Mark West: Red Wolves Nip Bobcats in Series, 2-1

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Arkansas State Red Wolves hosted the Texas State Bobcats this weekend in a three game set for sole possession of second place in the Sun Belt Conference. The series was so close that the teams split a Saturday double-header, each winning by one run, and came into the rubber match on Sunday tied at a game apiece and with each team having scored eight runs.

These two teams don’t have a lot of history, but the history they do share is quite interesting. They had met only twice before, playing in the Arlington Invitational to kick off the 2009 season. Head coach Tommy Raffo got his first win as head coach of the Red Wolves against Texas State. The win was also the first “Red Wolves” win as that season was the inaugural in which the new team nickname was adopted.

Texas State head coach Ty Harrington was at the helm of the Bobcats then, but many years prior, from 1992 to 1994, had served as an assistant coach under Bill Bethea for the then Arkansas State Indians. Harrington’s last season saw Arkansas State win their conference tournament and play in a Regional.

The teams were 1-1 against each other, with a pair of one-run ballgames back in 2009. The teams squared off for three games this weekend, this time with Texas State as a fledgling member of the Sun Belt. Both teams were tied with identical 5-1 conference marks earned in similar fashion, a home sweep followed by winning 2-out-of-3 on the road.

Game 1 – Texas State 4, Arkansas State 3, 12 innings

Texas State starter Taylor Black (RJr., RHP) threw 7.1 innings allowing an unearned run on six hits and two walks and left the game with the Bobcats leading 3-1 in the eighth. However, The Red Wolves would plate two ninth inning runs against Bobcats closer Hunter Lemke (Sr., RHP) to tie the game and send it into extras. Collin Massanelli (Jr., LF) drove in senior short stop Dustin Jones for the first run and then pinch runner Kaleb Brown (RJr.) scored on a Zach Maggio (Sr., DH) sac fly to tie the game. The Bobcats would score on a double in the 12^th to win the game.

Notes

David Owen (So., RHP) ND, 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K

Cody Woodhouse (Sr., RHP) L, 2-1, 3.0 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, K

Collin Massanelli  (Jr., LF) 4-for-5, 2B, RBI

Game 2 – Arkansas State 5, Texas State 4

Tied at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh Tanner Ring (So., DH) was hit by a pitch, and after a couple of failed bunt attempts, Eric Wilcoxson (Fr., 2B) slapped a 3-and-2 pitch over the fence in right field to give the Red Wolves a 5-3 lead. The homer was Wilcoxson’s first of his career and would stand up as Morgan Croft (Sr., RHP) pitched the final two innings allowing a run for the Red Wolves victory to split the series at one game apiece.

Notes

Chandler Hawkins (Jr., LHP) ND, 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 7 K

Colton Kibler (Jr., RHP) W, 2-1, 2.0 IP, H, ER

Eric Wilcoxson (Fr., 2B) 2-for-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI

Matt Burgess (So., 1B) 2-for-4, R, RBI

Game 3 – Arkansas State 4, Texas State 1

Senior right-hander Bradley Wallace had his best outing of the season for A-State allowing no runs over seven innings of work allowing only four hits and a walk while striking out three to get his first win since opening night. Burgess provided the run support Wallace needed with a two-run shot in the fourth, his second homer on the year, and an RBI single in the eighth. Woodhouse and Croft closed the game out on the bump for the Red Wolves.

Notes

Bradley Wallace (Sr., RHP) W, 2-2, 7.0 IP, 4 H, BB, 3K

Matt Burgess (So., 1B) 2-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI

Stuart Levy (Jr., C) 2-for-3, 2B

Arkansas State wins the series 2-1 and improves to 16-12 on the season but holds an important 7-2 mark in the Sun Belt which has them in sole possession of second place in the conference, just one game behind the No. 4 Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns. Stuart Levy (Jr., C) has now reached base safely in 25 straight ball games reaching base with a walk and a single in game one, a walk in game two, a single and a double in game three.

Arkansas State’s win in game three is the first time a game between these two teams has been decided by more than a run. The Red Wolves hit the road this week, first for a midweek match-up with Southeast Missouri State (17-10, 10-2 Ohio Valley), then for a three game set in conference at Bowling Green against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (14-14, 4-5 Sun Belt) who are fresh off winning a game against No. 4 Louisiana Lafayette this weekend.