JONESBORO, Ark. _ The first in-state game of the season went to the University of Central Arkansas on Tuesday night as the Bears scored four times in the 12th inning to hand the Arkansas State Red Wolves their first loss of the season 8-4 at Tomlinson Stadium.
UCA (5-4) won its second consecutive extra-inning game, and third in three tries this season, to give reliever
Tate Busey his first victory.
Gavin Alveti closed it out in the 12th. UCA has now won four straight games.
In the 12th,
Reid Bowman was hit by a pitch and moved up on a
Mason King's infield single. After a second out and a wild pitch, the Bears went to work.
A.J. Mendolia singled through the right side of the infield to score Bowman with the game-winning run.
A walk to freshman
Zeb Allen loaded the bases before an ASUN pitching change. Catcher
Casey Shipley was hit by a pitch and
Colton Sagely pinch hit for the Bears and drew another walk to bring in the seventh run. A throwing error scored Allen for the eighth and final run.
Alveti, a sophomore from Searcy, got three straight fly balls to Sturgeon in center field to end it.
UCA starter
Payton Windham went seven innings, striking out five and walking three. Busey went 4.0 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out three and walking none.
The Bears scored early with some help from ASU starting pitcher Collin Maloney, who walked a batter, hit the next and walked the third to open the game. UCA centerfielder
Drew Sturgeon brought in
A.J. Mendolia with a sacrifice fly and
Preston Curtis added an RBI single up the middle to give the Bears a quick 2-0 lead.
After ASU (8-1) got one run back in the second, UCA pushed the lead to 4-2 in the sixth inning when Curtis picked up his second RBI of the night on a sacrifice fly that scored pinch runner
Kade Seldomridge, who replaced designated hitter
Jagger Schattle after an infield single.
Bryce Cermenelli followed with an RBI single to right to score Sturgeon for a 4-1 lead.
The Red Wolves tied it with a single run in the sixth and two more in the eighth before the teams combined for three scoreless frames from the ninth through the 11th.
UCA returns home to Bear Stadium this weekend, hosting Tarleton State for a four-game, non-conference series. First pitch on Friday is 2 p.m.
