JONESBORO, Ark. (3/4/23) – In a Saturday doubleheader at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field, the Arkansas State baseball team dropped a pair of two-run outings to Missouri State.  

Blake Burris led the way for A-State (6-5) with four hits in the two contests, doubling twice and scoring three times. Kody Darcy also hit a pair of doubles, driving in three runs.

The Bears (7-3) hit five homers, including four in the series opener, with Taeg Gollert belting a pair.

GAME 1 | MISSOURI STATE 5 – ARKANSAS STATE 3

Tyler Jeans matched his career high in strikeouts for the third straight game, fanning seven in 5 2/3 innings pitched, but Missouri State relied on the long ball en route to a 5-3 win in the series opener.

Burris went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Brandon Hager drove in two runs on two hits. Aaron Evers (0-1) took the loss, working 1 2/3 innings before Arlon Butts finished the final 1 2/3 frames.

Nick Rodriguez and Dylan Robertson led the Bears with two hits apiece at the plate, while Brandt Thompson worked 6 1/3 innings in the start. Scott Youngbrandt (1-2) earned the win, tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings to finish it out.

A-State struck first with two runs in the bottom of the first, with Wil French scoring on a sac fly by Hager, then Kody Darcy plating Burris with a groundout.

Back-to-back homers by Mason Greer and Zack Stewart led off the fourth to tie it at 2-all, but Jeans limited the damage and stranded a pair of runners. Spencer Nivens then homered to lead off the fifth to put the visitors ahead 3-2.

The Red Wolves knotted up the count at 3-3 when Hager singled home Burris in the sixth.

MSU reclaimed the lead for good in the eighth on a solo blast by Gollert, followed by an RBI single by Rodriguez. A-State had the tying run at the plate in both the eighth and ninth innings, but was unable to score.

GAME 2 | MISSOURI STATE 6 – ARKANSAS STATE 4

In the nightcap, A-State again had the tying run at the dish in the ninth, but Missouri State was able to work out of the threat to secure the series win.

Burris led the Scarlet and Black with two hits, while Darcy drove in a pair with his second double of the day.

Hunter Draper (0-1) struck out four batters in 5 innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits before being lifted in the sixth. The Red Wolves’ bullpen combined for four scoreless frames, with Brian Veniard scattering three hits in two innings while Max Charlton and Jakob Frederick each did not allow a hit in their respective frames.

MSU rattled off 13 hits, with four players Nivens, Greer, Mason Hull and Robertson – tallying two hits apiece. Hull scored twice, while Gollert homered for the second time on the day.

Jake Eddington (1-0) allowed two runs on two hits in 5 innings for the Bears, but the Red Wolves were able to touch Forrest Barnes for two runs in just two-thirds of an innings before Trey Ziegenbein finished out the contest for the save.

The Bears plated a pair of runs in the opening frame on a sacrifice fly by Nivens that scored Rodriguez from second, and then Stewart drove in Greer with a single to make it 2-0. MSU added one more in the third on a single by Cam Cratic that scored Nivens.

A-State answered in the bottom of the third on a two-run double by Darcy, but MSU got a two-run homer from Gollert to expand the lead to 5-2. Robertson singled home Hull in the sixth for what would be the Bears’ final run of the day.

The Red Wolves rallied in the sixth when Cross Jumper drove in Jared Toler with a single, then later crossed home on a groundout by Brayden Caskey.

French reached on an infield single with two outs in the ninth, then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but a groundout halted the rally threat.

NEXT UP

A-State looks to salvage the final game of its series with Missouri State Sunday, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+. The radio broadcast can be heard on The Ticket Radio Network stations 95.3/96.9/970 AM in Jonesboro, as well as online at 953theticket.com.

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