STATE DIVISION I BASEBALL ROUNDUPS AND STANDINGS

SUN BELT

ARKANSAS STATE 4-2, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 0-3

The middle of Arkansas State University’s lineup came up big as the Red Wolves (16-24, 8-10 Sun Belt Conference) won the first game of a doubleheader against Georgia Southern (28-18, 12-9) at Tomlinson Stadium in Jonesboro. The Eagles won the second game to avoid a series sweep.

ASU scored a run in the bottom of the first inning of the first game when cleanup hitter Tyler Duncan hit an RBI single to score Drew Tipton. Ben Klutts added a solo home run in the third inning, while Liam Hicks had an RBI single in the fourth. Blake McCutcheon’s RBI single made it 4-0.

Hicks and Klutts both went 2 for 4 to lead the Red Wolves, who finished with 10 hits. Georgia Southern’s Christian Avant went 4 for 4 to account for half of the Eagles’ hits. ASU starter Will Nash (34) got the win after spreading 6 hits over 6 innings with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. Jack Jumper earned his fourth save of the season after pitching 21/ scoreless innings.

Georgia Southern took a 2-0 lead to start the second game, thanks to two wild pitches from ASU starter Carter Holt. Jaylon Deshazier tied the game in the bottom of the first inning with a two-out, two-run single. The deciding run came in the third inning on an RBI groundout by Noah Ledford.

Deshazier and Klutts were the only players with multiple hits for the Red Wolves, who had seven as a team. Holt (3-3) took the loss after allowing all 3 Georgia Southern runs — only 1 was earned — on 5 hits with 3 wild pitches, 1 walk and 4 strikeouts over 6 innings.

SAM HOUSTON ST. 9, UALR 4

The University of Arkansas-Little Rock (19-22) scored its runs in the sixth inning to take a 4-2 lead, but Sam Houston State (21-19) scored six runs in the bottom of the inning and another in the seventh to earn a victory in Huntsville, Texas.

Noah Dickerson got things started for the Trojans in the sixth inning with an RBI single. He would later score on Kobe Barnum’s ground-rule double, and Kenny Rodriguez scored when Jorden Hussein reached on a fielding error by Sam Houston State second baseman Brandon Pruitt.

The Bearkats, who got a two-run home run from Jack Rogers in the first inning, took control in the bottom of the sixth. Colton Cowser hit an RBI single and scored on Bryce Holmes’ single through the right side. Christian Smith added a third RBI single and scored on Wes Folse’s groundout. Luke Repka drew a bases-loaded walk to score a run and the Bearkats got a run on a passed ball. A wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh led to their final run.

Eldrige Figueroa was the only player with multiple hits for the Trojans, who finished with eight as a team and stranded nine base runners. Right-hander Aaron Funk (1-5) took the loss after allowing 5 earned runs on 3 hits with 2 walks and 8 strikeouts in 5 innings of work.

NEW ORLEANS 11-0, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 0-8

The University of Central Arkansas (19

23, 14-17 Southland Conference) was held to two hits and committed two errors to lose the first game of a doubleheader to New Orleans (26-21, 21-14) at Maestri Field in New Orleans, but the Bears shook their offensive woes in the second game to earn a split Saturday.

The Bears’ lone hits in the first game came from left fielder Kolby Johnson and center fielder Drew Sturgeon. Meanwhile, the Privateers scored their 11 runs on 11 hits and had 4 players with 2 hits each.

Mark Moyer (3-6) took the loss for UCA in the first game after allowing 9 runs — 7 earned — on 10 hits with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts over 51/ innings.

Johnson got things going for the Bears in the second game, hitting an RBI single to right-center field for an early lead. UCA padded that lead in the sixth inning on a solo home run by Taylor Danielle and an RBI double by Hunter Hicks, who later scored on a throwing error for a 4-0 lead. Connor Emmet hit a two-run home run on the first pitch he saw in the ninth inning, Johnson added an RBI groundout and AJ Mendolia scored on a wild pitch.

Johnson went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI to lead the Bears offensively in the second game. Reliever Conner Williams (2-1) got the victory after pitching 22/ scoreless innings.

UAPB 9, GRAMBLING STATE 8

The University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (7-30, 7-14 Southwestern Athletic Conference) scored seven of its nine runs in the seventh inning or later to claim a series victory over Grambling State ((15-24, 12-8) at Wilbert Ellis Field in Grambling, La.

The Golden Lions scored their first two runs without the benefit of a hit. Kacy Higgins scored on a wild pitch in the first inning and Timothy Martin reached on an error in the second inning that allowed Humberto Maldonado to score. But the Tigers scored on a sacrifice fly in the first, then got an RBI triple from Cameron Phelts and Cameron Bufford scored on an error in the second to take a 3-2 lead.

Grambling State added to its lead with an RBI single and two bases-loaded walks in the fourth inning. Phelts hit an RBI double in the fifth and scored on a passed ball to make it 8-2.

Nick Kreutzer started UAPB’s comeback in the seventh inning with a three-run home run. Martin added a two-run single in the eighth and Braelin Hence’s two-run double in the ninth gave the Golden Lions the lead for good.

Dante Leach went 3 for 5 to lead UAPB, while Martin, Lawrence Noble and Edwin Delacruz had two hits each.