Jared Toler drove in three runs, but the Arkansas State baseball team could not overcome a late surge by Memphis, falling 9-7 to the Tigers Tuesday night at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field.
Toler and Daedrick Cail both went 2-for-4 to lead A-State (4-10), but the Red Wolves left 12 runners on base, including the bases loaded twice. Cail reached base a team-best three times.
A-State used 10 pitches against the Tigers (10-4), with Brandon Hudson (0-1) taking the loss in middle relief. Max Charlton, Brandon Anderson and Kevin Wiseman each worked at least an inning apiece to close it out, not allowing a run in the final 3 2/3 innings.
Jacob Compton recorded a pair of hits for Memphis, driving in four runs. Daniel Casto (1-0) earned the win, pitching 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief. Dalton Kendrick tossed the final 1 1/3 innings to earn his second save of the year.
Memphis struck first with three runs in the opening frame on a three-run homer by Compton. A-State starter Jakob Frederick got a pair of quick outs to end the inning without further damage.
The Red Wolves responded in the bottom half of the inning when Toler launched a two-run shot over the A-State bullpen in right-center field to make it 3-2 after one. The long ball was Toler’s third of the season.
The Tigers added another run in the second on a solo homer by Tanner Booth, but A-State tacked on a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to tie it up at 4-all. In that two-run frame, Cail led off with his first career homer, a solo shot to left. Toler later singled home Jacob Hager for the tying run.
A-State added two more in the third, as Hager drove in Jaylon Deshazier with a fielder’s choice before Cooper Tremmel touched home on a sacrifice bunt by Eli Davis to make it 6-4 through three.
Memphis plated a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Zach Wilson, but a spectacular diving catch by Tremmel kept more runs from scoring to strand a pair of Tigers. The Red Wolves responded with an RBI fielder’s choice by Deshazier to score Ben Klutts.
The Tigers then closed with four unanswered runs, scoring a run in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk followed by a three-run sixth. Compton singled home Blake Daniels, then a wild pitch allowed Ben Brooks to touch home. A sacrifice fly by Logan Kohler plated Compton to account for the game’s final run.
NEXT UP
A-State faces a tough test to open Sun Belt Conference play, hosting nationally-ranked Texas State for a three-game series beginning at 6 p.m. Friday.