After missing its chance to walk the game off in the bottom of the ninth Sunday afternoon, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff faded in extra innings.
The UAPB baseball team lost 12-8 in 11 innings as Texas Southern swept the weekend series at the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex in Pine Bluff.
UAPB (13-22, 4-11 SWAC) nearly won the game in the ninth. With the Golden Lions trailing 8-7, infielder Edwin De La Cruz drew a leadoff walk, then moved to second base on a single by designated hitter Carlos Rodriguez-Velez. Malachi Jeffries replaced De La Cruz at second as a pinch runner.
Texas Southern (14-18, 10-3) picked off Jeffries at second for the first out of the inning. He drifted far enough from the base for Texas Southern catcher Michael Goudeau to throw him out after a pitch.
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UAPB coach Carlos James had an animated discussion with the umpire who made the call. He said after the game that he thought the umpire wasn’t in position to make the call.
“The umpire was behind the fielder and the runner, so it was going to be hard for him to see him tag his arm, anyway,” James said. “In a close play like that, most umpires don’t make that call as an out in that situation. They let it play out. … However, the play shouldn’t have even been able to occur if Malachi would have gotten back.”
Later in the same at bat, pinch hitter Darrius Brown hit a double to left field. Rodriguez-Velez scored to tie the game, but had Jeffries still been at second base, Brown’s hit would have won the game for UAPB.
Instead, Texas Southern reliever Dade Hensley (2-2) retired the next two hitters to force extra innings.
Neither team scored in the 10th. In the 11th, Texas Southern pinch hitter Chase Cromer led off with a bunt single, then Jesse Herrera III moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt. UAPB reliever Peyton Niemann (0-1) intentionally walked leadoff hitter CJ Castillo, then walked outfielder Jordan Vidato. Substitute Tyler Legendre gave Texas Southern the lead with a 2-RBI single.
Vidato then scored on a double from infielder Jordan Jones, and outfielder Nin Burns II hit a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield to score Legendre. Niemann got a flyout to right to end the inning, but the Tigers had taken a 12-8 lead.
The Golden Lions loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the 11th, but Hensley struck out substitute JaKobi Jackson to end the game.
UAPB left fielder Gavin Terry hit 4 for 6 and scored twice. He said the Tigers had more timely hits.
“We scrapped, played really hard all day, all game,” Terry said. “Starting pitcher, Jaedon Willis, gave us a really good shout. Guys followed up behind him, threw really well. Tough loss. They got more timely hits than us. We’ll see them again, so we’ll be ready.”
Willis pitched five innings for UAPB, allowing 2 runs on seven hits. He struck out four and walked three before turning the game over to the bullpen. Texas Southern used six pitchers, and starter Adolf Castillo exited after the third inning.
UAPB took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but Texas Southern took a 2-1 lead in the second. UAPB retook the lead, 4-2, in the third.
The Golden Lions led 5-3 in the top of the eighth when Legendre tied the game with a 2-RBI double. He finished the game 2 for 2 with 4 RBIs and a run.
Jackson responded with a 2-RBI single in the bottom of the inning to put UAPB back in front, 7-5. Texas Southern tied the game in the top of the ninth with a 2-RBI double by pinch hitter Edmundo Alanis, then took an 8-7 lead off Vidato’s sacrifice fly.
James said the Golden Lions responded well to the times Texas Southern took the lead or tied the game.
“I thought we had chances to knock them out, and we didn’t take advantage of it,” James said. “Especially being at home, you gotta take advantage of certain situations. … When you get battles like that, the tougher team’s going to win, and they were a little bit tougher.”
UAPB tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, but Texas Southern’s 4-run 11th was the final lead change.