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Box Score 2 LITTLE ROCK, Ark. ? Arkansas State (23-29, 12-17) kept alive its hopes for a berth in the 2009 Sun Belt Conference Tournament by sweeping the Trojans (15-34, 6-21) in a doubleheader at Gary Hogan Field on Friday night.
Todd Baumgartner hit a game-winning, two-run homer in the top of the eighth to lead ASU to a 10-7 victory in game one, and Jason Ferguson capped off the sweep by striking out nine batters in a 6-2 win in game two.
The two teams conclude the three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.
Arkansas State 10, UALR 7 (Game One)
Todd Baumgartner hit a game-winning, two-run homer in the top of the eighth to lead the Red Wolves to a 10-7 victory in game one. Baumgartner went 2-for-6 with three RBI in the win, breaking a 7-all tie with a two-run blast to deep center, while leadoff hitter Derrick Coleman went 2-for-5 with a game-high four RBI.
Chris Bullington (2-3) got the win in relief by holding the Trojans to two hits and a run, with four strikeouts, over 2.2 innings of work. Jett Jones took the mound for Bullington in the eighth, and closed out the game by holding the Trojans hitless over 2.0 scoreless frames to pick up his second save of the year.
The Trojans had several missed opportunities in the loss, stranding runners at third base in the first, fourth and seventh innings, while seeing a runner tagged out at the plate in the third.
ASU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when Baumgartner ripped a two-out, RBI double off the centerfield wall. The Red Wolves loaded the bases off a walk and a hit batsman, but were unable to manufacture anymore runs as Baumgartner was nailed at the plate (1-2) to end the inning as he tried to steal home.
UALR answered in the bottom half, as senior Matt Apfel hit an inside the park home run with a runner on third to make it a 2-1 ballgame. Apfel's 12th homer of the year was a high fly ball which careened off the wall in center, and the Double-Oak, Texas-native was able to beat the throw to the plate.
Trailing 2-1, the Red Wolves pushed across four runs in the fourth to take a 5-2 lead. Coleman delivered the inning's biggest blow with a two-run single down the left field line, just past a diving Anthony Gower. ASU got two more runs across in the frame, thanks to a wild pitch and a Trojan fielding error.
Down by three, UALR loaded the bases with one out on the board in the fifth after junior Nate Brown got the Trojans going with a triple to right center. Brown led the Trojan offense by going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, falling a homer short of the cycle after hitting a single, double and a triple in the loss.
Junior Tyson Parks brought the Trojans within a run, 5-4, with a two-run double down the right field line. Apfel scored from third on a wild pitch to tie things up, and Parks put the Trojans back on top, 6-5, when he scored from third on an ASU fielding error.
The lead changed hands again for both sides, with UALR tying things up at 7-all in the bottom of the seventh when Parks scored from third on a wild pitch. With the game tied at 7-all, junior JR Boling (2-3) took the mound in the top of the eighth. After issuing a one-out walk to Guy Brown, Boling surrendered Baumgartner's game-winning blast.
The Red Wolves tacked on an insurance run in the ninth after loading the bases with one out, as Coleman drove in his fourth run of the game with a sacrifice fly to right.
ASU starter Chase Ware allowed eight hits and six runs (five earned) over 4.1 innings of work, while UALR junior Jake Sullivan lasted 5.1 frames with eight hits and seven runs allowed (six earned).
Arkansas State 6, UALR 2 (Game Two)
Andy Ferguson (5-5) struck out nine batters and held the Trojans to two runs and six hits over 6.0 innings of work to lead the Red Wolves to a 6-2 victory in the second installment on Friday's doubleheader.
Ferguson opened the game with 4.0 scoreless innings and left after six innings with a 6-2 lead. Bullington came on for Ferguson in the seventh and blanked the Trojans for the next 2.2 frames before giving way to Adam Lambert with two runners on and two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
With the tying run standing in the on deck circle, Lambert took the mound and promptly fanned the first batter he faced to end the game and pick up his third save of the year. ASU's three pitchers combined to hold the Trojans to seven hits with 13 strikeouts in the win.
ASU got on the board in the top of the first after loading the bases with one out off a walk, a hit batsman and a Trojan error. Brandon Eller, who went 3-for-4 in the game, made it a 1-0 contest when his sacrifice fly to right plated Coleman.
After UALR left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, the Red Wolves manufactured two runs in the second to extend their lead to 3-0. Giovanni Garcia drew a leadoff walk and gave ASU a 2-0 lead when he scored from third on a passed ball. Guy Brown capped of the scoring with a two-out, RBI single.
Junior Adam Champion threw scoreless frames in the third and fourth, but gave up a two-run homer to Murray Watts in the fifth as part of a three-run rally by the Red Wolves. Watts made it a 5-0 contest with his 10th home run of the year, a two-run shot to deep left, and Kyle DeGrace followed four batters later with a RBI base knock to make it a 6-0 game.
The Trojans finally got a run across off Ferguson in the bottom of the fifth after junior Tim Emmons started things off with a leadoff triple off the wall in center. Apfel followed with a sacrifice fly to right to pull the Trojans within five, 6-1.
UALR cut its deficit to four runs in the sixth, 6-2, when Nate Brown followed up a leadoff double by senior Eric Hanlon with a RBI double to right center. The Trojans were unable to get any closer, however, as Bullington held the Trojans hitless in the seventh and eighth innings.
Champion struck out six Red Wolves in 6.0 innings of work, but took the loss after allowing seven hits, three walks and six runs (four earned). Freshman Andrew Loe closed out the game by holding ASU to three hits over 3.0 scoreless innings.
