JONESBORO, Ark. - A walk-off home run in the
ninth inning by Zach George led Arkansas State to a 7-6 comeback win over the
ULM baseball team Friday night at Tomlinson Stadium.
The Red Wolves began the momentum with two
runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Stuart Levy lined a two-out single to left field off Shelby Aulds that
scored Ryan Emery and Zach Maggio to cut the deficit to 6-4. Wil Browning (4-2) came on in relief and
forced Dustin Jones to fly out on one pitch to end the threat.
After a single with one out in the top of the
eighth, Judd Edwards broke on a low pitch from reliever Seth McWilliams. A throwing error on the catcher Levy and a
second throwing error by the center fielder Michael Faulkner allowed the
stealing Edwards to score on the play, giving ULM a four-run lead (6-2).
Joey Rapp paced the ULM (14-15, 2-8) offense
with a 3-for-5 night, scoring two runs.
Edwards added a pair of base hits and two runs scored.
Arkansas State (18-13, 8-2) scored the game's
first run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Logan Uxa, whose fly ball to center
fielder Taylor Abdalla with one out in the opening inning was deep enough to
score Collin Massanelli for the early 1-0 lead.
ULM starter Cale Wine punched out Claude Johnson looking for the
inning's final out to limit the damage.
Brandon Alexander drew a full-count walk off
Red Wolf pitcher Jacob Lee to lead off the third inning, giving the Warhawks
their first base runner of the ballgame.
Lee retired the next three ULM batters in order, forcing Les Aulds to
ground out to second baseman Alex Potts to end the frame.
The Warhawks broke into the hit column with
two outs in the top of the fourth inning.
Rapp slashed a hard line drive over the third base bag into the left
field corner for a double. Abdalla took
advantage of the opportunity, roping a 1-2 offering from Lee into center to
plate Rapp and tie the contest at 1-1.
ULM countered an Arkansas State go-ahead run
in the bottom of the fourth inning by tallying the equalizer in the top of the
fifth. Edwards opened the inning with a
single before moving to third base on a sacrifice bunt from Logan Fiasco and a
Les Aulds fly out. A Johnson error on a
hard-hit ball by Caleb Clowers to third base scored Edwards to tie the game at
2-all.
Rapp blasted a 3-2 pitch off the right field
wall to open the top of the Warhawk sixth inning for his second double of the
game. Justin Stawychny hit a high fly
ball that Uxa lost in left field. The
two-bagger allowed Rapp to advance to third base. Alexander crushed the third straight double
off Lee down the right field line, scoring both runners to give ULM its first
lead of the evening (4-2).
Arkansas State chased Wine from the game on a
Johnson double to open the home half of the sixth. A sacrifice bunt by Emery moved Johnson to
third base. A failed bunt attempt by Potts
allowed Logan Fiasco to throw out Johnson at third for a huge out number
two. Kendall Thamm forced Potts to fly
out to Abdalla in center field to end the inning.
ULM added an insurance run in the top of the
seventh inning. Massanelli misplayed Rapp's
third hit of the game on a single to right field, and the error allowed Jeremy
Sy to score from first base to push the lead to 5-2.
George led Arkansas State with two hits and
three RBIs, while Faulkner and Jones each added a pair of hits.
The series resumes Saturday at 4 p.m.
at Tomlinson Stadium.
