MOBILE, Ala. (5/6/11) - Four Arkansas State errors proved to be costly as the Red Wolves (22-26, 10-12) dropped a 10-5 decision to the Jaguars of South Alabama (23-23,10-12) Friday night at Stanky Field in the Sun Belt Conference series opener between the two teams.
Just four of South Alabama's 10 runs in the game were earned, helping the Jaguars snap Arkansas State's four-game Sun Belt Conference win streak.
"The errors were really the ballgame," said ASU head coach Tommy Raffo. "We've got to defend the field a little bit, and we weren't very good at that. At this ballpark things are very fast, and you've got to be able to do that. They were able to get some runs and expand their lead on some of the miscues that we had."
A pair of ASU defensive miscues in the third allowed South Alabama to score the game's first three runs. Center fielder Taylor White singled and eventually scored when third baseman Jake Overstreet reached on a two-out error, and Overstreet came home from first when catcher Brent Tanner got aboard on an error for the second run of the frame. Tanner made it 3-0, South Alabama when he scored on a single from right fielder Nolan Earley.
Arkansas State answered with three runs in the fourth to tie the game. Right fielder Todd Baumgartner singled, advanced to second on a Jaguar throwing error and scored on a base hit from first baseman Jordan Castaldo to plate the Red Wolves' first run, and a two-run home run from left fielder Logan Uxa pulled ASU even at 3-3.
South Alabama wasted no time in regaining the lead, however, as first baseman Brad Hook led off the frame for the Jags with a solo home run. An RBI single from left fielder Jeff DeBlieux pushed the Jaguar lead to 5-3, and Overstreet delivered a base hit that drove in South Alabama's third run of the inning.
A-State trimmed the Jags' lead to 6-4 in the sixth on an RBI single from Uxa, but the Red Wolves committed their third error of the game in the bottom of inning, a throwing error that allowed two runs to score. A sacrifice fly from shortstop Logan Kirkland tacked on another run for South Alabama, giving the Jaguars a 9-4 lead heading into the seventh.
Arkansas State cut the deficit to 9-5 in the seventh on a run-scoring base hit from Baumgartner, but the Jaguars added an unearned run in the eighth to set the final score at 10-5.
Garrett Harris (6-3) worked eight and one-third innings to pick up the win for South Alabama, giving up five runs on 10 hits, with three walks and five strikeouts. Ferguson (5-3) took the loss on the mound for ASU, giving up six runs (three earned) on eight hits in four innings of work. Ferguson struck out one batter and walked one.
Uxa went 2-for-4 with three RBI's to lead ASU at the plate, while Tanner went 3-for-4 to lead the Jaguars.
The Red Wolves and Jaguars will resume the series Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
