‘Cats shatter attendance mark, topple UT 11-10 in extras
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team defeated Texas 11-10 in 10 innings Tuesday night inside Bobcat Ballpark.

The win was the first all-time for the Bobcats (13-8) at home against UT, and it also set a new all-time attendance mark of 3,017 fans. The Longhorns (13-10) suffered their seventh one-run loss of the season and have now dropped four straight overall.

After battling back to tie the game on four different occasions, the Bobcats were finally able to take their first lead in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the 10th inning. The game-winning hit came off the bat of junior Luke Sherley, who's single to shallow right center drove in sophomore Ryan Newman and set the record crowd into a frenzy.

This was the fourth walkoff hit of the season for TXST (Purdue, Feb. 18 / Richmond, March 5 / Coastal Carolina, March 17).

Texas initially took a 2-0 lead before the Bobcats had a chance to bat, but the early deficit was quickly erased as the maroon and gold scored twice in the home half of the frame.

UT scored a solo tally in the fourth, but TXST answered in the home half of the fifth to tie the game at 3-3. Both teams scored twice in the sixth, but the Longhorns plated four runs across the seventh and eighth frames to take a seemingly commanding 9-5 advantage.

Texas State countered with two in the home half of the eighth, but Texas extended its advantage to 10-7 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

The home club loaded the bases with no outs against UT's closer, and Sherley roped a two-RBI single and later scored the game-tying run to send the contest into extras. He then made an impressive play in the field to end the Longhorns' threat in the top of the 10th before recording the walkoff hit in the bottom of the first extra frame.

Texas entered the game with a team ERA of 2.75, but the Longhorns' earned-run average ballooned to 3.06 after allowing a season-high 11 runs.

Sherley went 4-for-5 to tie for a career-high in hits. He recorded hits in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings. He also drove in a career-high four runs and scored in both the eighth and ninth frames.

Sophomore Jaylen Hubbard registered a career-high in hits (4-for-5), and sophomore Jacob Almendarez went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Junior Theodore Hoffman went 2-for-6 with two runs scored, and sophomore Ryan Newman scored three times.

Junior Blake Walden (5-0) earned the win on the mound and is now tied for the nation's lead in that category. He threw the final 2.2 frames and gave up just one run on two hits, while striking out two. Junior Cam Baird started the contest and logged the first 4.0 frames. He conceded three runs (two earned) on five hits, while striking out three. Senior Brandon Courville, sophomore Anthony Pagano and true freshmen Zachary Leigh and Shane Daughety also saw time on the mound.

Tate Shaw finished 4-for-6 with four RBIs to pace the Longhorns. Travis Jones went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and four runs scored. Michael McCann, Bret Boswell and David Hamilton all had two hits, while Hamilton scored twice.

Parker Joe Robinson (0-1) was tagged with the loss after conceding the walkoff single to Sherley. He pitched the last 1.2 innings. Starter Nick Kennedy entered the game with a 0.75 ERA but was tagged for five runs (four earned) on eight hits, while striking out five. His ERA jumped to 2.65.

Texas State outhit Texas 18-15, and both teams committed a pair of errors.

The Bobcats (2-1 Sun Belt) will now venture to Boone, North Carolina, March 24-26 for a three-game SBC showdown with Appalachian State. TXST has been on the road for just one series this season, while the Mountaineers have only played at home once in 2017.

Stroup Bats Cycle as Apps Outlast Radford, 13-9
BOONE, N.C. – With a 4-5, four RBI night, junior Tyler Stroup became the second player in 14 years to bat the cycle (getting a single, double, triple and inside-the-park home run) to help Appalachian State University baseball down Radford, 13-9, on Tuesday in a slugfest.

The junior joins teammate Colin Schmid in snapping a 13-year drought without a recorded cycle. Schmid doubled, singled and then hit a three-run homer against Quinnipiac in the second game of a doubleheader on Feb. 27, 2016.

For the fourth time in six games, the Mountaineers (10-11, 1-2 Sun Belt) had 11-plus hits for a season-best 13 runs against the Highlanders (8-12, 0-0 Big South), snapping their five-game win streak.

Stroup’s eighth-inning home run is just the second inside-the-park home run in Smith Stadium history and the first since 2010. On April 6 against North Carolina A&T, Doug Jones hit a game-tying, two-out shot to right center that led to two RBI. Teammate David Towarnicky also had an inside-the-park home run that year, however, it took place in a game against Rider that was held in Hickory at L.P. Frans Stadium.

The inside-the-park home run is just the second to happen in the close-to-10-year history of Smith Stadium (Doug Jones – April 6, 2010). His and Drake Zupcic's four hits are also the most by Mountaineers in a single game since April 30, 2016 (Brian Bauk at Arkansas State).

In a back-and-forth affair that featured four lead changes, Appalachian was actually the team who plated anyone first in the second when a two-out a laser to left field by Stroup brought in Bauk before Zupcic hit one to opposite field to bring home Brad Davis. Stroup and Zupcic finished the game with four and two RBI, respectively.

The Highlanders responded mightily in the third inning, putting up a four-spot to take the lead. The Black and Gold would inch closer on a Jason Curtis moonbeam to left field – his second in four days.

Radford extended its lead further to 7-3 in the fourth inning, all of which were unearned due to an infield error.

Appalachian would retake the lead in the fifth when a Curtis walk, a Matt Vernon double and a Conner Leonard walk set up a two-RBI double for Chandler Seagle with no outs. Leonard then was able to take home on a wild pitch before Stroup got his double of the game to right field to bring home Seagle. Zupcic then took a 2-2 pitch to the outfield to bring home Stroup to take the lead, 8-7.

Keeping the game close, Radford plated two in the sixth to go back up 9-8 – the Highlanders’ final lead of the night.

The bats continued to roll for the Mountaineers in the seventh inning when Stroup tripled to left as leadoff to eventually be brought home by Calev Grubbs, who fired a bullet through the left side to reach first. Vernon then continued his strong week at-bat by jacking his fourth home run of the season to bring home two and take the lead once and for all.

After having late-inning drama in multiple games this season, Appalachian was determined to keep this game in its control, adding to the lead in its final at-bat in the eighth. Bauk singled up the middle before being advanced to second on designated hitter Schmid’s groundout. Stroup’s dramatic inside-the-park homer brought them both run after the outfielder believed the ball to have been over the fence.

Five Appalachian pitchers took the mound on Tuesday for the midweek tilt, beginning with southpaw Bobby Hampton, who went 3.0 innings. Sean Mason and Matt Schaeffer filled the middle innings for App State before Tristan Helms came in to go 1.1 innings and allow just one hit to keep his 0.00 ERA, earning his first career decision win.

Matt Brill also came in to close out the final half-inning, seeing three batters, striking out one and needing just 12 pitches to secure the win for the Diamond Apps.

The Mountaineers continue with their five-game homestand on Friday, March 24 as they host their first Sun Belt Conference team, Texas State. The three-game series is scheduled to have first pitches at 5 p.m., 2 p.m. and 11 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Eagles Open a Long Week with 7-3 Win at The Citadel
STATESBORO, GA. - Georgia Southern Baseball returned to winning ways on Tuesday night with a 7-3 victory at The Citadel. Jordan Wren and Evan McDonald each went 2-for-4 on the night while Adam Kelly took his first collegiate win on the mound. The Eagles and Bulldogs will play again on Wednesday night in Statesboro.

Wednesday's game is Military Appreciation Day with all active duty and veteran military personnel invited for a special recognition. Active duty and veterans receive free admission and discounted tickets for any accompanying guests. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

QUOTABLES
Head Coach Rodney Hennon
"We got a good effort from Adam Kelly tonight and the bullpen. We were able to jump out to an early lead, so it was a good way to start the week. Now we've got to get back, get rested up, and get ready to go again against these guys tomorrow."

SCORING PLAYS
Top 2nd - GS 1 - CIT 0 - Two errors by The Citadel in the second opened the door for the Eagles to take a 1-0 lead. Jordan Wren singled up the middle to open the frame. He reached third on an error by the second baseman. A throwing error by the shortstop attempting to double a runner off at first allowed Wren to score.
Top 3rd - GS 3 - CIT 0 - Mitchell Golden's RBI single up the middle plated Evan McDonald to make it a 2-0 game. Jordan Wren tripled to right later in the inning, pushing Golden in for a 3-0 lead.
Top 4th - GS 4 - CIT 0 - The Eagles struck again in the fourth with McDonald plating C.J. Brazil with an RBI infield single with two outs.
Bot 4th - GS 4 - CIT 1 - A Georgia Southern fielding error with two outs allowed the Bulldogs to get their first run of the day in the fourth inning.
Top 5th - GS 6 - CIT 1 - Ryan Cleveland's one out double was converted into a run with a pair of wild pitches. A sacrifice bunt later in the inning by Brazil allowed another run to score and push the lead to 6-1.
Bot 6th - GS 6 - CIT 3 - The Citadel got two runs off three hits to cut the Eagle lead to 6-3 entering the final innings.
Top 8th - GS 7 - CIT 3 - Logan Baldwin drove in Cal Baker from third with a single to left. Baker ended up on third on a three base fielder's choice thanks to Mason McWhorter getting into a five-throw rundown between third and home.

GAME NOTES
- Adam Kelly went a career-long four innings in a controlled start to pick up his first collegiate win. He allowed on unearned run and struck out two to improve to 1-0 on the season.
- Ryan Frederick was the first reliever out of the bullpen, making his first appearance since May 29, 2016. His return was not only from injury, but to take advantage of a hardship waiver he was granted by the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility.
- Graduate student Jacob Condra-Bogan pitched the final two innings, but was ineligible to pick up the save because he entered with a four-run lead. He mowed through the Bulldogs, striking out the first five batters he faced.

NEXT UP
The Eagles and Bulldogs close out the split midweek series on Wednesday evening in Statesboro. First pitch on Jack Stallings Field at J.I. Clements Stadium is set for 6 p.m. and can be seen live on GS All-Access at GSEagles.com.

THOMPSON HOMERS IN 5-0 SHUTOUT OF FURMAN
ATLANTA -- Jordan Lee and three relievers combined for the shutout and Jack Thompson hit a three-run home run in Georgia State's 5-0 victory over Furman Tuesday at the GSU Baseball Complex, the Panthers' third shutout of the season.

The Panthers (11-10) supported Lee and relievers Tanner Thomson, Liam Henry and Logan Barnette with stellar defense throughout the game, including two double plays and several other sparkling plays that prevented runs.

Lee (1-0), the junior right-hander, pitched five scoreless innings in his second start, allowing four hits with two strikeouts and two walks.'

Thomson and Henry followed with scoreless innings, and then Barnette pitched the final two frames for his second save, with plenty of help from the defense.

Georgia State scored two runs in the first inning without the benefit of hit. Furman starter Nik Verbeke (0-1) was wild to start the game, putting runner at first and third with no outs on two walks and two wild pitches. Ryan Blanton came home on Verbeke's third wild pitch, and then Justin Jones scored on a groundout to put the Panthers ahead 2-0.

That was all the scoring in the game until Thompson's home run in the eighth, his first of the season to give the Panthers a 5-0 cushion.

Thompson was inserted into the game one at first base inning earlier for his defense and immediately paid dividends with a spectacular diving stop on ball that appeared headed for the right field corner.

Second baseman Will Kilgore was involved in both double plays. First he made a leaping grab on a line drive and then threw to first to double off the runner. Then he and shortstop Justin Jones combined on a 6-4-3 double play in the eighth, after the first two Paladins had walked. Then with a runner at third and two outs, Jones made another nice play on a chopper but threw wide to Thompson, who fielded the throw and made a sweeping tag for the third out.

Thompson made one more nice play in the ninth, catching a line drive for the first out.

Center fielder Ryan Blanton prevented at least one run in the third inning with a leaping catch at the wall in straightaway center, and Romero Greer made a nice snag on a line drive in the seventh after Furman had put runners at first and second with two outs.

Furman (10-9) outhit Georgia State 6-4 and had baserunners in every inning except the first, leaving 10 men on base.

"There's no doubt the difference in the game tonight was our infield defense," head coach Greg Frady said. "It was anchored by Justin Jones, but Romero Greer made plays, Will kilgore made plays, and of course, the player of the game was Jack Thompson. That's a pretty good three innings; he was ready to come in and help the team win."

GSU is on the road this weekend for a Sun Belt Conference series at South Alabama, beginning Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Offense Lifts Warhawks to Homestand-Opening Win
MONROE, La. – The ULM baseball team scored in each of the opening three innings Tuesday night as the Warhawks began a four-game homestand with a 7-1 victory over visiting Grambling in midweek action. ULM now turns its attention back to Sun Belt Conference play and Little Rock, who will visit Warhawk Field for a weekend series beginning Friday night.

THE BASICS

FINAL SCORE: ULM 7, Grambling 1

LOCATION: Warhawk Field / Monroe, Louisiana

RECORDS: ULM (6-16, 1-2 SBC)

Grambling (7-14, 3-3 SWAC)

TURNING POINT

-ULM saw four players finish with multi-hit games as the team finished with 12 hits, including five for extra bases as Cade Stone and Cade Harper each tallied three hits.

HOW IT HAPPENED

-The Warhawks struck first with an RBI groundout by Chad Bell in the bottom of the first inning to get the scoring started before Reynolds connected on a two-run homer to increase the lead in the second frame. ULM added to the lead with an RBI single by Spencer Hemphill in the third inning to push the lead to four.

-Grambling’s lone run came in the top of the fifth when Kristian Franklin reached on a fielders’ choice and advanced via an error before later scoring on an RBI single by Ian Bailey. Warhawk starter Cole Hendrix would strand two Grambling runners to end the inning and the threat.

-ULM added to the lead in the sixth inning when Turner Francis drew a bases loaded walk and the Warhawks would add their final two runs of the night in the eighth inning when Reynolds and Stone delivered back-to-back triples, with Reynolds crossing the plate on Stone’s extra-base hit before Stone scored moments later via a wild pitch.

-Stone finished with a double and a triple as part of his 3-for-4 night, while Cade Harper also finished 3-for-4 in the win. Reynolds collected a triple and homer on the way to his 2-for-3 game, while Francis notched a double as one of his two hits.

-Hendrix earned his second victory of the season, tossing five innings and allowing just five hits and one walk while Grambling plated the one unearned run. Relievers Matt Reeves, Tyler Schwaner and Chase Cater each tallied one strikeout as each picked up an inning of work on the mound before Anthony Herrera struck out the side in the ninth to wrap the night up.

UP NEXT

-The Warhawks remain at home this weekend when they step back into Sun Belt Conference play and host Little Rock for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday night (6:00 p.m. start) before afternoon games on Saturday (2:00 p.m.) and Sunday (1:00 p.m.) afternoons.

FIVE-RUN FIRST LIFTS JAGS OVER ASU
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team scored five first-inning runs en route to a 13-4 win over Alabama State Tuesday at Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.

Seven Jaguar starters hit safely in the game, led by Dylan Hardy who tied a career high in hits finishing 3-for-3 with a double, two RBI, one run scored and two stolen bases. Hunter Stokes went 2-for-2 with a double, one home run, and a career-high three RBI and three runs scored, and Travis Swaggerty finished 2-for-6 with a double, a home run, one RBI and two runs scored. Will Luft added two hits and two runs scored, while Eddie Paparella added a home run, four RBI and one run scored.

Jaguar left-hander Andy Arguelles (2-0) allowed one unearned run on two hits with a pair of strikeouts and one walk in four innings pitched in the win. Hornet left-hander Ivanniel Vazquez (0-1) allowed five runs on three hits with one strikeout and three walks in two-thirds of an inning in the loss.

"Andy (Arguelles) missed a start last week, so we threw him on Saturday," USA head coach Mark Calvi said. "We probably threw him more than we wanted to – he threw 30 pitches and I wanted him to throw 20. He looked a little different tonight to me, but he took what he had and competed with it. He had a very good fastball-hitting team, and he used his changeup enough tonight. It's easy to pitch when you have great stuff, but it's a lot tougher when you are facing a good offense and you don't have great stuff. He has shown me three different guys in the past month, and all of them have given us a chance to win or won the ballgame and he did it again tonight. I was proud of his effort. We need to be better in there after him, but Avery Geyer came in and did a nice job of settling the game down. I am very proud of the way Avery pitched tonight. The thing that I was very pleased with moving forward was the way he used his slider and changeup, the way he moved his breaking ball around – I thought after that home run that Avery pitched tonight. It is the best I have seen him move his stuff around, and that will really help us and help his confidence just in terms of his overall feel for pitching. I thought he did a really nice job tonight."

South Alabama (12-9) spotted Arguelles a five-run lead before he threw his first pitch of the contest. Hardy led off the game with an infield single to third then stole second. Brendan Donovan followed with a walk before Swaggerty reached on an error by ASU shortstop Eriq White to load the bases with no outs. Wells Davis drew a walk to force home Hardy with the game's first run. Paparella followed with a grand slam, his third home run and second grand slam of the season, to give the Jaguars a 5-0 lead.

"(Dylan) Hardy led off the game with a single then we took some walks to load them up for Eddie (Paparella), and he got off a good swing," Calvi said of his team's first-inning run production. "He used the middle of the field, the lefty (Vazquez) wasn't throwing real hard and that's what you need to do to a guy who is trying to get you out with a below-average fastball. Those guys can be effective – it's not just the 88-to-92 (mph) lefty who gives you problems. But I thought Eddie set the tone tonight, and our guys did a good job.

"The offense kind of came and went a little bit, but we had some good at-bats tonight. Dylan Hardy had some great at-bats with some two-strike hits, Will Luft had some good at-bats, Wells Davis had a sacrifice fly and walk with the bases loaded. Hunter Stokes was outstanding on the hit-and-run with a double down the line, then he came up with a big home run. Carter Perkins led off the third inning with a single, and we ended up scoring that inning. Travis Swaggerty had a great night tonight, but I was most impressed with the fact that he was facing a guy he had never faced before with a good splitfinger (fastball) and he shot it back up the middle for a single. We had some good at-bats up and down the lineup. I am proud of the guys offensively tonight."

Alabama State (7-15) answered with a run in the bottom of the first. Edgardo Rivera reached on a fielding error to lead off the inning, and moved to second on a single to left field by Carlos Ocasio. Gage Cox reached on a fielding error by Stokes at second to load the bases with no outs. Gustavo Rios followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to score Rivera and cut the USA lead to 5-1.

The Jaguars responded with a pair of runs in the top of the third to push their advantage to six runs. Carter Perkins led off the inning with a single through the right side of the infield, advanced to second on a groundout to third by Jared Barnes and moved to third on a flyout to right field by Luft. Stokes drew a two-out walk to put runners at the corners before Hardy delivered a two-run double down the left field line to plate Perkins and Stokes and extend the Jaguar lead to 7-1.

South Alabama added to its lead in the top of the fifth inning. Luft reached on a one-out single back up the middle, and Stokes followed with an RBI double down the left field line to push the USA advantage to 8-1. Hardy singled to right-center field then stole second to put two runners in scoring position with one out. Donovan followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Stokes and extend the Jaguar lead to 9-1.

Wells Davis led off the top of the sixth with a double to the left-center gap, and Paparella followed with a walk. Davis tagged and advanced to third on a flyout to right field off the bat of Barnes to put runners at the corners with two outs. A walk by Luft loaded the bases for Stokes, before a wild pitch from ASU left-hander Carlos Gonzalez scored Davis for a 10-1 USA lead.

The Hornets answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth on a one-out RBI double to left field by Ray Hernandez and a two-out RBI double to left field by Eriq White to cut the Jaguar advantage to 10-3.

Alabama State added its final run of the game on a leadoff solo home run to left field by Hernandez in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The Jaguars added the game's final runs on a two-run home run to right-center field by Stokes, the first of his career, and a two-out solo home run to right field by Swaggerty in the top of the ninth inning.

USA will return to action this weekend when it hosts Georgia State in a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at Stanky Field, beginning with game one Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Troy Cruises Past Samford
TROY, Alabama – A stellar night on the mound from Evan Hebert led Troy's 9-2 win over in-state foe Samford Tuesday night at Riddle-Pace Field.

Hebert (1-0) earned his first win of the season behind a one-hit, one-run performance in six innings of work – with the only blemish coming on a home run in the fourth.

The Trojans (12-7) scored in four of the first five innings of the game – helped by two two-run homers from Trevor Davis and Justin Friend.

Brandon Lockridge paced the Trojans going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two walks, while Chase Smartt hit safely to extend his modest seven-game hitting streak.

Samford's (12-8) offense primarily came from Austin Edens, who had three of the Bulldogs' five hits and drove in their only two runs. Connor Radcliff (1-2) suffered the loss after allowing five runs on three hits and five walks in two innings of work; the Bulldogs used six pitchers in the game and they combined to issue 13 walks.

QUOTABLE
"It felt amazing to get my first win of the season," starter Evan Hebert said. "I took full advantage of the run support and we made some great plays in the field. Overall it was just a great team win."

"Early in the year the pitching has held us in games," senior first baseman Justin Friend said. "But now the offense is starting to gel a little better."

SOUND "SMARTT" WITH YOUR FRIENDS
• Brandon Lockridge extended his on-base streak to 19 consecutive games; he is one shy of his career-high of 20 set last season.

• Chase Smartt hit safely in his seventh straight game, which is a new career-high for the Trojan sophomore; he has hit safely in 13 of the last 14 games.

• TJ Binder has now driven in eight runs over the past four games; he had one RBI in the first nine games of the season.

• Trevor Davis hit his second home run of the season; both have come in mid-week games against in-state foes. His first homer of the year came at UAB on Feb. 28.

• Trevor Davis, Justin Friend and Mack Hathcock record multiple RBIs in the game; it was Friends' fifth multi-RBI game of the season, Davis' third and Hathcock's second.

• Troy hit multiple home runs for the second time this season as both Trevor Davis and Justin Friend left the yard. The previous multi-homer game was the series finale against Xavier when Chase Smartt and Brody Binder took the ball deep.

• Troy improved to 9-2 on the season when hitting a home run – the Trojans hit two – and 10-3 when scoring first.

• Troy drew a season-high 13 walks in the game; the Trojans had drawn eight walks in a game four times this season.

WHAT'S UP NEXT?
The Trojans and Bulldogs will battle again Wednesday night in a game that was originally scheduled for February 21 but was postponed due to inclement weather. Troy will send Houston Mabray (1-1, 4.20) to the mound for the 6 p.m. first pitch in Birmingham.

Miscues Cost Cajuns In Shutout Loss To Houston
LAFAYETTE, La. – The 15th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team couldn't overcome some early defensive miscues as the Cajuns were shutout by Houston 4-0 on Tuesday night at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.

"Jack (Burk) did a great job for us tonight," head coach Tony Robichaux said. "It was a great second outing for him. He gave us a chance to win, and that's what our pitching staff does. We just have to do a better job in the field if we aren't going to score runs. If you have a 1-0 or 0-0 game you put more pressure on their pitcher. We just have to compete better in the box. We aren't asking for 10 runs, but we have to be able to compete one through nine in the lineup."

Burk was the tough-luck loser for Louisiana (11-7) allowing three runs (one earned) in seven innings with four strikeouts and no walks to fall to 0-3 on the year. The quality start was the first of the year for Burk and the eighth of the season for the Cajuns.

Left-hander Trey Cumbie tossed a complete-game shutout for the Cougars (14-5) to improve his record to 3-0. Cumbie scattered five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. The shutout was the first at home for Louisiana since May 8, 2015 against South Alabama.

Offensively, Houston outhit the Ragin' Cajuns 11-5 led by catcher Connor Wong who was 3-for-5 and scored a run.

Junior Steven Sensley increased his on-base streak to 14 games and his hit streak to eight games with his single in the sixth inning. Freshman Todd Lott saw his hit streak reach double digits at ten games with a one-out single in the fourth inning.

The Cougars went in front 1-0 in the top of the second when Corey Julks singled and then scored on a Connor Hillis double and an error by left fielder Kennon Fontenot.

Houston added two more runs in the fifth inning to extend its lead to 3-0. Left fielder Landon Etzel scored on the Cajuns second outfield error of the contest to give the Cougars a two-run edge. Later in the inning, Grayson Padgett singled home Wong to cap the scoring in the inning.

The Ragin' Cajuns best scoring chance came in the bottom of the fifth as second baseman Brenn Conrad reached third base with two outs, but Cumbie bore down and got centerfielder Ishmael Edwards to ground out to end the threat.

The Cougars tacked on the final run of the game in the top of the ninth on an RBI ground ball hit to third base by Hollis.

The Cajuns return to action tomorrow night at 6 p.m. as they host in-state rival Tulane at Russo Park. Following the matchup with the Green Wave, Louisiana will head to Troy for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series.

Trojans Come Up Short in 11-8 Loss to #5 Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – On a cool, blustery evening, Little Rock baseball fell 11-8 to No. 5 Missouri on Tuesday night at Taylor Stadium.

Cale Ridling was Little Rock's top hitter as he went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. Danny Mitchell Jr. went 1 for 3 with a triple, an RBI, two runs and a walk. Hunter Owens and Cameron Knight had an RBI, a hit and a run each while Christian Reyes had a hit and a run.

Little Rock outhit Missouri 7-6 — the Tigers' second-fewest hits this season. However, the Trojans allowed a season-high 11 walks compared to the Tigers' five.

"It's frustrating because it's the second straight Tuesday performance where we never gave ourselves a chance to win the game," head coach Chris Curry said. "I'd like to think the outcome could have been different. We held the No. 5 team in the country that's hitting .318 to six hits, and they still score 11 runs. That means one thing — you're helping set the table for their big innings."

Mizzou began the game with a six-run first inning with just three hits as the Trojans allowed four walks.

After a scoreless second inning, the Tigers scored another two runs in the bottom of the third inning as Little Rock walked four, hit a batter and committed an error.

The Trojans broke up the shutout in the top of the fourth with four runs on three hits and a Missouri error. With one out, Ridling doubled for his second hit of the game and advanced to third on a wild pitch. An RBI single to third by Owens scored Ridling for Little Rock's first run. After Knight singled through the right side, Kale Emshoff walked to load the bases. Bryce Dimitroff was then hit with an 0-2 fastball to bring Owens home. Mitchell hit to short with two outs, but an errant throw allowed Emshoff and Knight to score and cut Mizzou's lead in half at 8-4.

Little Rock had its first solid defensive performance of the night in the bottom of the fourth as Jacob Rateliff made short work of Mizzou's batters. The senior earned a ground out, a strikeout and a fly out to end the inning.

Missouri upped its lead to 11-4 in the bottom of the fifth. After Connor Brumfield got on with a leadoff walk, Robbie Glendinning hit an RBI triple to the wall in right. Brett Bond drove in Glendinning with a one-out infield single. With runners in scoring position, Brian Sharp hit a sac fly to center to score Bond.

Trojan reliever Zach Ours had a successful outing as he came on in the bottom of the fifth with one out. Little Rock's lone Missouri native recorded a strikeout to end the fifth before getting two fly outs and a pop up to put away the sixth.

With one out and runners on the corners in the top of the seventh, pinch hitter Ty Gunter earned an RBI on a sac fly to left center as Mitchell scored. With the bases juiced after Owens walked, Knight walked with a 3-2 count to bring Reyes home.

The Trojans cut the Tigers' lead to 11-8 in the top of the eighth. With Dimitroff on first and one out, Mitchell tripled to right to plate Dimitroff. Mitchell then scored on a throwing error as the ball was thrown into Missouri's dugout.

Joe Corbett tossed two scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth as he picked up a strikeout and allowed just one hit.

Down by three entering the ninth, Little Rock had no answers for Mizzou closer Brian Sharp as a ground out, a foul out and a fly out ended the game.

Bryce Montes De Oca (2-0) took the win for Missouri in four innings of work as he struck out four and allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk. Trojan starter Carter Brown (1-1) took the loss after allowing three runs on three walks.

"On the flip side, I thought we did a great job of getting a first-round type arm out of the game in the fourth inning with being disciplined in the strike zone and giving ourselves great at-bats," Curry said. "The heart and effort is there, but that's just the foundation. We have to come to the park and eliminate the ways that we're getting ourselves beaten."

Little Rock will begin a three-game Sun Belt series at ULM on Friday at 6 p.m.

Sam Houston State Powers Past Mavs
HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- Sam Houston State plated 10 runs over the first five innings to win its eighth straight game in a 14-2 result over UTA, on Tuesday night at Don Sanders Stadium.

UTA (11-11) suffered the loss as the Bearkats used 11 hits and 10 runs over the first five innings, including a three-run first and a four-run fourth inning. SHSU scored in each of the first seven innings, with single runs in the second, third, fifth and sixth innings, plating three in the seventh.

ON THE MOUND
Senior UTA starter Austin Gardner (0-1) made his first start of the year for the Mavs. Working two innings, allowing four hits and four runs – two earned – walking one and striking out two. Brad Vassar followed with the next two innings, surrendering six hits and five runs. Dylan Schneider worked to start the fifth inning, allowing a run, Jake Wilcox tossed the sixth, allowing a run with a strikeout and Jordon West worked the seventh, surrendering a pair. Matt Michalski worked the ninth inning.

Sam Houston State (16-5) starter Dakota Mills (3-1) earned the start for the Bearkats, working six strong innings, allowing only five hits and one run, not issuing a walk and striking out four. SHSU also used Dominic Robinson, Mark Hammel and Gabriel Sequeira in relief.

AT THE DISH
The Mavs were held to seven hits in the game, with Aaron Funk and Quintin Rohrbaugh charting UTA's lone two-hit games. Christian Hollie belted his first homer of the year, going 1-for-4, with Zac Cook and Noah Vaughan each collecting hits.

HOW THEY SCORED
Hollie opened the game with a no-doubt blast over the left-centerfield fence, his first homer of the year and the third of his career. It marked UTA's first leadoff homer and first first-inning blast of the year.

Sam Houston State answered three pitches into the game, getting a leadoff error from the right side of the infield and a triple from Clayton Harp on the third pitch. Lance Miles then reached on a high-hopper single up the middle, allowing Harp to score for a 2-1 lead. Hunter Hearn followed with a two-out RBI single to leftfield, scoring Miles.

In the bottom of the second inning, Sam Houston added to its lead, getting a leadoff single from Taylor Beene and after a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch, Beene scored on Bryce Johnson's RBI single to left.

SHSU added to its lead in the bottom of the third inning, plating a run on two hits, getting a sacrifice fly from Robie Rojas.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Bearkats scored four runs on four hits to take a 9-1 lead. A leadoff hit by pitch and two straight bunt singles loaded the bases, before Harp scored two with a single, Miles scored a second run with a RBI groundout and Andrew Fregia scored a fourth run in the frame with a single up the middle.

SHSU added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, getting a sac fly from Nate VanDyke.

SHSU scored three times in the seventh inning, loading the bases and getting runs on a wild pitch, a base knock and a RBI fielder's choice.

The Mavs got a run back in the eighth, getting a RBI knock from Rohrbaugh.

NEXT
The Mavs will return to action on Friday, opening a three-game series with Georgia Southern at 6:30 p.m. CT at Clay Gould Ballpark.