JONESBORO, Ark. (4/2/22) – A two-out ninth-inning rally fell short on Saturday night for the Arkansas State baseball team, which dropped a 5-4 decision to Coastal Carolina at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field.
The Red Wolves (5-19, 0-8 SBC) loaded the bases with two down to put the winning run at second base, but the Chanticleers (15-10-1, 4-3-1) got a strikeout to stave off the comeback bid.
Ben Klutts reached base three times, including a two-out walk to load the bases in the ninth, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Daedrick Cail also tallied two hits, including a single up the middle in that final frame to represent the potential tying run.
A day after hurling a quality start on the mound, Justin Medlin made his first start at designated hitter and made the most of it, recording a pair of hits including an opposite-field double off the wall.
Will Nash (1-3) hurled five innings in the start, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits with six strikeouts to just one walk. A-State used six total pitchers, with Austin Brock tossing a pair of shutout innings without allowing a hit.
Michael Knorr struck out 11 and walked just one in 4 2/3 innings in the start for the Chanticleers before handing off to Riley Eikhoff (1-0). Coastal Carolina also used six pitchers, with Elliot Carney earning the game's final out for the save.
Coastal Carolina plated the game's first run when Matt McDermott scored on a passed ball in the third. A-State then tied it on a sacrifice fly by Klutts to score Cail in the bottom of the frame.
The Chanticleers added a run on a fourth-inning RBI groundout by Tanner Garrison to take a 2-1 lead, then a passed ball in the fifth allowed Eric Brown to score. In the sixth, Garrison touched home on a wild pitch before the Red Wolves got a run back on a leadoff solo homer by Klutts to make it 4-2 after six complete.
After a leadoff walk, Brock entered from the bullpen and ended Coastal Carolina's run of four-straight run-scoring frames, stranding runners at second and third with a strikeout and flyout in the seventh. The southpaw also worked out of trouble in the eighth, leaving two runners aboard.
The Chanticleers tacked on a run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Cooper Weiss to make it 5-2, with pitcher Jacob Maton set to finish it out. After a pair of quick outs, Medlin lined a single up the middle, then was pinch-ran for by Blake McCutchen. Eli Davis then worked a full-count walk to put the tying run at the plate.
Down to his final strike, Cail roped a single up the middle to score McCutchen and send Mickey Coyne up to bat with the tying run on base. Coyne then worked the count full before lining a single into the right-center field gap and driving in Davis from third, making it 5-4 with Cail advancing to third as the tying run. A wild pitch allowed pinch-runner Brandon Ulmer to move to second, then Klutts battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk, but a strikeout ended the rally.
NEXT UP
A-State looks to salvage the final game of the three-game series against the Chanticleers Sunday afternoon. First pitch at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field is slated for 1 p.m. on ESPN+. The radio broadcast can be heard on The Ticket Radio Network stations 95.3, 96.9, 104.1 and 970 AM.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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