Alabama State shelled the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff baseball team on Saturday despite UAPB’s strong first inning.
The Golden Lions fell 14-3 in seven innings to the Hornets as ASU clinched the weekend series at the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex in Pine Bluff.
UAPB coach Logan Stout said the Golden Lions didn’t play their best after losing a heartbreaker on Friday, 9-8.
“You take away the first part of that game, we were just flat all the way around,” Stout said. “Pitching, defense, everything. I think tomorrow will be a different day.”
UAPB (5-22, 3-5 SWAC) took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Left fielder Gavin Terry led off with a home run before centerfielder Eli Gries-Smith reached on a bunt single. Catcher Vinny Saumell and first baseman Ben VanMaanen drove in 2 more runs on a single and a double, respectively.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Alabama State (12-16, 5-3) pulled starting pitcher Jafet Martinez after the first inning. Three relief pitchers combined to shut out the Golden Lions the rest of the way. Senior reliever Will Smith (1-0) had the longest outing at three innings and held UAPB to two hits and four strikeouts.
Stout said UAPB didn’t put enough pressure on ASU’s defense.
“Anytime you have guys throwing strikes, you gotta get up there and match that with barrels,” Stout said. “We didn’t do that. Way too many popups. We had a lot of rain. Hitting the ball on the ground is quite advantageous when that happens. Anybody can catch a fly ball.”
Meanwhile, the Hornets pounded UAPB’s pitching staff, finishing with 16 hits. UAPB starter Brendan Hamlin (1-5) exited with two outs in the second inning after allowing 4 runs on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
ASU took a 4-3 lead in the second inning after five consecutive one-out hits. The Hornets went on to score 2 runs in the third, 2 in the fifth, 3 in the sixth and 3 in the seventh. First baseman Juan Cruz and third baseman Luke Parmentier each hit 2-run homers, the third and fourth homers of the series by the Hornets.
Parmentier hit 4 for 4 with 3 RBI and 3 runs, while Cruz hit 3 for 5 with 4 RBI and 2 runs. Right fielder Kameron Douglass finished a home run short of the cycle after homering twice on Friday, while Parmentier was a triple short.
Terry finished the game a double away from a cycle after hitting 3 for 3 with an RBI and a run. He didn’t get an opportunity to go for the double after UAPB used pinch hitters for every hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Stout said there was no talk of keeping Terry in the game to try for a cycle.
“We don’t pay attention to selfish stuff,” Stout said. “That’s not what good teams do. Ultimately, if you heard, Gavin was over here cheering on the guys that went in. There wasn’t a thought in his mind about a cycle. … We’ve had a lot of good guys, good young men on this team that haven’t gotten to play, and that was a good opportunity to give them an opportunity.”
Saumell was the lone other Golden Lion with multiple hits, finishing 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run.
UAPB and Alabama State will wrap up the series at 1 p.m. Sunday.