Box Score BOCA RATON, Fla. ? UALR junior David Klumpp threw his second complete game of the season to lead the Trojans to a 7-6 win at Florida Atlantic (23-13, 6-10) on Friday night. Juniors Robert Taylor and Osvaldo Torres drove in three runs a piece to lead UALR (13-20, 3-9) to its first road win of the season.
Klumpp (3-3) allowed 10 hits to the Owls, but fanned five without issuing a walk as UALR won its second-straight Sun Belt Conference series opener. The Trojans outhit FAU 13-to-10 and broke a 4-all tie by pushing across three runs in the top of the seventh. Taylor and junior Nick DeSanctis led the Trojans with three hits a piece, with Taylor delivering his team-leading sixth home run of the season.
FAU took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second after Mike McKenna and Travis Orza opened the frame with consecutive singles. Daniel Cook plated the first run with an infield groundout, before Nick Arata made it a 2-0 contest with a RBI single through the right side.
The Trojans evened the score at 2-all in the fourth off a two-run homer from Taylor to left center. Senior Ryan Gotcher was on base for the blast after reaching on a fielding error. The Owls answered immediately, manufacturing two runs in the bottom half to reclaim the lead, 4-2. Cook plated the first run with a RBI double to left center, then came around to score on the play off an error in the outfield to give the Owls a 4-2 lead.
UALR tied the game at 4-all in the top of the sixth compliments of a two-run double from Torres. Gotcher led off the inning with a single up the middle, and moved up to third on a double by Taylor down the left field line. Both runners scored on Torres' 10th double of the season.
DeSanctis opened the seventh with a single up the middle and took second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Brett Lawler. Gotcher singled through the right side to move DeSanctis up to third, and Taylor pushed him across with a base knock to left. Brandon Cooney came on in relief of starter Mike Obradovich, but couldn't prevent the Trojans from tacking on two more runs. Senior Brian Asbill singled to right to load the bases, and Torres followed by drawing a bases loaded walk. UALR scratched across its final run of the inning off an error by FAU second baseman Daniel Bomback.
The Owls pushed across a run in the seventh and the eighth to pull within a run, 7-6, but Klumpp struck out two in the bottom of the ninth to cap off the complete game and seal the win.
Obradovich (6-3) went 6.1 innings in the loss, allowing 11 hits and seven runs (six earned) while striking out eight against one walk. McKenna led the Owls with a 3-for-4 day at the plate.
The second game of the series is slated for a 6 p.m. start time (CT) in Boca Raton, Fla.
