The Southern Illinois baseball team lost Tuesday against Arkansas State after wasting a prime opportunity to score the game’s first run in the top of the 10th inning. 

A hit by pitch and errors on two sacrifice bunts loaded the bases for the Red Wolves in the 10th, and a wild pitch by freshman left-hander Seth Hackett allowed ASU junior infielder Jake Bakamus to score the game’s only run in walk-off fashion.

SIU (9-6-1) and Arkansas State (9-7) combined for no hits in innings 4 through 9. The Salukis were 1-5 with runners in scoring position and 2-13 with runners on base.

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Senior reliever Tanner Ring (1-0, 0.00 ERA) earned his first win of the year by striking out Saluki junior center fielder Ryan Smith and getting junior right fielder Jake Hand to fly out, all with the bases loaded in the top of the 10th.

Hackett (0-1, 2.25 ERA) took the loss, allowing the lone run on no hits in 0.1 innings. Hackett committed one of SIU’s two 10th-inning errors.

Senior righty Bryce Sablotny pitched five shutout innings, striking out four and walking two to lower his ERA to 6.30 in his fourth start of the season.

The Salukis return home at 4 p.m. Friday to take on Northern Illinois.

Thomas Donley can be reached at [email protected] or at 618-536-3307