BEAUMONT, Texas (2-28-2008) ? Arkansas State (4-1) backed up a solid pitching effort from three Indian juniors with just enough offense to produce a 2-1 win over Kansas State (0-3) Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the Lamar Cardinal Classic at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
Chase Ware (1-0) pitched six full innings to get the win, striking out five Wildcats while giving up one run on four hits with a pair of walks. Jordan Torr came on in relief of Ware, working two-thirds of an inning without giving up a run or a hit before Chris Bullington came on to work two and one-thirds inning to earn the save. Bullington struck out four batters, including the side in the ninth inning, while giving up one hit with no walks.
“I can't say enough about the job we did on the mound,” said Kessinger. “We are starting to realize that if we go out and attack the zone, the defense behind us is going to play well. And we are so much deeper on the mound that it allowed us to do something that we haven't been able to do in the past. We were able to bring Torr in because they had a bunch of lefties, and then in the middle of the inning to be able to make the switch to bring Bullington in to get a right-handed hitter out. It was just a great job by all of them.”
Arkansas State cracked the scoreboard in the fourth when junior Brandon Eller doubled, advanced to third on a balk and scored on a sacrifice fly from senior shortstop Ryan Hudgins for the 1-0 lead.
Three more hits in the fifth helped the Tribe put another run on the board. Freshman Drew Benes delivered a one-out double down the left field line to give the Indians a runner in scoring position for the second straight inning. Benes advanced to third on a single from freshman Lawson Hipps and scored when junior Derrick Coleman doubled into right field, stretching the ASU lead to 2-0.
Kansas State answered in the top of the sixth when junior Byron Wiley walked and scored on a double from sophomore Justin Bloxom to cut the Tribe lead in half. K-State threatened again in the eighth when Wiley advanced as far as third, but ASU junior reliever Chris Bullington got Wildcat junior Nate Tenbrink to ground out to end the inning, then struck out the side in the ninth to put the win in the books.
Eller led the Indians at the plate, going 2-for 4. Coleman and Hudgins each added one hit and RBI, with Benes and Hipps contributing one hit each as well.
Senior Brad Hutt (0-2) took the loss for the Wildcats, going the distance on the mound. Hutt gave up two runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Junior Drew Biery led Kansas State with two hits.
The Indians resume play in the Lamar Cardinal Classic Friday against host Lamar. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
