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Box Score 2 JONESBORO, Ark. – The Trojans grabbed early leads in both games, but the Red Wolves mounted comebacks in both taking game one 5-3 and the game two 4-3 in 14 innings.
UALR (9-8, 0-3 SBC) scored first in both games on home runs from Tanner Rockwell and Ryan Scott but couldn't hold onto the leads and were forced to try to come back in the late innings in both games. The Trojans were able to tie game two in the top of the ninth but were outlasted by ASU (11-8, 3-0 SBC) in extras.
Despite finishing the series tied in hits with 27 each, the Trojans were outscored 12-6 and swept in the series.
GAME ONE
A night after failing to score the Trojans wasted no time getting on the board. Austin Pfeiffer reached on a single to right field before Tanner Rockwell blasted a 0-1 pitch over the 370-foot sign in left-center field to put his team out to a 2-0 lead.
The offense went right back to work in the second inning. Sam Vogel led off with a triple and came in to score on Joseph Paulino's RBI single to jump out 3-0.
The Red Wolves came back and scored three runs off of UALR starter Chad Bradford to tie the game at 3-3 in the third. The inning started with a walk before ASU had back-to-back singles to bring in a run. The second run scored on a fielder's choice before Matt Burgess ended the inning by driving in Austin Baker with a single but was thrown out at second trying to advance on the throw.
Bradford worked three innings allowing three runs on four hits while striking out one before Ethan Schlechte came on in relief for the fourth inning. ASU got runners on via a UALR error and a hit batter but Schlechte was able to get out of the inning without any damage.
Schlechte couldn't get out of the fifth without allowing a run to the Red Wolves. Burgess again came through with a two-out hit to give ASU a 4-3 lead. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Burgess again produced an RBI-single to make it 5-3 in favor of the Red Wolves.
The Trojans were unable to mount a comeback and scattered six in the final seven frames. Rockwell led the offense going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Paulino added two hits and an RBI, the first of his career. Jason Prevatt went 1-for-3; Vogel had a triple while Pfeiffer, Justin Steelmon and Ryan Scott added the other three hits for UALR. Sam Thoele pitched a scoreless-eighth inning for UALR.
GAME TWO
The Trojans' bats came out hot early in the second game as well as they posted three straight hits from Austin Pfeiffer, Tanner Rockwell and Justin Steelmon. However, UALR was unable to score because before Steelmon's single Pfeiffer was picked off at second base.
Ben Crumpton led off the third with an infield single and Rockwell drew a one-out walk to set up another scoring chance for UALR. But back-to-back strikeouts by ASU's starter Bradley Wallace stranded the base runners again.
Ryan Scott made sure the Trojans scored in the fourth when he crushed a home run well over the right field fence to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead. ASU hit the next batter, Sam Vogel, who stole second and advanced to third on Drew Merten's groundout. Vogel, then, scored on Hayden Martin's sacrifice fly to center field to spot the Trojans a 2-0 lead.
Cameron Allen got the start for the Trojans and allowed just one hit in the first four innings before running into some trouble in the fifth. The Red Wolves loaded the bases with just one out and the top of the order coming up. Zach Maggio singled up the middle to make it 2-1. Lucas Feddersen followed with a sacrifice fly to even the score at 2-2. With two outs and runners on second and third UALR turned to Jesse Harbin out of the bullpen. Harbin was called for a balk to allow a run before getting Austin Baker to line out to Pfeiffer at shortstop.
Allen finished with 4.2 innings pitched. The junior allowed three runs on four hits while striking out three. Harbin worked 3.1 innings allowing three hits and struck out one.
Down to its last chance and trailing by a run UALR got a leadoff double from Bryson Thionnet down the left field line to get in scoring position with no outs. Scott then came through with a single to right field to tie the score at 3-3.
Brent Mason came in to pitch the ninth inning. The sophomore got the first batter to fly out harmlessly to Pfeiffer at shortstop, before a single to left center gave ASU a runner on first. Mason didn't allow the runner to move, inducing a fly ball to right before striking out Maggio to end the inning and send the game to extra innings.
In the top of the 10th Martin led off with a single. He was able to advance to second on a fielder's choice off the bat of Pfeiffer. But the Trojans were unable to bring him around to score.
For the second time of the afternoon UALR turned to Sam Thoele, this time in the tenth inning of a tie game. After Thoele allowed a one-out hit the next batter hit a line drive that appeared to be heading to left center, but Pfeiffer made a leaping snag and was able to throw to first to double off the runner and end the inning.
Thoele allowed a leadoff single, but a popped up bunt and a fielder's choice left ASU with a runner at first and two outs. The right hander, then, got a strikeout to end the frame and send the game to the 12th.
For the second inning in a row the first batter to face Thoele singled. This time the Red Wolves were able to execute the sacrifice bunt to advance the runner to second with one out. The Trojans then turned to Rockwell to pitch. He got the first batter he faced to fly out to right before intentionally walking Baker to set up a force out at every base. Matt Burgess, then, drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. Rockwell got out of the jam by getting a groundout to third.
Rockwell was hit by a pitch, then, Steelmon reached on a fielder's choice. Thionnet followed with a single to put runners on the corners with two outs with Scott at bat. But the Trojans most productive hitter in the game was retired on a fly out to center and the game remained tied heading to the bottom of the 13th.
With one out Jason Prevatt singled to right center and advanced to second when the right fielder mishandled the ball. Prevatt advanced to third on a wild pitch with two outs while Crumpton drew a walk. But the Trojans couldn't bring in the run as Pfeiffer flew out to right.
Dustin Jones reached first on an error to open the bottom of the 14th, then Rockwell hit Maggio to put runners on first and second with no outs. The next batter sacrificed to move the runners up to second and third. Then Burgess, the hero of game one for ASU, came through again with a single in to right field to end the game.
Scott led the Trojans in game two with three hits including a home run and drove in two runs. Thionnet added two hits and scored the game-tying run in the ninth. Martin had a hit and UALR's third RBI. Rockwell went 1-for-3 and drew two walks and pitched two innings allowing a run on one hit and struck out two.
UALR's next game will be Wednesday when the team travels to Oklahoma with the game starting at 6:00 p.m. The Trojans will return home Friday to continue conference play with a three game series against South Alabama.
