Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – Arkansas State (25-16, 9-10 SBC) was helmed by starter Andrew Allen, who tallied a career-high nine strikeouts Friday night against Louisiana (24-17, 8-11 SBC) in the 2-3 loss at Tomlinson Stadium-Slayton Family Field.
 
The tone was set early as both starters faced the minimum in the opening three frames, Allen striking out the side in the top of the third.
 
The first hit came in the fourth, a bloop single into the outfield that the Cajun batter tried to stretch out to second, getting tagged sliding in. Ashton Quiller answered for A-State, leading off the fourth with a lined single just out of the infield. Quiller stole both second and third to put the ice-breaking run 90 feet from home, but the Red Wolf bats were unable to give him the advancement chance.
 
Louisiana was able to put a pair in the fifth on with singles, but Allen slammed the door, fanning out the final two batters of the inning. Patrick Engskov broke the scoreless draw, turning on the first pitch he saw for his eighth homer of the year and the 1-0 lead.
 
A quick sixth inning carried into a two-out double down the left field line for UL, with no way to bring the runner home. Cason Campbell rocked his sixth home run of the season with the first pitch he saw, extending A-State’s lead, 2-0.
 
A leadoff single for the top of the eighth set up a game-tying shot to left-center for Louisiana. The Red Wolves went down in order in the home half of the inning. UL put a pair of runners on with a single and a walk, and scored one on a two-out single through the middle of the infield, with A-State unable to match within their final three outs.
 
Win: Sawyer Pruitt (3-3)
Loss: Cooper Garrison (2-2)
 
A-State returns Saturday evening at 6 p.m. to face Louisiana in game two of the series at Tomlinson Stadium-Slayton Family Field.