STATE DIVISION I BASEBALL ROUNDUPS
SUN BELT SAM HOUSTON STATE 8, UALR 4
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock could not escape from an 8-0 deficit against Sam Houston State on Sunday afternoon at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville, Texas.
UALR (19-23) rallied for four runs in the final three innings but dropped its second consecutive game to the Bearkatz (22-19).
John Michael Russ went 2 for 3 with his first career home run to lead the Trojans. Christian Bemabe tripled, and Noah Dickerson and Miguel Soto each ripped a double for UALR. The Trojans managed six hits.
Jacob Weatherly (2-1) took the loss. He gave up four runs — all earned — in three innings. He allowed three hits and walked three.
Colton Cowser belted a grand slam in the third inning to give the Bearkatz an early lead. Jack Rogers added a two-run shot in the fifth to give Sam Houston State a 6-0 advantage. Kyle Backhus (4-0) earned the win.
The Trojans managed only two hits through the first six innings. Soto started the seventh inning with a double and eventually came home on a ground out by Tim Dixon.
Russ hit his home run to lead off the ninth. Tyler Williams reached on a throwing error and scored on a passed ball. Dixon singled with two outs and scored on Bemabe’s triple.
UALR will play at Ole Miss on Tuesday in its final midweek game of the season.
SOUTHLAND NEW ORLEANS 4, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 3
The University of Central Arkansas had a rally fall short Sunday afternoon in New Orleans.
The Bears (19-24, 14-18 Southland) had the tying run at third base in the top of the ninth inning, but the Privateers (27-21, 22-14) got out of the jam when Caleb Seroski picked up his 10th save of the season.
Connor Emmet hit his eighth home run and scored twice to lead the Bears offensively. Kolby Johnson had two of UCA’s five hits. Trent Gregson (0-2) suffered the loss.
New Orleans pushed across three runs in the first inning. KC Simonich delivered a one-out, two-run double.
Emmet closed the gap to 3-1 in the third when he belted a 1-0 offering from Tyler LeBlanc (1-3) over the left-field wall.
New Orleans got the run back in the fourth inning on an RBI double by Darren Willis.
UCA pulled to within 4-2 in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from Taylor Daniell. The Bears got to within 4-3 an inning later when Connor Flagg’s sacrifice bunt brought home Drew Sturgeon.
In the ninth, Johnson reached on an infield single, moved to second on a ground out and to third on a balk. But the rally died when Seroski struck out Sturgeon and RJ Pearson to end the game.