Box score


MONROE, La. – Arkansas State scored 11 runs in the first three innings and held on to knock off University of South Alabama baseball 12-9 in day four of the Sun Belt Conference Championship at Warhawk Field.

Arkansas State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Michael Faulkner scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of Zach Maggio. But South Alabama answered with a run in the bottom of the first on an RBI single to center by Jake Overstreet that scored Taylor White, who reached on a leadoff single.

Then in the top of the second inning, ASU opened up a 5-1 lead when it scored four runs on five hits. Dustin Jones deliverd a bases-loaded two-out single, and Faulkner followed with a single just inside the third base line to score Tyler Smith and push the lead to 4-1. Ryan Emery then followed with a single through the middle of the infield to score Jones for the final run of the inning.

Arkansas State (27-31-1) followed its four-run second inning with a six-run third frame, aided by three homers and four doubles.
Jordan Castaldo hit the first pitch he saw from Collin Blankenship over the left field wall to lead off the inning. Two batters later, Zach George doubled home Logan Uxa to increase the ASU lead to 7-1. Following a groundout off the bat of Smith, Jones lifted a 1-1 pitch from Jake LeBlanc over the left field wall to give the Red Wolves a 9-1 lead. Maggio then followed with a solo homer to left to increase the ASU lead to 10-1, and Baumgartner followed with an RBI double down the left field line to push the ASU lead to 11-1.

After surrendering three hits in the bottom of the first, ASU starter Brad Allen retired nine of the next 10 batters he faced until the Jags rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth. USA loaded the bases in the inning on a leadoff single by Jordan Patterson, walk by Dominic Diaz and single by Taylor White. Jake Overstreet later reached on fielder’s choice that allowed Patterson to score and cut the ASU lead to 11-2. Brent Tanner then followed with a three-run homer to left field on an 0-2 pitch from Allen to cut the ASU lead to 11-5.

Phillip Byrd entered the game in the third inning and retired the first 11 batters he faced. The left-hander did not surrender a hit until the top of the seventh when Smith doubled with one out.

USA cut the ASU lead to 11-8 in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run triple by Kirkland and RBI single from Hook.

The Red Wolves added an insurance run in the top of the eighth on an infield single off the bat of Uxa that allowed Maggio to score from third after he led off the inning with a single.

Earley drew a two-out bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth that scored White for the game’s final run.

Allen (3-5) earned the win in seven innings, allowing eight runs on 11 hits while striking out six and walking two. Blankenship (3-5) suffered the loss in two innings pitched, and allowed seven runs on eight hits with a strikeout and one walk.

Kirkland went 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBI and a run scored to lead South Alabama at the plate. Taylor White added three hits, including a double, and three runs scored. Tanner went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored, while Patterson added two hits and Overstreet drove in two runs.

Jones went 2-for-5 with a home run, four RBI and two runs scored to lead the Red Wolves at the plate. Uxa added three hits, while Faulkner, Maggio, Emery, and Smith had two hits apiece.

“(Brad) Allen pitched well, and they (Arkansas State) really swung the bats,” South Alabama head coach Steve Kittrell said. “We battled back and had a chance, but we just didn’t get it done.”

Saturday marked Kittrell’s final game as head coach at South Alabama, where he finished as the program’s all-time winningest coach at 1052-644-1. The Jaguars finished 30-28 on the season, which marked the 25th season a Kittrell-coached team at USA has won at least 30 games, and the 10th in the last 11 years.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).



NOTES:  Saturday’s game marked Kittrell’s 1,696th career and final game as head coach at South Alabama … Overstreet tied former Jaguar Ryan Mulhern (180) for third on the all-time RBI list … White ended his Jaguar career with a seven-game hitting streak after a double in the top of the first … South Alabama finished with 30 wins in Kittrell’s final season, marking the 25th time a Kittrell-coached team at USA has won at least 30 games and the 10th in the last 11 years.