Facing a two-run first-inning deficit, the Arkansas State baseball team scored 17 unanswered runs to run-rule Mississippi Valley State 17-2 in seven innings Tuesday night at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field
A-State (1-4) halted a four-game skid with the win in its first home contest, scoring the most runs in a home opener since scoring 19 against SIU Edwardsville on Feb. 27, 2009. Much of the Red Wolves’ production at the plate came via six sacrifice flies – the most in a single game since before the 2005 campaign. The win also moved A-State to 11-3 in home openers under 14th-year skipper Tommy Raffo and 28-3 since 1992 – its first season in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Red Wolves struck out 11 Delta Devils (2-4), with southpaw Walker Williams (1-1) earning the win with an inning of relief in the third. Phillip Bryant tossed a pair of innings with three punchouts while Jonathan Baldelli and Max Charlton each recorded two strikeouts in an inning. Carter Holt started the contest, allowing two runs (one earned) before giving way to Justin Medlin in the second.
Every A-State hitter reached base at least once, led by Cooper Tremmel, who reached base in all five plate appearances. Jaylon Deshazier drove in four runs on three sac flies and a walk, while Jared Toler went 2-for-2 with a career-best three runs and two RBI.
MVSU walked 15 Red Wolves, while allowing seven hits. Calvin McClendon (0-2), the Delta Devils’ starter, took the loss in three innings of work.
The Delta Devils’ only two runs in the ballgame came in the opening frame, when Narvin Booker scored on a throw down to second trying to gun out the base-stealing Maury Weaver. An error in the outfield then scored Weaver from second to make it 2-0.
A-State responded in the bottom half of the inning with Deshazier’s first sac fly of the night, plating Wil French, who scored three times.
The Red Wolves tacked on two more in the third on an RBI double by Toler and another Deshazier sac fly, which drove in Toler from third after a single by Ben Klutts. A-State added three in the fourth with back-to-back bases-loaded walks, then a wild pitch allowed Klutts to score, making it 6-2 after four.
In the fifth, the Scarlet and Black scored four more, first on a Toler sacrifice fly to drive in Eli Davis. After Klutts reached on a hit-by-pitch – one of six for the Red Wolves on the night – Deshazier scored Jacob Hager with his third sac fly of the contest. A two-out double by Tremmel scored French and Klutts to make it 10-2 entering the sixth.
After a quick inning for Baldelli, A-State poured on a seven-run sixth in which it sent 13 batters to the dish. Hager doubled home Daedrick Cail before a pair of sac flies by French and Klutts scored Davis and Hager. Mickey Coyne then reached on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to drive in Deshazier, who then scored when Cail reached on an error. The last run of the night crossed on another bases-loaded free pass, as pinch-hitter Blake McCutchen was plunked, forcing across Coyne.
NEXT UP
The Red Wolves close out its midweek set against the Delta Devils at 3 p.m. Wednesday. The contest will be broadcasted live on ESPN+.
