Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – Arkansas State (20-12, 6-6 SBC) bundled runs early and often Tuesday evening in the eight-inning run-rule victory against Memphis 10-21, 3-6 AAC), winning 12-2 at Tomlinson Stadium-Slayton Family Field.
The action began in the second inning after Memphis lined a leadoff single and then advanced to second on a two-out walk to set up the two-RBI double. The Red Wolves answered promptly, putting a runner on and rattling off three hits in a row, with back-to-back RBI-doubles for three runs.
Cooper Garrison took the mound after 2.1 innings from Kole Turner, breezing through 3.2 innings while allowing two hits, no runs, and recording four strikeouts.
On Ashton Quiller’s second hit of the night he scored two with a boomer out of left field, his sixth homer of the season for the 5-2 lead in the fourth frame.
The fifth inning saw five runs spotted for A-State. Derek Martinez earned a leadoff walk with Evan Griffis swinging for a single right behind him, allowing for Cross Jumper to lay down a bunt to put them both in scoring position. Joey McLaughlin III scored both runners on a single, and Patrick Engskov joined him on the base path after taking a hit-by-pitch. Kaden Amundson struck an RBI-single, setting up runners at the corners, and Raul Torres moved them both 90 feet on an RBI-sac bunt. The final hit of the inning came from Quiller scoring Amundson with a single to right field for the 10-2 lead.
Derek Martinez led off for the second inning in a row, this time in the sixth with his ninth home run of the season to put the Red Wolves up nine.
Andrew Allen took over for the seventh inning, facing five batters, but finishing the inning with two strikeouts in a row. Brett Foss came in behind Allen in the eighth, striking out the first two batters and drawing a flyout to total 12 pitches in the inning.
Arkansas State got to work in the eighth looking for the final out, putting three runners on in succession before Engskov knocked in the winning run with an infield single.
Win: Cooper Garrison (2-1)
Loss: Logan Rushing (0-2)
UP NEXT
A-State is set to host No. 11 Coastal Carolina this weekend at Tomlinson Stadium-Slayton Family Field. First pitch Friday is set for 6 p.m.
