Junior second baseman Wil French reached base five times as the University of Arkansas State baseball (19-23-1, 6-13-1 Sun Belt Conference) defeated Texas State (21-23, 7-13 Sun Belt Conference) 8-7 in an extra-inning showdown Friday night at Tomlinson Stadium–Kell Field in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
French started the game with a leadoff single in the bottom of the first inning and scored on a throwing error from senior pitcher Rhett McCaffety.
The Red Wolves tacked on five more runs in the third inning after senior center fielder Blake Burris hit an RBI single, senior first baseman Jared Toler drove in two on a triple, senior shortstop Davis Powell made an error, allowing a run, and a single from sophomore shortstop Cason Campbell combined with junior left fielder Daylan Pena slipping and allowing the ball to get past him led to a run, respectively.
Pena bounded back after the fielding miscue with an RBI groundout in the fourth inning. Junior utility Nyan Hayes got the run right back for the Red Wolves on a sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the fourth, making the score 7-1. However, the Bobcats didn’t go down without a fight.
A five-run fifth inning brought Texas State within one, as sophomore second baseman Chase Mora hit a two-run single, Pena hit an RBI groundout and sophomore catcher Rashawn Galloway notched a two-run single, respectively.
Mora struck again, tying the game on an RBI single in the ninth inning before Toler walked it off on an RBI single in the tenth.
Arkansas State junior pitcher Jake Williams earned the victory, allowing no runs in two innings of relief.
For Texas State, sophomore pitcher Sam Hall stood out, allowing just one run in 5 ⅔ innings with nine strikeouts on 95 pitches out of the bullpen.
McCaffety started the game and allowed four runs, two earned, in two innings. Redshirt sophomore Taylor Seay allowed two runs, zero earned, in one inning, and senior Tony Robie allowed one earned run in one inning.
Texas State will look to prevent a sweep in Saturday’s final matchup of the series against Arkansas State.
The opening pitch of game three between Texas State and Arkansas State is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at Tomlinson Stadium–Kell Field in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
