FORT SMITH, Ark. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith suffered a pair of close losses Friday in its home opener against Angelo State, dropping game one, 6-2, and game two, 6-5, at Crowder Field.
The teams will now play two single nine inning games, one Saturday and one Sunday. Saturday's start time has been pushed back to 2 p.m.
Angelo State 6, UAFS 2
The Rams broke the game open with a three-run sixth inning as they took the series opener, 6-2. With no outs and the bases loaded, Reese Johnson doubled to right center to drive in two with a third scoring on an error.
Trailing 6-0, catcher Trevor Brown led off the bottom of the sixth with a double, and later scored on a passed ball. Third baseman Brooks Sunny drove in a second run with a sac fly, followed by double down the line by second baseman Mac Moody to put two runners in scoring position.
However, the rally ended with a strikeout, and the Lions went down in order in the seventh.
Angelo State got one run in the first and tacked on two in the fourth on a two-run homer.
Moody also doubled to lead off the second but was left stranded.
Starter Logan Grant pitched five innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts. In relief, righty Dylan Parham tossed the final two innings, giving up one hit and three walks.
Angelo State 6, UAFS 5
UAFS scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to break a 3-3 tie, but the Rams responded with another three-run frame in the sixth to steal the win.
Sunny broke the tie with an RBI single to right, with Moody later coming around to score on a fielder's choice by designated hitter Kyle Shaffer.
Four of the first five batters then reached for the Rams, as they tied the game with a two-run single and scored the go-ahead run on a steal of second, when the runner from third scored on the throw.
The Lions had one final chance in the seventh, putting two runners on after two strikeouts to start the inning. But the rally ended with a groundout to short with the tying run in scoring position.
UAFS took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, with Shaffer driving in the first run with a sac fly and Moody scoring on a throwing error on a Sunny steal attempt.
The Rams then tied the game with single runs in the second and third innings, with the Lions once again regaining the lead in the fourth with outfielder Cash Balentine scoring on a passed ball. However, the Rams once again knotted the game up in the fifth on sac fly.
Moody scored two runs on two walks with Sunny going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Balentine went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Brayden Ross went 4.2 innings in the start for the Lions, giving up three runs on five hits. He struck out three and walked one. Jakob Petross took the loss in relief, allowing three runs on three hits in 2.1 innings of work.
