STATE DIVISION I ROUNDUPS

SUN BELT ARKANSAS STATE 12-2, SOUTH ALABAMA 10-12

Justin Felix went 3 for 4 with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored, while Alex Howard went 2 for 4 with 4 RBI and 1 run scored to lead Arkansas State University (20-18, 8-9 Sun Belt Conference) to a victory over the University of South Alabama (24-16, 11-6) in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader at Tomlinson Stadium in Jonesboro. The Jaguars beat the Red Wolves in the second game.

ASU took control of the first game in the third inning. Winston Welch singled to center field to start the inning, then Drew Tipton reached on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to second on a throwing error by South Alabama starter Thomas Huston. Grant Hawkins followed with a two-run double to push the lead to 3-0.

After Joe Schrimpf flied out and Garrett Rucker drew a full-count walk, Felix hit a three-run home run to left field on a 2-0 pitch that gave ASU a 6-0 lead. Howard followed with a two-run home run for an 8-0 lead. The Red Wolves took a 9-0 lead in the fourth when Tipton scored on Rucker’s sacrifice fly.

The Jaguars mounted a rally in the top of the fifth inning. Hunter Stokes hit a oneout triple that scored Colton Thomas, who walked to start the inning, then Stokes scored on Dylan Hardy’s single down the left-field line to cut the lead to 9-2. Brendan Donovan hit a two-out, two-run home run to trim the lead to 9-4, and after Travis Swaggerty drew a full-count walk, Wells Davis hit an RBI double down the rightfield line to cut the lead to 9-5.

Jared Barnes hit a home run to left-center field in the sixth inning that drew the Jaguars within 9-6.

ASU added an RBI single from Brown and a sacrifice fly from Howard to take an 11-6 lead in the sixth. Thomas hit a one-out, three-run home run on the first pitch he saw that cut the lead to 11-9, but Felix hit an RBI single to give Arkansas State a 12-9 lead.

Bakamus was 2 for 4, while Hawkins was 2 for 5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored for the Red Wolves. Davis was 3 for 3 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored to lead the Jaguars.

ASU starter Bradey Welsh (2-1) got the victory despite giving up 5 earned runs on 6 hits with 5 walks and 1 strikeout over 5 innings. Huston (4-2) took the loss after allowing 7 runs — 5 earned — on 4 hits with 2 walks and 1 strikeout over 21/ innings.

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 9-7, UALR 4-4

Louisiana-Lafayette (25-14-1, 12-4-1 Sun Belt) maintained its lead in the West Division after sweeping a doubleheader from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (14-25, 6-11) at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock.

Steven Sensley and Alex Pinero hit home runs to push the lead to 3-0. Pinero was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the sixth to score a run for the Cajuns, who also got a two-run double from Ishmael Edwards and a two-run single from Brad Antchak to take an 8-0 lead.

UALR rallied in the seventh inning, getting RBI doubles from Nik Gifford and Zach Baker, as well as an RBI single from Ty Gunter to cut the lead to 8-3. Louisiana-Lafayette got an RBI single from Joe Robbins in the eighth to bump the lead to 9-3, before Gunter hit an RBI double in the ninth inning that scored Gifford.

The Trojans jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of the second game on an RBI groundout from Gifford, an RBI single from Cale Ridling and a two-run double from Baker. The Cajuns chipped at the lead with an RBI ground out in the second inning, an RBI single from Robbins in the third and a Kennon Fontenot home run in the fourth inning to trim the lead to 4-3. Louisiana-Lafayette took the lead for good in the fifth inning on an RBI double from Antchak and a threerun home run from Fontenot to left field.

Gunter was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI, while Gifford was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored for the Trojans in the first game. Ridling was 2 for 4 and Dalton Thomas was 2 for 5 in the second game. Robbins was 3 for 5 to lead the Ragin’ Cajuns in the first game, while Edwards was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Fontenot was 3 for 4 with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored in the second game, while Antchak was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Gunner Leger (8-1) and Nick Lee (5-3) earned the victories for the Ragin’ Cajuns, while Ryan LeMoine (1-4) and Cory Malcom (2-4) took the losses for the Trojans.

SOUTHLAND CENTRAL ARKANSAS 3-5, SAM HOUSTON STATE 2-3

The University of Central Arkansas (21-18, 9-8 Southland Conference) had a flair for the dramatic in its doubleheader against Sam Houston State University (26-12, 13-4), getting a two-out RBI single from Jansen McCurdy in the 10th inning to win the first game, then scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth in the second game at Bear Stadium in Conway.

Presley singled to start the eighth-inning rally for the Bears, then moved to second when McCurdy reached on a throwing error. Hunter Strong hit a bunt single to load the bases with no outs. After Aguilar struck out, Keaton Presley and McCurdy scored on a wild pitch from Nick Mikolajchak to retake the lead at 4-3. Strong moved to second on the play and advanced to third on a throwing error by Robie Rojas. Justin McCarty walked, then advanced to third when Balisterri reached on a fielder’s choice and moved to second on an errant throw. After a William Hancock full-count walk, McCarty scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 5-3.

UCA finished with six hits, but no player had more than one. Taylor Beane was 3 for 4 with 1 run scored to lead Sam Houston State.

Cody Davenport (3-2) went the distance for the Bears, allowing 3 earned runs on 9 hits with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts.

The Bears jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of the first game when Presley singled and scored on Strong’s RBI groundout.

Strong singled through the right side to start the fourth inning and scored on an RBI groundout from Brooks Balisterri to take a 2-0 lead. The Bearkats tied the game in the top of the eighth inning on a bases-loaded walk to Beene and an RBI single from Jaxxon Grisham.

Presley was 3 for 5 to lead UCA, which finished with 6 hits. Reliever Ty Tice (2-1) got the victory after allowing 3 walks with 6 strikeouts over 3 innings.

SWAC TEXAS SOUTHERN 9, UAPB 5 (12)

Texas Southern University (14-24, 12-7 Southwestern Athletic Conference) jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but after the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (12-25, 8-9) tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, the Tigers responded with four runs in the top of the 12th inning to set up today’s series rubber match at the Torii Hunter Complex in Pine Bluff.

Texas Southern took a 5-0 lead in the top of the second inning.

UAPB got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Corey Henderson’s RBI single scored Jordan Knox, who hit a one-out single and advanced to second and third on wild pitches. Bradly Lopez reached on a fielder’s choice in the fourth inning, allowing Knox to score to trim the lead to 5-2. Lopez scored on Sergio Esparza’s RBI single in the seventh inning to cut the lead to 5-3, and the Golden Lions tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth on a two-run double by Perez.

The Tigers broke the game open in the top of the 12th inning. A single and two walks loaded the bases with one out, then Gaudencio Lucca hit a bases-clearing triple to left field to take an 8-5 lead. Lucca scored on an RBI single one batter later for a 9-5 lead. Texas Southern then induced two UAPB ground outs and a fly out in the bottom of the 12th to secure the victory.

Lucca was 3 for 6 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored for Texas Southern. UAPB finished with nine hits, but no player had more than one.

— Arkansas Democrat-Gazette