The first road win of the season came in historic fashion for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
The UAPB baseball team defeated Alabama State 26-1 in seven innings at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex on Saturday, escaping Montgomery, Alabama, with a win despite losing the first two games of the three-game series.
UAPB (15-19, 8-4 SWAC) tallied 23 hits, a new high under second-year coach Logan Stout and the most in a game against a Division I opponent since knocking 24 hits against Southern on April 6, 2024. That season, UAPB also had a 27-hit day and a 24-hit day against NAIA foe Arkansas Baptist.
The 26 runs were the most against a Division I opponent since March 29, 2024, when the Golden Lions beat Alcorn State 29-3. UAPB scored 32 against Arkansas Baptist on March 25 of this year.
Left fielder Jose Vasquez, right fielder Blake Coleman and second baseman Konner Giddley finished with five RBI apiece. Vasquez hit 3 for 4 while scoring a team-leading five runs. Coleman hit 4 for 5 with four runs, and Giddley hit 3 for 4 with two runs. All nine starting batters for UAPB finished with at least one RBI and one run.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
UAPB loaded the bases with no outs in both the first and second innings. Both times, all three runners came around to score before the Golden Lions eventually loaded the bases again. Two Golden Lions walked with the bases loaded in the first to complete the five-run inning.
The second inning saw three UAPB hitters walk and one get hit by a pitch with the bases loaded before Coleman delivered a three-run home run to make it 13-0 through two innings.
UAPB went on to score two runs in the third inning, one in the fourth, four in the fifth and six in the sixth. They did not score in the final frame.
Alabama State junior left-handed pitcher Joe Dolinshek (0-1), who also plays infield for the Hornets, made his first start on the mound and seventh overall appearance this season. He didn’t make it out of the first inning after allowing five runs on five hits and recording two outs, both of which were RBI sacrifice plays.
This was the second game of the series in which an ASU (14-16, 5-7) pitcher made his first start of the season. Typical game one starter, Jorhan LaBoy, started game two for the Hornets. Typical game two starter Esaid Pena did not pitch in the series, while typical game three starter Trey Power pitched in relief Thursday.
The Hornets used eight bullpen arms Saturday, with no pitcher completing two innings. Jacob Loeffler, the final pitcher ASU used, had the longest outing at 1 2/3 innings and was the only one not to allow a run. He retired the Golden Lions in order in the top of the seventh.
UAPB left-handed starter Ryland Morin (3-1) went five innings while navigating long breaks between innings as the offense scored in bunches. He struck out six batters while walking two. A fifth-inning home run by ASU catcher Fabian Santana provided the only run and one of the two hits Morin allowed.
Joe King and Brendan Hamlin each pitched a scoreless inning in relief, holding ASU to a combined one hit and two walks with 4 strikeouts.
The win was UAPB’s first away from Pine Bluff this season. The Golden Lions were 0-11 on the road entering Saturday.