A nightmarish fourth inning undid an early lead for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff baseball team Sunday.
UAPB lost the series finale against Arkansas State 14-4 in eight innings as the Red Wolves swept the weekend series at Tomlinson Stadium in Jonesboro.
A-State (6-9) broke a 3-3 tie with a 9-run bottom of the fourth inning. Left fielder Jake Henry Williams hit a leadoff homer to take the lead. The Red Wolves then loaded the bases for right fielder Cross Jumper, who cleared them with a double to make it 7-3.
Two RBI hits and an error later, UAPB (0-15) made its second pitching change of the inning, trailing 9-3. Kenyon Cole entered after the leadoff homer but exited without recording an out after allowing 7 runs, 6 of them earned.
Emerson Lott came out of the bullpen and got the Golden Lions out of the inning, but not before allowing a sacrifice fly, RBI double and RBI single. Lott was charged with only 1 of the runs after inheriting two base runners, but the Red Wolves took a 12-3 lead into the fifth after a bottom of the fourth which lasted over 30 minutes.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
UAPB starter Brendan Hamlin (0-3), who left after the Williams homer, went 3.0+ innings, allowing 4 runs on five hits. Lott went on to pitch 2.0 innings, allowing just an unearned run.
The Golden Lions had led 3-0 midway through the second inning, their first lead of the series. After right fielder Dane Small hit a one-out single, third baseman Jaylon Nauden drove him home with a double. Shortstop Jesus Riera followed with his third homer of the season, a 2-run shot to left field.
A-State tied the game in the bottom half of the inning with a 2-RBI triple from center fielder Ashton Quiller, his third triple of the series. He then scored on a sacrifice fly from first baseman Wil French.
Red Wolf starter Jake Hibbard (2-1) went 5.0 innings, allowing 3 runs on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
UAPB pitched three straight scoreless innings after the fourth, but Williams broke the streak with a two-out, 2-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to trigger the run rule and end the game. Williams hit 4 for 5 with 4 RBI and 4 runs.
Nauden and Riera each finished with 2 RBI for UAPB. Nauden hit his second RBI double of the game in the top of the sixth.