Red Wolves fall 4-2 in SBC semifinals
STATESBORO, Ga. — South Alabama scored two runs in the first inning and held on for a 4-2 victory over Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Conference semifinals here Saturday.
Arkadelphia senior Garrett Rucker accounted for both Arkansas State runs with a third-inning sacrifice fly and a seventh-inning double, both scoring junior Grant Hawkins.
South Alabama led 3-1 after a fifth-inning run and scored another in the ninth. The Blazers outhit the Red Wolves 11-6. Tyler Carr (7-1) went the first six innings for the Blazers and Matt Peacock collected his 10th save. Arkansas State starter Tanner Kirby (4-2) left after 1 2/3 innings.
Arkansas State fell to 2827, beating Georgia State 21-4 and Texas-Arlington 4-2 in early-round games of the tournament.
Oaklawn star Cupid wins G1 SA Gold Cup
ARCADIA, Calif. — Cupid, last year’s Grade 2 Rebel Stakes winner at Oaklawn Park, scored his first Grade 1 victory Saturday in the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita.
Rafael Bejarano rode the winner for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, winning his 4-yearold debut by 3 1/4 lengths after a mile and a quarter in 2:00.89.
Owned by Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier and Derrick Smith, Cupid won the 2016 Rebel a month after his maiden victory at Santa Anita. The colt finished a tiring 10th in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, won by another gray Tapit colt, Creator.
Later in his 3-year-old season, Cupid won the Grade 2 Indiana Derby and Grade 2 West Virginia Derby.