JONESBORO, Ark. (4/25/23) – Five pitchers combined for a two-hit, seven-inning shutout on Tuesday night as the Arkansas State baseball team notched a 10-0 run-rule triumph over Henderson State at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field.
Jakob Frederick (1-0) earned the victory in the start, allowing two hits in three scoreless innings before four relievers hurled four hitless innings to secure the third consecutive win for the Red Wolves (15-22).
The Reddies (28-19) threatened with runners in scoring position in both the second and third innings, but the southpaw Frederick was able to work out of trouble.
A-State pounded out nine hits, led by Cason Tollett, who went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored. Brandon Hager belted a two-run blast in the fourth inning for his eighth home run of the year and extended his career-long on-base streak to 28 games. John Hoskyn reached base in all three of his plate appearances, scoring twice, while Wil French went 2-for-4 with two runs to extend his reached-base streak to 21 contests.
Hoskyn led off the third with a full-count walk, scoring the game's first run when an errant throw allowed French to advance to second. An RBI single by Blake Burris, who reached base three times, plated Allen Grier from third before Tollett singled up the middle to drive in French and Burris.
Henderson State starter Mitchell Szczygiel (4-1) suffered his first loss of the year, allowing three runs (two earned) on one hit in two innings.
The visitors coaxed a leadoff walk in the fourth, but Bryce Schares quickly erased the runner with a double play.
Cross Jumper sparked a five-run fourth with a leadoff single, coming around to score on a double to the center-field wall by Hoskyn. French singled home Hoskyn before swiping second for his 10th stolen base of the year. A two-out opposite-field single by Tollett drove in French, and then Hager deposited the next pitch over the left-field wall for a two-run blast to extend the margin to 9-0.
Michael Finan, James McCormick and Austin Brock followed Schares on the mound, with each recording a hitless frame.
A-State forced the run rule in the bottom of the seventh after pinch-hitter Cason Campbell reached as a hit batsman. The rookie advanced to second on a wild pickoff attempt, and then scored from second on a single up the middle by Daedrick Cail – a hit that extended the Marion, Ark., native's hitting streak to 10 games.
NEXT UP
The Red Wolves take on a familiar foe Wednesday, traveling to the capital city to take on former Sun Belt counterpart Little Rock. First pitch against the rival Trojans at Gary Hogan Field 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.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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