Photo GalleryHOUSTON – HBU rallied for a pair of runs in the ninth, but Arkansas State was able to close the door to claim a 3-2 victory in the non-conference baseball series opener Friday afternoon at Husky Field.
Junior designated hitter
Austin Saenz went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, while senior centerfielder
Zach Nehrir went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and scored a run. Senior catcher
Samm Wiggins was 2-for-4 for the Huskies (5-4).
Senior
Taylor Wright (2-1) took the loss, allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 5.1 innings. Junior
Matt Harding allowed one hit and struck out three in 2.2 innings and junior
Weston Wick threw a scoreless inning.
Stuart Levi went 2-for-3 with a double and scored twice for the Red Wolves (5-3). Ty White went 2-for-4 and scored a run, while Joe Schrimpf, Matt Burgess and Austin Baker each drove in runs.
David Owen (2-1) earned the win for Arkansas State, allowing no runs, scattering seven hits, striking out five and walking one in eight innings. Colton Kibler picked up the save, despite giving up two runs on three hits.
Arkansas State threatened in the first, getting runners in scoring position with one out, but Wright forced a pop-up on the infield for the second out. After he hit Levy with a pitch to load the bases, he struck out Schrimpf. Nehrir led off the second for HBU with a single and stole second, but was stranded at third.
The Red Wolves broke through in the fourth, getting a double from Levi and an RBI single by Schrimpf. In the fifth, White reached on a bunt single, then scored on an RBI double by Baker. Levi led off the sixth with a single and scored on an RBI single by Burgess to put Arkansas State ahead, 3-0.
The Huskies made it exciting in the ninth, as Wiggins and Nehrir smacked back-to-back, one out singles. Saenz then ripped a two-run double down the leftfield line to cut the deficit to one, but
Andrew Alvarez flied out and Martinez grounded out to end the game.
The series concludes with a doubleheader Saturday at 11 a.m. at Husky Field.