Mark West: Red Wolves Baseball Team Sweeps ULM

Three-game Sweep Moves Red Wolves Baseball Team 1 Game from 1st

JONESBORO, Ark. – Runs were coming in bunches on the weekend as the A-State Red Wolves baseball team pulled off the sweep of ULM, capped by a four-run ninth inning rally to take game three of the set. ULM, after starting 1-5 in conference play, had won six of nine ballgames coming into the series.

Arkansas State hit .478 for the series with a .647 on base percentage against the Warhawks’ pitchings staff scoring 29 runs in the three game series. The Red Wolves would hold ULM to a .264 average and a .371 on base percentage in the series.

Game 1 – A-State 8, ULM 4

Sophomore righty David Owen hurled six inning allowing an unearned run with four strike outs leading A-State to the win on Friday night. Freshman second baseman Eric Wilcoxson scored twice and hit a two-run homer on a two-hit night while sophomores Austin Baker (CF) and Matt Burgess (1B) each had a pair of hits and RBI for the Red Wolves. Freshman third baseman Joe Schrimpf also scored twice in the winning effort. ULM would score three in the eighth but junior righty Tanner Gaines would shut the late rally down for the victory.

Game 2 – A-State 11, ULM 7

Freshman righty Bryan Ayers fanned seven Warhawks over six innings of work while allowing two earned runs in A-State’s series clinching victory. Burgess scored three runs while sophomore right fielder Derek Birginske drove in three runs to lead the offense. Wilcoxson and senior short stop Dustin Jones each scored twice. ULM would score four runs in a ninth inning rally but senior righty Cody Woodhouse cut the rally short preserving the Red Wolves win.

Game 3 – A-State 10, ULM 9

A-State starter Bradley Wallace (Sr., RHP) allowed an earned run over four innings of work before the ULM bats exploded with four runs in the fifth on reliever Chandler Hawkins (Jr., LHP) who lasted only a third of an inning. Gaines finished the fifth and pitched the sixth and seventh scoreless. A-State trailed by five runs twice, down 6-1 after five, down 8-3 headed to the bottom of the eighth. The Red Wolves baseball team would score three in the eight to cut the lead to 8-6.

ULM added another run to extend the lead to 9-6 before the Red Wolves plated four in the bottom of the ninth with senior Zach Maggio (DH) scoring on a fielder’s choice with one-out and the bases loaded. Junior left fielder Ty Michelotti hit a chopper to second that gave Maggio enough time the beat the throw home for the game winning run. Baker, Burgess, Michelotti and Jones had two RBI apiece while Wilcoxson, Maggio, Jones and junior Collin Massanelli (RF) each scored twice in the game.

Arkansas State (24-16, 13-5 Sun Belt) with the sweep remains two games ahead of Texas State for second place in the Sun Belt. The Red Wolves moved a game closer to first place as No. 2 Louisiana Lafayette went 2-1 against UT Arlington this weekend. A-State trails ULL by three games in the standings.

Player of the Series: Matt Burgess (So., 1B) .545 (6-for-11), 2B, 5 BB, .688 OBA, 4 R, 5 RBI

Pitcher of the Series: David Owen (So., RHP) W, 1-0, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K

A-State defeated Memphis 6-4 Tuesday night as freshman righty Tyler Zuber pitched five scoreless innings to earn his first collegiate win.

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You can keep up with all of Mark West’s A-State Red Wolves baseball coverage at http://collegebaseballcentral.com/sun-belt/arkansas-state/