JONESBORO, AR ? The Arkansas State baseball team dropped its second straight game in Sun Belt action as the Indians fell to Florida International, 11-6 on Saturday afternoon at Tomlinson Stadium. The loss drops the Tribe to 12-12 on the season and 0-2 in SBC action while FIU improves to 20-9 on the year and 2-0 in Sun Belt play.
The Indians suffered their second straight game in large part to four costly errors that FIU took advantage of to score six unearned runs. ASU junior right-hander Nathan Gates (1-2) picked up the loss as he worked 5.2 innings and was charged with seven runs, only two earned, as he struck out six batters.
The Golden Panthers received a solid relief outing from Franz Gonzalez (5-2) as he picked up the victory. He worked 4.1 innings of relief and held ASU to just two runs on eight hits while striking out five. He came on in relief of starter Kyle Preshong who tossed the first 4.1 innings and allowed four runs.
FIU struck first against the Tribe as the Golden Panthers scored three runs in the first two innings again Gates. Bryan Pullin led of the game with a solo home run to left field that extended his hitting streak to 34 straight games. The Golden Panthers tacked on two unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning courtesy of two ASU errors.
After FIU took a four-run lead in the top of the fifth inning, ASU finally broke through against Preshong in the bottom of the inning. Todd Boucher started things off with a walk and Elliot Jacobs placed a perfect bunt single to put two aboard. Sophomore catcher Drew Rogers followed as he doubled off of the left center field wall to plate Boucher with the Tribe's first run of the afternoon.
The Indians kept the inning going as Michael Williams Jr. singled through the left side to plate Jacobs and move Rogers to third base. Tyler Doke drove in Rogers and pulled ASU within one as he reached on an FIU error. The Golden Panthers appeared in line to get out of the inning as Gonzalez came on in relief and recorded two outs but senior left fielder Kevin Kull Jr. ripped a two-out single to knot the game at four apiece.
The Golden Panthers came right back out and answered the Tribe's four runs with four runs on their own in the top of the sixth inning to re-take the lead for good. All four of FIU's runs in the sixth inning were unearned runs as the Golden Panther took advantage of a pair of costly ASU errors to take the 8-4 lead.
The Indians were able to cut into the FIU lead in the bottom of the sixth inning as Jacobs started things off with a single and moved into scoring position on a walk to Rogers. Doke extended his hitting streak to nine straight games as he laced a single to center field to plate Jacobs and narrow the deficit to 8-5.
The Tribe again chipped away at the FIU lead in the bottom of the eighth inning as Williams Jr. lifted a 0-2 pitch high over the left center field wall for a solo home run. The home run was his fifth of the season which is the second most on the team this year.
The Golden Panthers again had an answer for the Tribe's run as FIU plated three more runs in the top of the ninth inning to take an 11-6 lead. The Golden Panthers scored on four consecutive hits to close out the scoring.
The Indians had five different players post a multiple hit game in the loss as Williams Jr., Doke, Kull Jr., Jacobs and Rogers each tallied two hits apiece on the afternoon as ASU recorded 12 hits. The Golden Panthers were led by Pullin who tallied a game-high three hits to pace FIU's 12-hit attack.
T. J. Brewer worked 2.1 innings of relief and was charged with three runs on four hits while Brian Schuck faced three batters and was charged with a run. Freshman Brandon Eller turned in his second straight strong outing as he tossed a scoreless inning of relief as he notched a strikeout.
The Indians and Golden Panthers will wrap up their Sun Belt Conference series on Sunday afternoon as the teams meet up at 12:30 p.m. at Tomlinson Stadium. Junior left-hander Doug Gunderson is set to take the mound for the Tribe.
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