JONESBORO, Ark. (2/14/25) – Arkansas State baseball (0-1, 0-0 SBC) held a 2-0 advantage going into the seventh, but could not hold on in a 4-3 defeat against Morehead State on Friday night at Tomlinson Stadium-Slayton Family Field.
 
Collin Maloney made his ninth career start in the season opener, limiting the Eagles to two hits while matching a career high in strikeouts, fanning six in 5.1 shutout innings thrown. At the plate, Kaden Amundson and Jake Henry Williams were the only Red Wolves to have multiple hits in the contest, with the latter also recording a home run.
 
On the mound, A-State sent 13 batters down on strikes, the most since tallying 13 strikeouts at App State on May 12, 2023.
 
Tollett recorded the first hit of the season on a two-out double to left center and advanced Cason Campbell to third in the first inning. A flyout in the next at-bat thwarted the scoring opportunity as the contest entered the second scoreless.
 
Ashton Quiller reached scoring position after walking to first and stealing second base in the ensuing at-bat, eventually crossing the plate after Kaden Amundson fired an RBI-single down the left-field line. Maloney struck out all three batters in the first inning and retired the next three on a pair of groundouts and a pop-out, allowing the Scarlet and Black to take a 1-0 lead into the third.
 
The lead grew to two runs in the bottom of the fourth after Williams fired a solo-blast past the left-field wall. The 399-foot homer was the first of Williams' career and the first by a Red Wolf in 2025.
 
Morehead State began to muster momentum following Maloney's exit in the top of the sixth, scoring their first run on a bunt. With runners on first and second, Jelle van der Lelie escaped the jam on a 5-3 double play, keeping the lead at 2-1.
 
A one-out triple in the top of the eighth allowed the Eagles to tie the contest on an RBI-groundout. Neither side put a runner on base in the next three frames, resulting in the Red Wolves' first extra-inning contest since April 26, 2024, when A-State swept a doubleheader against Texas State.
 
Morehead State broke the stalemate with a two-run homer in the 11th inning to move ahead 4-2. Quiller recorded an RBI with a single through the right side in the bottom frame, but it would not be enough as the late rally fell short.
 
Will Grimmett (1-0) earned the win while Chase Richter (0-1) recorded the loss.
 
NEXT UP
A-State resumes a three-game series with Morehead State on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 3:00 p.m. on Slayton Family Field at Tomlinson Stadium. Listeners can find the game on 95.3 The Ticket Radio Network, with coverage beginning 30 minutes prior to first pitch.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the A-State baseball program, follow @AStateBaseball on Twitter/X and @astatebaseball on Instagram, while also liking Arkansas State Baseball on Facebook.