Box Score LITTLE ROCK, Ark. ? Central Arkansas (6-6) used a pair of first-inning home runs to jump out to a 6-0 lead and plated four runs in the top of the ninth to down UALR 12-7 on Tuesday night at Gary Hogan Field. The Trojans (7-7) rallied from their early deficit to tie the game at 7-all, but committed too many mistakes down the stretch en route to their fourth-straight loss.
UCA hit three home runs in the win, two of which came compliments of Derrick Corso. Freshman Adam Champion got the start for UALR and faced just five hitters, with all five reaching base. Matt Warren hit a three-run homer off Champion to put UCA ahead 3-0 in the first, and Corso followed with a two-run homer to deep center make it a 5-0 contest and chase Champion from the game. UCA tacked on an unearned run off junior reliever Levi Laughlin to take a 6-0 first-inning lead.
UALR scored in the first and third innings off a solo homer by senior Ryan Gotcher (his second of the year) and a RBI single by junior Osvaldo Torres, before make it a one-run game by plating three runs in the fourth. Junior Robert Taylor opened the frame with his second home run of the season, a line drive shot to left center which got out in a hurry, and seniors Brian Smiley and Matt King followed with a pair of run-scoring singles.
Corso gave UCA some breathing room in the fifth with his second home run of the game, a two-out solo shot, to put the Bears on top 7-5. UALR tied the game at 7-all in the bottom half compliments of three errors by the Bears. With two men on, Corso committed a fielding error and a throwing error on a ground ball by senior Brian Asbill, allowing senior Brett Lawler to score from second. Taylor scored moments later to tie the game at 7-all when pitcher Daniel Price (1-3) threw the ball away on a pickoff play.
After a scoreless sixth inning, UCA reclaimed the lead in the seventh when a fielding error in left allowed Graham Martin to score from first. Martin got on base when junior Mike Rogers (2-2) hit him with a pitch. Chris Davis followed with a double to left, and Martin was set to stop at third but Taylor couldn't field the ball cleanly, and the UCA designated hitter capitalized by crossing the plate.
Down 8-7, the Trojans threatened in the bottom of the eighth as Gotcher led off the inning with a double to right. Smiley drew a walk to put two runners on with no outs, but Bobby Pritchett worked his way out of the jam with the lead intact after the Trojans botched a sacrifice bunt attempt and Gotcher was caught stealing at third.
UCA put the game away in the top of the ninth by scoring four runs off another fielding error in left and a pair of wild pitches which allowed runners to score from third.
Price got the win for UCA with 2.0 innings in relief of starter Jeremy Cloud. Rogers was credited with the loss after allowing four hits and three runs over 3.0 innings of work. The Trojans outhit UCA 15-to-14, but stranded 10 runners. Five different Trojans enjoyed a multi-hit game in the loss, while UCA was paced by Jonathan Ashworth's 3-for-5 day at the plate and three RBI from Corso and Warren.
UALR opens Sun Belt Conference play this weekend at Louisiana-Monroe (March 9-11).
