, two-run home run to right field, his sixth of the season, that gave the Bears a 9-7 lead.
Smith, Black and Keaton Presley all added two hits each for UCA, which stranded 12 base runners. Conner Williams earned the victory after allowing 1 earned run on 3 hits with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings.
SWAC
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 6-3, PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 5-12
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (19-21, 11-10 Southwestern Athletic Conference) used a three-run ninth inning to beat Prairie View A&M (13-32, 8-15) in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday in Prairie View, Texas. Prairie View then scored 10 unanswered runs in the first five innings of the second game to split the doubleheader.
Trailing 5-3 going into the top of the ninth in the first game, Ricardo Sanchez reached on an error by Panthers first baseman Daniel Lingua to start the inning and advanced to second on Jacob Columbo's sacrifice fly. John Magnuson followed with an RBI single to left field, cutting the lead to 5-4. Austin Toth hit another single to left field, putting runners on first and second with one out, which prompted a pitching change. Ryan Mallison then doubled to center field on a full count, scoring both Toth and Magnuson for a 6-5 lead.
UAPB had taken a 1-0 lead in the second innning on a sacrifice fly from Magnuson that scored JP Soriano. Prairie View tied the game at 1-1 in the third on an RBI single by Tyler Gordon and took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on Avery Williams' RBI single. UAPB got those runs back in the top of the sixth on a two-run single by Columbo to take a 3-2 lead, but Prairie View answered with three runs in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run single by Xavier Jefferson and an RBI double by Jalyn Baker.
Magnuson, Mallison and Sergio Esparza had two hits each for the Golden Lions, who had 11 and left 6 runners on base. Nathan Sawrie (6-12) earned the victory after allowing 1 walk with 4 strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings.
Sports on 05/06/2018