Photo by: Lauren Smith

JONESBORO- The Arkansas State baseball team took a one run lead into the final inning, but two errors in the ninth led to an 5-4 A-State loss to the New Orleans Privateers Feb. 21.

Kollin Stone (0-1) came into the game in the ninth inning in a save situation and with a 4-3 A-State lead.

The ninth inning errors started when New Orleans’ Salo Iza grounded a ball to third baseman Ben Klutts and Klutts’ throw to first could not be gathered in by A-State first baseman Colten Nix. Iza, an extremely fast runner, advanced to second.

Jamarian Crain later singled to center field as Iza scored the tying run at a 4-4 scoreline.

With runners on first and second, New Orleans’ Pearce Howard hit a single up the middle which was first gathered by shortstop Jake Gish who was substituted in for Karsen Reid.

Gish attempted to throw Howard out at first but his throw was off and it got away from Nix. The winning run scored on the throwing error as the Privateers went up 5-4.

Errors were a big part of A-State’s loss to the Privateers. After committing zero errors in their first three games, the Red Wolves committed three in this single game against New Orleans.

The Red Wolves (2-2) also left the bases loaded on two separate occasions where a hit could have given A-State a much bigger lead.

In a seventh inning where A-State took a lead for the first time in the game, Jaylon Deshazier came to the plate with the bases loaded at a 4-3 scoreline.

Unable to recreate his magic from the Stephen F. Austin series, Deshazier struck out looking to end the inning.

Just an inning later, Sky-Lar Culver came to the plate with the bases loaded once again for the Red Wolves. Still holding a 4-3 lead, Culver grounded the ball to the New Orleans pitcher who calmly tossed the ball to his catcher covering home for the third out of the inning.

Besides his throwing error in the ninth inning, Klutts was a bright spot for the Red Wolves on the night. Klutts hit one home run and scored three runs in A-State’s loss. Coming into the game, Klutts boasted a .333 batting average, second best on A-State’s roster.

Klutts’ homer was his second of the season.

Categories: Sports