MONROE, LA – The Arkansas State baseball team fell to 2-10 in one-run games this season as the Red Wolves dropped a 3-2 decision Sunday afternoon to ULM at Warhawk Field in Monroe, La., after Anthony Herrera drove home the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning and earned the win on the mound.
A-State (15-22, 5-15 SBC) threatened in the top of the eighth inning with the game tied 2-2 after Austin Baker and Ty White were on second and third base with two outs in the inning. Baker had walked and White was hit by a pitch as Joe Schrimpf stepped up to the dish. ULM (20-19, 7-11 SBC) turned to its second baseman Herrera to face Schrimpf and he struck the A-State second baseman out on a full-count pitch to send the game to the bottom of the eighth.
ULM’s Spencer Hemphill walked to begin the bottom of the eighth off A-State reliever Tyler Zuber. Hemphill was sacrificed over by Brian Barefoot and then Herrera lined a pitch up the middle for a base hit to score Hemphill and give the Warhawks the 3-2 lead. A-State had two runners on in the top of the ninth after Zach George advanced to second on an infield single by Collin Massanelli, but Baker was struck out looking by Herrera to end the contest.
Herrera improved to 1-1 on the season, while Tyler Zuber fell to 3-4. A-State starter Adam Grantham registered his second straight quality start as he tossed six innings and gave up two runs (both unearned) on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts. ULM starter Keegan Curtis also had a quality start as he went seven inning and allowed two runs (both earned) on seven hits.
Offensively, George had two hits and an RBI as he extended his nation-high on-base streak to 54 games. Stuart Levy also had two hits in the game, while Schrimpf knocked in A-State’s other run on a solo home run. Kodie Tidwell led ULM with two hits, including a two-run home run.
A-State took an early lead in the game in the top of the third on a Zach George single to right field that plated Jeremy Brown. Brown led off the inning with an infield hit to shortstop and advanced to second on a bunt by Stuart Levy before scoring. George stole second, but was left stranded when Austin Baker flew out to the warning track in right-center field.
Arkansas State looked poised to take a bigger lead in the top of the sixth inning after loading the bases with no outs, but a foul pop-up to first base and shallow fly ball to center field couldn’t bring home a run. Lucas Feddersen tried to score on a ball that got away from the catcher during the next at-bat, but was ruled out on a close play at the plate to end the inning.
The Warhawks threatened in the bottom of the sixth inning when Cody Stone reached on an error by Brown and he was bunted over to second by Herrera. A fly out to left field put two outs on the board, but Tidwell hit his second home run in as many games to allow the Warhawks to take the lead on two unearned runs. The Red Wolves quickly responded in the top of the seventh when Schrimpf hit his third homer of the season to left-center field to lead off the inning. Brown walked in the next at-bat, but A-State didn’t put another man on base in the frame.
The Red Wolves are back in action Tuesday at Tomlinson Stadium to face Murray State in a nonconference tilt. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. For the latest on A-State baseball follow the team by logging onto the team’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/astatebaseball and following them on Twitter (@ASTATEBaseball).
(Courtesy: Arkansas State Sports Information)
A-State (15-22, 5-15 SBC) threatened in the top of the eighth inning with the game tied 2-2 after Austin Baker and Ty White were on second and third base with two outs in the inning. Baker had walked and White was hit by a pitch as Joe Schrimpf stepped up to the dish. ULM (20-19, 7-11 SBC) turned to its second baseman Herrera to face Schrimpf and he struck the A-State second baseman out on a full-count pitch to send the game to the bottom of the eighth.
ULM’s Spencer Hemphill walked to begin the bottom of the eighth off A-State reliever Tyler Zuber. Hemphill was sacrificed over by Brian Barefoot and then Herrera lined a pitch up the middle for a base hit to score Hemphill and give the Warhawks the 3-2 lead. A-State had two runners on in the top of the ninth after Zach George advanced to second on an infield single by Collin Massanelli, but Baker was struck out looking by Herrera to end the contest.
Herrera improved to 1-1 on the season, while Tyler Zuber fell to 3-4. A-State starter Adam Grantham registered his second straight quality start as he tossed six innings and gave up two runs (both unearned) on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts. ULM starter Keegan Curtis also had a quality start as he went seven inning and allowed two runs (both earned) on seven hits.
Offensively, George had two hits and an RBI as he extended his nation-high on-base streak to 54 games. Stuart Levy also had two hits in the game, while Schrimpf knocked in A-State’s other run on a solo home run. Kodie Tidwell led ULM with two hits, including a two-run home run.
A-State took an early lead in the game in the top of the third on a Zach George single to right field that plated Jeremy Brown. Brown led off the inning with an infield hit to shortstop and advanced to second on a bunt by Stuart Levy before scoring. George stole second, but was left stranded when Austin Baker flew out to the warning track in right-center field.
Arkansas State looked poised to take a bigger lead in the top of the sixth inning after loading the bases with no outs, but a foul pop-up to first base and shallow fly ball to center field couldn’t bring home a run. Lucas Feddersen tried to score on a ball that got away from the catcher during the next at-bat, but was ruled out on a close play at the plate to end the inning.
The Warhawks threatened in the bottom of the sixth inning when Cody Stone reached on an error by Brown and he was bunted over to second by Herrera. A fly out to left field put two outs on the board, but Tidwell hit his second home run in as many games to allow the Warhawks to take the lead on two unearned runs. The Red Wolves quickly responded in the top of the seventh when Schrimpf hit his third homer of the season to left-center field to lead off the inning. Brown walked in the next at-bat, but A-State didn’t put another man on base in the frame.
The Red Wolves are back in action Tuesday at Tomlinson Stadium to face Murray State in a nonconference tilt. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. For the latest on A-State baseball follow the team by logging onto the team’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/astatebaseball and following them on Twitter (@ASTATEBaseball).
(Courtesy: Arkansas State Sports Information)
