JONESBORO, Ark. (4/11/09) ? Arkansas State hammered out 20 hits and sophomore Andy Ferguson pitched six shutout innings in his first weekend start as the Red Wolves defeated Chicago State 16-9 Saturday afternoon at Tomlinson Stadium and Kell Field.
With the win, ASU (15-18) clinched the non-conference weekend series with the Cougars (3-31) after posting a 15-0 victory to open the series Friday night.
“We knew a lot of runs were going to be scored with the wind blowing out, and we had three big innings that really helped us,” said ASU Head Coach Tommy Raffo. “In two of them, we hit home runs so that was a big factor for us.”
The Red Wolves went on top 1-0 in the first when designated hitter Murray Watts sent an RBI single through the right side of the Chicago State defense to drive in the game's first run. A ground-out from second baseman Giovanni Garcia in the second drove in a run and nudged the Red Wolves' lead to 2-0.
The Red Wolves added five more runs in the third to extend their lead to 7-0. Right fielder Derrick Coleman highlighted the inning with a three-run home run, with Watts and center fielder Todd Baumgartner adding RBI singles in the inning as well.
An RBI single from Coleman in the fourth pushed the ASU lead to 8-0, and a four-run sixth inning gave the Red Wolves a 12-0 lead before Chicago State got on the board with four runs in the seventh.
An RBI double from first baseman Brandon Eller scored Arkansas State's first run in the sixth, and a three-run home run from freshman catcher Kevin Burgi accounted for the remaining runs.
Chicago State snapped a 22-inning scoreless streak thrown by the ASU pitching staff with its four seventh-inning runs. The streak originated in the fourth inning of ASU's 8-7 victory over Memphis April 8. The Cougars got RBI hits from right fielder Kasey Lewandowski and designated hitter Kellon McFarlin to put three runs on the board, with the fourth scoring on an ASU throwing error.
A three-run home run from Chicago State left fielder Jonathan Carpen in the eighth cut the Red Wolves' lead to 12-7, but a three-run triple from ASU reserve shortstop Derek Jones and a run-scoring single from left fielder Cody Pace stretched the Arkansas State lead to nine runs at 16-7.
Chicago State scored twice in the ninth on a two-run triple from first baseman Matt Haug to set the final at 16-9.
Coleman went 3-for-3 with four RBI and four runs scored to lead the ASU offense, with Baumgartner and Eller adding three hits as well. Haug had three hits and drove in two runs to lead CSU.
Ferguson (2-3) picked up the win for the Red Wolves striking out six batters and walking none while giving up four hits.
The Red Wolves will go for the series sweep when the series concludes Sunday at 1:00 p.m. A children's Easter egg hunt will take place prior to the game, beginning at 12:30 p.m.
