Arkansas State Stuns #2 UTA, South Alabama Advances

The semifinals are set in the upper bracket of the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament.

#3 South Alabama hit four homers in eliminating #6 Troy, while Arkansas State shocked #2 seed UTA, 4-2

Troy All-Conference pitcher Andrew Crane (6-2) came into the game having thrown 39.2 consecutive scoreless innings but the Jaguars made quick work of that stat as Brendon Donovan hit a two run homer in the first inning.  Donovan would add another two run shot in the eighth.  Donovan;s first inning homer plated Dylan Hardy, who had a great day of his own.  Hardy greeted reliever Austin Crook with a three run blast in the fourth to make it a 5-0 game and added a solo blast in the sixth.

Randy Bell (6-3) scattered seven hits over 7.2 innings to get the win.

UTA struck first in game two on a bases loaded walk, but Tyler Mitzel then relieved starter Peyton Culbertson and pitched five innings of one hit ball to keep the Mavericks at bay.  Arkansas State tied the game in the second and finally broke the tie in the seventh against starter Trae Patterson (7-4).  A sacrifice fly by Grant Hawkins gave the Red Wolves the lead and Garret Rucker had an RBI single.  Joe Schrimpf then hit a ball to right field that Aaron Funk lost in the sun.  The hit went for a triple, scoring Rucker to make it 4-1

Tyler Zuber (6-1), who came on in the sixth, got the win, allowing one run on two hits in 3.2 innings of work.  He walked one and struck out six.

Arkansas State and South Alabama will play for a spot in the championship game tomorrow at 2:00 pm.