JONESBORO, Ark. (3/5/23) – Owning a one-run lead with two outs, junior pitcher Jake Algee got back-to-back swinging strikeouts in the ninth to secure the Arkansas State baseball team’s 8-7 win over Missouri State Sunday at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field.

The righty retired all six batters he faced in the final two innings, earning his first career save for A-State (7-5), which salvaged the final game of the three-game series against the Bears (7-4).

Holding a 7-1 lead, Missouri State rallied for six runs in the seventh, but the Red Wolves answered back in the bottom half of the inning before handing off to the Brookland native in the eighth.

A-State pounded out 12 hits, with five players recording two-hit outings. Wil French reached base five times in a 2-for-4 day, while Brandon Hager and Kody Darcy each scored twice on two hits, with Darcy driving in a pair. Cross Jumper went 2-for-3 with an RBI and John Hoskyn went 2-for-5. Daedrick Cail drove in a team-high four runs, recording a double and a sacrifice fly.

Kyler Carmack struck out four in 4 1/3 innings in the start, allowing just one run on six hits. James McCormick worked a scoreless frame before handing off to Coby Greiner for an inning. Michael Finan (1-1) earned the win in two-thirds of an inning, with Algee closing it out.

Taeg Gollert led MSU at the plate, going 3-for-3, while Mason Hull hit a grand slam in the seventh.

Hayden Minton worked 4 2/3 innings in the start for the Bears, accounting for five of the 11 walks surrendered by Missouri State pitching. Gage Bradley (0-1) faced one batter in the seventh and took the loss as one of five relievers used.

A bases-loaded walk to French opened the scoring for A-State in the second, plating Jared Toler. The Bears tied it at run apiece in the fourth when Gollert singled home Zack Stewart.

The Red Wolves pushed two runs across in the fifth on an RBI groundout by Cail to score Hager, followed by a single off the bat of Jumper that plated Darcy to make it 3-1.

A-State put up four runs in the sixth on a two-run double by Darcy to drive in French and Burris – one of two runs scored by Burris, who walked three times. Cail then doubled home Hager and Darcy to push the lead out to 7-1.

Missouri State rallied to tie in the seventh, plating six runs in the frame. Mason Greer singled home pinch-hitter Carlos Guzman, who reached on a walk. After the Bears loaded the bases, Hull hit a grand slam over the right-field fence to pull the visitors within a run. Two batters later, Dylan Robertson doubled home Gollert for the game-tying score.

Cail’s sacrifice fly plated Burris in the bottom of the seventh, resulting in what would be the game-winning run.

Algee retired the side in just nine pitches in the eighth, then forced a popout and back-to-back swinging strikeouts to clinch the victory.

NEXT UP

A-State hosts Eastern Illinois in a three-game series, beginning Friday, March 10, with all three games being broadcasted live 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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