STATE DIVISION I ROUNDUPS

TOP 25/ASUN CENTRAL ARKANSAS 5, NO. 9 VANDERBILT 4

The University of Central Arkansas defeated No. 9 Vanderbilt on Tuesday night at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn. thanks to nearly five scoreless innings from starter Peyton Windham and timely hitting from shortstop Reid Bowman.

UCA has frequently scheduled Vanderbilt as a nonconference opponent in recent years. This was the Bears’ first win over the two-time national champion Commodores in seven attempts dating back to 2013. Vanderbilt defeated UCA 5-2 last year in Nashville. “I just wanted our players to play with confidence, freedom, and aggressiveness, and they certainly did that,” UCA Coach Nick Harlan said. “Really what I was most proud of was just watching the way they were playing the game. Not necessarily the outcome — I just really enjoyed watching the way they were playing the game and approaching it. The byproduct is that we ended up getting a victory, so that was a lot of fun watching them celebrate that.”

Windham, a transfer from National Park College in Hot Springs, got the midweek start against Vanderbilt (2-2) after not appearing in the Bears’ opening series against Southeast Missouri. He held the Commodores to one hit in 42/ 3innings, walking 3 batters and allowing 1 unearned run.

UCA (3-1) scored first thanks to a two-run to left field from Bowman to make it 2-0. Vanderbilt scored in the fifth inning on a throwing error by UCA second baseman Tanner Leonard to make it 2-1.

Bowman hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Leonard in the sixth inning to extend UCA’s lead to 3-1. In the seventh, UCA added to its lead when Kolby Johnson scored on a fielder’s choice and Kade Seldomridge scored on an error to make it 5-1.

Vanderbilt made it 5-4 on a three-run home run by Jonathan Vastine in the eighth inning.

Coleman MacRae (1-0) threw 12/ innings of hitless 3 baseball to get the victory.

UCA’s Trent Gregson went the final 22/ innings to 3 earn the save, inducing a lineout, groundout and foul out.

TOP 25/SUN BELT NO. 7 OLE MISS 11, ARKANSAS STATE 3

Arkansas State got the opening run, but the reigning national champion took it from there as No. 7 Ole Miss ran away from the Red Wolves at Oxford, Miss.

Wil French led off with a double for ASU (3-1), moving to third on a groundout and scoring two batters later on a wild pitch.

The Rebels answered with two runs in the home half of the first inning, then scored three in each of the second, fourth and fifth innings. Ethan Groff and Kemp Alderman each logged two hits for Ole Miss (4-0), combining for five runs and six RBI with three doubles and Alderman’s two-run home run.

Brandon Hager and Daedrick Cail added RBI singles for the Red Wolves in the top of the fifth.