BOCA RATON, Fla. (5-9-2008) ? Arkansas State (19-30, 8-17) made the most of every opportunity in Friday night's Sun Belt Conference series opener against Florida Atlantic, scoring eight runs on five hits and getting an outstanding performance on the mound from junior starter Chase Ware to post an 8-2 victory over the Owls (26-23, 12-11) at FAU Stadium.
Ware (5-5) struck out seven batters and scattered seven hits while walking just two in eight innings of work to get the win, and while four FAU pitchers combined to hold the Tribe to just five hits, ASU drew 11 walks on the night to help put the Indians in position to score.
“They gave us a lot of opportunities, but we were certainly able to come through with some big base hits, and some guys that we needed to get things done were able to do it,” said ASU Head Coach Keith Kessinger.
“It was a tremendous outing for Chase,” added Kessinger. “We had him at 132 pitches...and I was very pleased that he was able to do it and help us get a good, quality win.”
The Owls used a squeeze play in the third to put the game's first run on the board. Senior catcher Alex Silversmith got aboard when hit by a pitch to lead off the frame for FAU. Silversmith stole second, moved to third on a groundout from senior third baseman Daniel Cook and scored on the bunt from junior center fielder David Wilson for the 1-0 Owl advantage.
Florida Atlantic starter Jeff Beliveau waited five and two-thirds innings before giving up a hit to the Indians, but senior shortstop Ryan Hudgins made the first Tribe hit count when he sent a two-out single into right field to score junior center fielder Derrick Coleman to tie the game at 1-1 in the sixth.
The Indians took the lead in the eighth when Coleman walked for the third time in the game and scored from first when junior second baseman Brandon Eller delivered a one-out double off of FAU reliever Alex Pepe for the 2-1 ASU advantage. Eller moved to third when Pepe walked Hudgins and hit junior third baseman Guy Brown to load the bases, then scored when Pepe walked junior catcher Lawson Hipps to bump the Indian lead to 3-1.
After Pepe was sent to the dugout in favor of freshman Kyle Forney, freshman designated hitter Murray Watts drew a walk from Forney to plate another run. Junior Jett Jones and sophomore Jordan Kimball each drove in runs before the top of the inning was over to stretch the ASU lead to 6-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth.
A ninth-inning double from Coleman down the left field line scored freshman left fielder Todd Baumgartner from first, and a sacrifice fly from Hudgins scored Coleman for the Tribe's final two runs.
Florida Atlantic got a home run from Silversmith in the ninth, but Indian junior Chris Bullington retired three of the next four batters to seal the victory for ASU.
Beliveau took the loss for FAU despite giving up one run on one hit. Beliveau struck out six batters, but issued seven walks.
Baumgartner, Coleman, Eller, Hudgins and Kimball had ASU's five hits, while Silversmith, Cook and right fielder Mike McKenna led FAU with two hits each.
The Indians and Owls will resume the series Saturday at 3 p.m., central time.
