PHOTO COURTESY OF A-STATE ATHLETICS

The Red Wolves baseball team completed the comeback on the road against the Southern Illinois Salukis in extra innings, with a final score of 10-8 after 11 innings. 

The game was the second meeting of the season between A-State and SIU, with the Salukis taking the first game at Jonesboro 7-5. The Salukis are currently in fourth place in the Missouri Valley conference at 24-12, and entered the game coming off a series loss to Indiana State.

The Red Wolves entered the game after a tight series victory over South Alabama. A-State dominated the Jaguars in game one, dropped game two and secured a game three victory after a furious comeback late. The Red Wolves are in ninth place in an extremely competitive Sun Belt Conference.

Pitcher Colin Maloney got the start for the Red Wolves, and the outing did not go as well as he likely hoped. To put things mildly, Maloney got rocked. Maloney was pulled after pitching just 0.2 innings, allowing 3 earned runs, 1 walk, and committing 2 wild pitches. Maloney also got 2 strikeouts.

The Salukis struck early because of the rough start for Maloney. SIU centerfielder Jordan Bach crushed a two-run homer early in the first inning, and an RBI single from SIU first baseman Cecil Lofton made the score 3-0 in the first. Pitcher Isaac Sewell took over for Maloney before the mid-inning break.

The Red Wolves answered in the top of the second when shortstop Patrick Engskov smacked a solo home run to left field, making the score 3-1. In the top of the third, right fielder Cross Jumper hit an RBI single. But in the bottom of the third, the Red Wolves allowed 4 runs from the Salukis. Jumper made a bad throw and allowed 1 run, then a single from SIU catcher John Lemm scored 2 RBIs and an error from catcher Zac Butler allowed yet another run, making the score 7-2 Salukis.

A-State’s bats battled back in the very next inning. Third baseman Daedrick Cail hit a single and loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fourth. Jumper hit a single down the middle to bring Butler across to score, and designated hitter Cason Tollett hit a 2 RBI single to bring two more runs across. 

In the top of the sixth, the Red Wolves took the lead off a Salukis error and another RBI single from Tollett. The Salukis would eventually respond with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 8-8.

In extra innings, first baseman Wil French hit an RBI single in the eleventh to take the lead, and a single from Jumper got another RBI to seal the deal for A-State. 

Closing pitcher Brett Foss got the decision, securing his first win of the season. The Red Wolves will travel to Statesboro, Georgia to take on the Georgia Southern Eagles in a conference series. The first game is on Thursday, April 17.

Categories: Sports