Tulsa, OK – Contributed – Arkansas State baseball (11-5, 0-0 SBC) fell via 3-2 and 4-3 decisions in a series-opening doubleheader against Oral Roberts (7-7, 0-0 SUMMIT) on Saturday at Chapman Park.

Cason Campbell (3-for-5) led the bats in Game 1 while Jake Henry Williams (2-for-4) recorded a multi-hit performance in Game 2. Chase Richter posted a quality start in the first matchup, striking out four batters and limiting the opposition to two earned runs over 6.0 innings thrown.

Jelle Van Der Lelie and Collin Maloney accounted for 2.1 scoreless innings apiece in both contests, and the former posted a season-high four strikeouts.

GAME 1
Quiller opened the day with a leadoff home run on the second pitch, but the Golden Eagles matched with one of their own in the bottom frame to tie the game. After the homer, runners reached first and second with one out before a 4-6-3 double play ended the scoring opportunity.

A single from Joey McLaughlin III in the third inning would be the only hit recorded by either side until the fifth. Oral Roberts’ Kole Dudding led off the bottom of the inning with a double to centerfield and scored two at-bats later.

The Red Wolves evened the score in the top of the seventh, as Campbell crossed the plate on a single from Kaden Amundson to make the score 2-2. Neither team scored again before the end of the ninth, resulting in extra innings.

A-State had one runner reach scoring position over the five innings that followed, but a throwing error paired with a single and hit-by-pitch gave Oral Roberts a bases-loaded situation with no outs in the 14th inning. The game reached its conclusion on a sacrifice fly, resulting in a 3-2 decision.

Thomas Maddox (1-0) earned the win while Cooper Garrison (0-1) received the loss.

GAME 2
Similar to Game 1, both sides scored a run in the opening inning of play. Patrick Engskov fired a shot into left field for an RBI-single in the top frame, but the opposition matched the score with an RBI-double in the bottom frame.

A-State would not record another hit until the fourth inning, and following a leadoff single from Kaden Amundson in the fifth, Lane Walton would create a 3-1 advantage with his conference-leading ninth home run of the season.

The Sugar Land, Texas, native entered today’s contests with the fourth-most home runs in the nation.

The two-run difference vanished in the next inning due to a three-run homer from Dudding. The Red Wolves’ best chance to rally occurred in the ninth after Jake Henry Williams and Evan Griffis reached on a pair of singles.

Neither would cross the plate as a groundout to second base ended the contest in a 4-3 decision. Luke Williams (1-0) earned the win and Jack Hill (1) claimed the save while Jack Nelson (0-1) took the loss.

NEXT UP
A-State concludes a three-game series against Oral Roberts on Sunday, March 8, at 1 p.m. inside Chapman Park.