JONESBORO, Ark. (4/23/23) – Eight of the Arkansas State baseball team's 10 runs came across in the seventh and eighth innings, as the Red Wolves rallied to clinch the series victory with a 10-7 win over ULM Sunday at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field.
A-State (14-22, 5-11 SBC) bounded back from a four-run deficit and took the lead with five runs in the bottom of the seventh to claim the series. The Red Wolves totaled 41 runs in the three-game set against the Warhawks (15-25, 5-12) en route to winning a series against ULM for the first time since 2017.
Daedrick Cail and Blake Burris led A-State at the plate, with both going 2-for-4 with three RBIs in the ballgame. Cail belted his third home run of the year, while Burris recorded a key RBI double in the eighth. Wil French reached base four times – three times on balls – and scored twice, while Allen Grier also scored two times.
Chase Armstrong allowed three earned runs in four innings, with Jacob Conover relieving the freshman with an inning. Tyler Jeans (2-4) fanned five in 3 1/3 innings and earned the win, with Arlon Butts securing his third save of the season with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth.
ULM's Jarrett McDonald went 3-for-3 with four driven in to go along with two walks, helping the visitors tally 10 hits.
McDonald doubled home Kade Dupont and Cardell Thibodeaux in the first to give the Warhawks an 2-0 lead, but Cail erased that lead with a two-run blast to left in the bottom of the second.
Warhawk starting pitcher Hollis Huff retired eight straight over the next three frames, as ULM reclaimed a 4-2 lead with two more runs in the middle innings. Travis Washburn scored on an error in the fourth, while Shawn Dalton Weatherbee scored on a fly ball to short center field in the fifth.
Huff allowed two runs on four hits, striking out four in five innings. Carson Orton (4-4) did not record an out in his appearance, allowing three runs on one hit and two walks.
The Warhawks tacked on two more in the top of the seventh on a two-run homer by McDonald, but the Scarlet and Black scratched back with five runs after the stretch.
Burris singled with the bases loaded to score Nathan VerMaas before Cason Tollett worked a four-pitch walk to plate Grier. Nicholas Judice hit Hager with a pitch to drive in French, and then Burris scored from third on a wild pitch. Cail popped out to the first baseman in shallow right field, but it was deep enough to allow Tollett to touch home, putting the Red Wolves ahead 7-6.
ULM threatened with the bases loaded in the eighth, but Jeans fired a swinging strikeout to strand them full.
A-State added three more in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run double by Burris that drove in Grier and John Hoskyn, with French scoring on an RBI groundout by Darcy for the 10th run of the contest.
Washburn led off the ninth with a solo shot to right center field before a flyout ended Jeans' afternoon. A two-out single sandwiched Butts' two strikeouts, as the Cadiz, Ky., native shut the door on the Warhawks for the save.
NEXT UP
Arkansas State concludes its home stand with a midweek contest, hosting Henderson State Tuesday night. First pitch against the Reddies is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+, while the radio broadcast can be heard on The Ticket Radio Network stations 95.3, 96.9 and 970 AM in Jonesboro, as well as online at 953theticket.com.
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