Arkansas State baseball (5-0, 0-0 SBC) snapped a five-game losing streak to Ole Miss (2-3, 0-0 SEC) on Wednesday night at Swayze Field, winning by a score of 4-2.
Jalen Martinez got the start in his A-State debut, opening the bullpen day with four walks and one strikeout over 1.2 innings pitched. The Scarlet and Black used seven pitchers in all during the contest, finishing with only five hits allowed in the matchup.
The Red Wolves found success in the first inning after two of the first three batters reached on a pair of singles. Brandon Hager was able to put one run on the board with an RBI-groundout, but Mason Morris (0-1) would get his second strikeout to end the frame.
Austen Jaslove launched his third home run of the season over the left-field wall in the next inning to put the Red Wolves ahead 2-0.
Jaslove crossed the plate uncontested in the fourth after Allen Grier hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right-centerfield. Wil French immediately followed with an RBI-single to the same area as A-State entered the bottom-frame up 4-0.
After 26.1 scoreless innings pitched, Ole Miss broke through with an RBI-single from Jackson Ross. The scoreless-inning streak was the longest in the Raffo era before the RBI-knock, but A-State was able to minimize the damage and enter the sixth with a 4-1 advantage.
Both sides went scoreless for the next five frames before Judd Utermark launched a solo-homer over the wall in left-centerfield during the eighth. Another batter reached base with one out, but French turned a 4-3 double play to curb the Rebels’ momentum.
In the ninth, the Scarlet and Black forced two groundouts and a line-out to retire the side in order and clinch their first victory at Ole Miss since 2008.
Coby Greiner (2-0) earned the win and Arlon Butts recorded the save while Morris took the loss as A-State clinches their fourth 5-0 start in program history and first since 1997.
NEXT UP
Arkansas State returns home for a three-game series against Lindenwood beginning on Friday, February 23 at Tomlinson Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
