STATE DIVISION I BASEBALL

ASUN

CENTRAL ARKANSAS 7, MISSISSIPPI STATE 6

In their first meeting since the NCAA Starkville (Miss.) Regional in 2013, the University of Central Arkansas defeated Mississippi State on Tuesday at Dudy Noble Field.

“I am really proud of our team,” UCA Coach Nick Harlan said. “Really no surprise that we won today. I feel like our team, they believe that they can beat anybody in the country and they prepare that way. And it was no different today.”

After allowing the opening run on a walk, wild pitch and a sacrifice fly, the UCA pitching staff shut down Mississippi State’s offense for the better part of eight innings.

Starter Payton Windham did not allow a hit in his three innings. Coleman MacRae (2-2) allowed 1 hit and 1 walk in 3 innings of relief. Mississippi State did not record its first hit until the sixth inning.

UCA (13-15) jumped on Mississippi State reliever Logan Forsythe in the third inning for five runs. Jagger Schattle drove in two runs on a single to right field before Casey Shipley hit a three-run home run to center field to make it 5-1.

The Bears added one run in each of the next two innings on a Kade Seldomridge solo home run and Jake Trabbie’s sacrifice fly to take a 7-1 lead.

Walks got Hunter Alexander into trouble in the eighth inning. He did not allow a hit in the inning, but back-toback sacrifice flies scored Nate Chester to make it 7-2.

Alexander opened the ninth inning by giving up a solo home run, a single. a wild pitch and a walk before being pulled for Charlie Christensen.

The sophomore right-hander gave up two singles and a walk on his first three batters to put two runners on with no outs and UCA had 7-6. After Mississippi State’s Amani Larry bunted the runner over, UCA intentionally walked David Mershon to load the bases.

Christensen struck out the Bulldogs’ top two hitters, Dakota Jordan and Hunter Hines, to strand the runners.

“[Christensen] wanted the ball today. He wanted to come up big for his team,” Harlan said. “And when the pressure was on, he stayed completely calm, was very poised and made pitches when he had to.”

SWAC

JACKSON STATE 14, UAPB 4

Jackson State scored three runs in each of the final four innings to roar back from an early deficit and whip the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff at the Torii Hunter Complex in Pine Bluff.

UAPB (11-18) had grabbed a 3-1 lead after one inning but watched as the Tigers scored 13 of the game’s final 14 runs. The Golden Lions also committed three errors during that span, which Jackson State (20-8) scoring on each.

Myles White went 4 for 4 with 3 runs scored and 2 runs batted in for the Tigers, who’ve won 11 of the past 12 meetings between the teams. Hasan Standifer had three RBI while Jordan McCladdie scored three runs.

Edwin DeLaCruz was 3 for 3 for UAPB, and Carlos Rodriguez-Velez drove in two of its four runs.