MIAMI, Fla. (3/29/2013) — Despite a strong effort from senior right-handed pitcher Daniel Wright, the Arkansas State baseball team fell 1-0 to Florida International Friday night at FIU Stadium.
Wright (2-2) was solid in his seventh start of the season. The senior right-hander threw a career-high 7.2 innings and struck out eight batters on the night, one shy of tying a career-high, but took the loss after giving up just one run on six hits.
“Our kids kept fighting and kept battling, but we just couldn't get that one big hit we needed in certain situations to get a run across,” ASU head baseball coach Tommy Raffo said. “Everything was in place and the guys gave great effort, but we just didn't get that one hit to help put everything in place.”
A-State (16-11, 4-3 SBC) managed just four hits on the night, but had an opportunity in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game. Logan Uxa drew a 1-out walk and moved to second on a single through the right side by Ryan Roberts, but the Red Wolves failed to advance the runners any further.
Austin Baker struck out in the next at-bat and Alex Potts ended the game with a fly out to right field. A-State left eight runners on base throughout the game and did not advance a runner past second base.
FIU ( 13-12, 3-4) starting pitcher Tyler Alexander (2-3) tossed a complete-game shutout for the Panthers. He gave up just four hits and four walks and struck out a career-high 10 batters.
The Panthers scored the game's only run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Aramis Garcia sent a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left field to give FIU a lead it would not relinquish.
The Red Wolves left a runner in scoring position in the top of the fifth inning when Dustin Jones drove a 2-out single back up the middle on the first pitch he saw and moved to second on a wild pitch. However, Kaleb Brown flied out to end the threat for A-State.
Levi Shordon relieved Wright in the eighth inning when two on and two outs, but battled back to strike out Edwin Rios after issuing a walk to load the bases.
A-State will play the second game of the three-game set Saturday at 3 p.m. at FIU Stadium. Chandler Hawkins is scheduled to start on the mound for the Red Wolves.
