A-State baseball drops series finale to Eastern Illinois in extras

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - A six-run top of the 10th inning proved to be the difference, as the Arkansas State baseball team fell 12-6 (10) to Eastern Illinois Monday at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field.

A-State (7-7) held a 3-1 lead Saturday morning before the contest was suspended in the top of the fifth due to rain. The teams resumed action at 3 p.m. Monday – a span of 51 hours, 55 minutes without play. EIU (8-4) out-hit the Scarlet and Black 14-10.

Kody Darcy drove in three runs in a 2-for-4 line with a homer, while Brayden Caskey went 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Hunter Thomas also registered a pair of hits and scored once.

The Red Wolves used seven pitchers, with Hunter Draper allowing just one run on five hits in four innings before the stop in play Saturday. Kyler Carmack opened Monday’s continuation, allowing five runs (two earned) on three hits and striking out three in 2 2/3 innings. Arlon Butts worked a pair of shutout frames in the eighth and ninth. Kevin Wiseman (1-1) took the loss, facing one batter in the 10th before giving way to Coby Greiner and Grayson Becker.

Five players combined for 10 of Eastern Illinois’ 14 hits, while Lincoln Riley, Ryan Ignoffo and Robby Taul each drove in two runs.

Ky Hampton drew the start for EIU, allowing three runs on four hits in four innings before Jonathon Hanscom pitched three frames Monday, striking out five. Colton Coca, Zane Robbins (2-1) and Jackson Nichols finished it out.

Darcy drove in Caskey with a single in the first to put the hosts on top early, but a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to Riley tied it at a run apiece in the second. The hard-hitting shortstop then put the Scarlet and Black back ahead in the fourth with a two-run homer to left before the game was suspended following the frame, with the Red Wolves leading 3-1.

Carmack opened Monday’s action on the mound and fired a pair of shutout frames before facing trouble in the seventh. Eastern Illinois took a 6-3 lead with four runs across in the inning, lifting the A-State right-hander.

The Red Wolves answered with two across in the bottom of the seventh to pull within one. Burris doubled home Thomas to spark the rally, and then French touched home when Grier reached on a fielding error.

Caskey started the Red Wolves’ ninth-inning rally with a one-out single and advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches. A passed ball allowed Caskey to cross home for the game-tying score, but the Red Wolves could not push across the winning run from second base, sending the game in to extra innings.

Eastern Illinois retook the lead with six runs in the 10th on four hits, with A-State stranding a two-out base runner to end the contest.

NEXT UP

A-State concludes its home stand Tuesday, hosting in-state foe Central Arkansas. First pitch against the Bears is slated for 6 p.m. on ESPN+, with the radio broadcast carried on The Ticket Radio Network stations 95.3, 96.9 and 970 AM in Jonesboro, as well as online at 953theticket.com.

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