HUNTSVILLE, Texas. (3/3/13) – The Arkansas State baseball team battled from a three-run deficit, but Sam Houston State struck back in the bottom of the fourth and did not look back as the Bearkats came away with a 11-6 victory in in the third game of the series.

The Red Wolves fall to 7-4 and lost their first weekend series of the year as Sam Houston State improved to 6-5.

The Red Wolves were able to get on the scoreboard in the top of third inning on a Logan Uxa sacrifice fly that scored Kaleb Brown and an Alex Potts single that scored Kevin Fitzpatrick.  ASU trailed 3-0 after a three-run second inning by Sam Houston State, highlighted by a two-run triple by Carter Burgess.  All three of the runs in the inning were credited to starter Adam Grantham.

A-State was able to take the lead 4-3 in the top of the fourth inning when Claude Johnson doubled in Ryan Emery and Fitzpatrick.  The lead was short lived as the Bearkats scored on a Burgess RBI double to tie it up at 4-4.

“Things happened pretty quickly in the second against us and Seth came in and settled it down for us,” ASU head coach Tommy Raffo said.  “We grabbed momentum from them in the top of the fourth and took the lead.  We really needed to get a zero in bottom of the fourth, but they tied it and put the momentum back in their dugout and we just had a hard time getting it back all the way through.”

In the bottom of the fifth, the Bearkats racked up two more runs to go ahead 6-4 on two RBI doubles.  Sam Houston State stretched out their lead in the bottom of the sixth with three runs, all on RBI singles, to go ahead 9-4. 

The Bearkats scored two more runs in the bottom of the eighth off a RBI triple and RBI single to make the score 11-4 heading into the top of ninth.  The Red Wolves loaded the bases and were able to score two runs.  Ethan Yeo had an RBI walk that plated Uxa and Alex Potts scored on a passed ball during the next at-bat that set the final score at 11-6.

Sam Houston State reliever Logan Boyd came in for starter Andrew Godail after an apparent injury and threw 4.1 innings allowing only two runs, both earned, on four hits, with two walks and three strikeouts to earn the win.  Seth McWilliams took the loss for ASU as he gave up three runs, all earned, on three hits, with no walks and three strikeouts.

 “We were on the road and we have to overcome some things,” Raffo said.  “This is a great learning lesson, a valuable thing to take back to the drawing board, regroup a little bit, and get better.”

Arkansas State will take on Tennessee-Martin Tuesday, March 5, at 6:00 p.m.  The game was scheduled to make up for the game ASU had to cancel against Lyon College back on February 20.