STATE BASEBALL/SOFTBALL ROUNDUP

ASUN BASEBALL

CENTRAL ARKANSAS 9-2, NORTH FLORIDA 6-0

The University of Central Arkansas opened its Sunday doubleheader at North Florida with a comeback win thanks to six runs over the final three innings.

North Florida got on the board first with a sacrifice-fly in the first inning by Tripp McKinlay to go ahead 1-0.

UCA took the lead briefly in the third inning with consecutive solo home runs by Casey Shipley and Mason King, but North Florida immediately answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame.

Jake Trabbie tied the score in the fifth inning with a single to left field, and then the Bears added three runs in the seventh inning to go ahead 6-4.

The Bears then added another three in the eighth inning with a single by AJ Mendolia and Trabbie and a sacrifice-fly by Bryce Cermenelli.

McKinlay cut the lead to 9-6 in the ninth inning against UCA’s Charlie Christensen, but he earned his second win this season with a flyout from Cade Bush.

The Bears held North Florida scoreless in the second game of the doubleheader to win the weekend series.

UCA (11-13, 3-3 ASUN) starter Coleman MacRae (1-2) earned his first win this season by throwing 5 scoreless innings while allowing 2 hits and 4 walks. He struck out six batters and threw 99 pitches.

Mason Griffin earned his first save for the Bears with four scoreless innings, holding North Florida (14-9, 4-2) to one hit. He struck out two batters and threw 43 pitches.

In the fourth inning, UCA opened the scoring on a Tanner Leonard groundout to go ahead 1-0.

The Bears doubled their lead in the eight inning when Casey Shipley hit a single to left field, driving in Zeb Allen to make it 2-0.

OHIO VALLEY BASEBALL

MOREHEAD STATE 12, UALR 1 (7)

Morehead State avoided the series sweep and pulled out a victory over Arkansas-Little Rock on Sunday afternoon in the finale of a three-game set at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock.

Roman Kuntz went 3-for-3 at the plate and drew a pair of walks to lead Morehead State offensively. A two-run home run from Kuntz in the top of the seventh inning set the final score.

The only offense UALR was able to generate came in the bottom of the fifth when Skyler Trevino hit a solo home run to right field. Alex Seguine and Jake Wright were the only other UALR players to pick up a hit.

Callum McGill pitched the first five innings for Morehead State and gave up just three hits as he earned the win. Josh Furtado pitched the final two innings for the Eagles and did not give up a hit. Thomas Kuykendall started on the mound for the Trojans, but lasted just 2 1/3 innings and was charged with the loss after giving up five earned runs.

SUN BELT BASEBALL

ARKANSAS STATE 6, MARSHALL 4 (14)

Jake Henry Williams hit a two-RBI single in the top of the 14th that broke a 4-4 tie and gave Arkansas State a two-run lead on its way to a triumph over Marshall in a marathon contest Sunday afternoon in the final game of a three-game set at Jack Cook Field in Huntington, W.Va.

Arkansas State (14-12, 2-4 Sun Belt) led 4-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth, but Marshall (8-15, 2-4) manufactured three runs in the inning to stay alive and force extra innings. A sacrifice-fly from Kebler Peralta scored Eddie Leon to even the score at 4-4.

The score remained deadlocked at 4-4 until the 14th inning, when Williams provided the game-winning hit that scored Daedrick Cail and Allen Grier to give the Red Wolves the edge. Hunter Draper pitched all four of the extra innings for Arkansas State and earned the win, while Thundering Herd reliever Nicolas Weyrich was charged with the loss.

ASUN SOFTBALL

CENTRAL ARKANSAS 3, AUSTIN PEAY 2 (9)

It took nine innings, but the University of Central Arkansas defeated Austin Peay and won the weekend series thanks to a sacrifice-fly by Lilly Hood on Sunday afternoon in Clarksville, Tenn.

All the scoring prior to that took place in the fifth inning, when UCA (10-21, 2-4 ASUN) opened the scoring with an RBI single from Tremere Harris and an RBI groundout from Morgan Nelson to go ahead 2-0.

Austin Peay (15-16, 1-5) responded with RBI singles from Megan Hodum and Morgan Zuege to tie the score.

Harris led the Bears with three hits, while Kylie Griffin, Renee Christian and Amiyah Collier each totaled two hits. The Bears recorded 12 hits as a team.

UCA relied on Bailie Runner for all nine innings in the circle. She allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 4 batters.