Box Score LITTLE ROCK, Ark. ? UALR senior Brett Lawler sent the game into extra innings with a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth, and sophomore Daniel Guffey drove in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 12th to give the Trojans an 8-7 win over Florida International (19-21, 6-10) on Saturday.
The Trojans (16-22, 5-11) received a dominating performance from junior reliever Levi Laughlin (2-3), who took the mound in the 7th and closed out the game by scattering just one hit over 6.0 scoreless innings. The Sapulpa, Okla.-native retired the last nine batters he faced, and finished with five strikeouts against no walks.
“That was the key to the ball game. I tried to save (Levi) for 2 or 3 innings, but he really kept them off balance. What Levi did against their hitters, with the way they swing the bat, was outstanding,” said head coach Jim Lawler. “We're far enough along in the season now, that our guys are finally starting to relax and just play the game, instead of worrying so much about the mental things they can't control.”
Junior Brian Smiley, playing in his first game since April 3, sparked the Trojans in the bottom of the 12th by reaching base on an infield single to third. Smiley hit a slow chopper to third and beat the throw from FIU third baseman Bryan Pullin. The Mt. Vernon, Ind.-native moved up the base path by stealing second before taking third on an infield groundout.
With two outs on the board, Guffey came on to pinch hit and sent a slow dribbler up the middle. FIU was unable to make a play on the grounder, allowing Smiley to score the winning run from third.
FIU's Evan Ellison (1-3) went the final 4.2 innings for the Golden Panthers, but was credited with the loss after allowing six hits and two runs to the Trojans.
The two teams return to action Sunday at 11 a.m. for the rubber match of the three-game Sun Belt Conference series.
UALR went quietly over the first two innings, with FIU starter Corey Polizzano striking out the side in the second, but scratched across a run in the third to take a 1-0 lead. Singles by senior Tyler Mason and senior Brian Asbill set the table for a RBI single up the middle from Lawler.
The Trojans tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take an early 5-0 lead. Senior Ryan Gotcher started things off by taking an offering from Polizzano on a 3-0 count, and driving it out over the right field wall. The solo shot was Gotcher's fourth homer of the year.
Polizzano then issued walks to junior Osvaldo Torres and senior Matt King, to put two runners on with one out. Polizzano struck out the next batter he faced, but could not get past Mason, who ripped a two-run triple to the right field corner to make it a 4-0 game. Asbill capped off the rally by plating Mason with a two-out single to right.
After four shutout innings, the Golden Panthers finally got to UALR starter Ashur Tolliver in the fifth, plating five runs off five hits to tie the game at 5-all. Manuel Arrojo reached base after being hit by a pitch, and came around to score off a double by Corey Lozano. Pullin and Luis Batista both chipped in RBI singles to bring FIU within two, 5-3. Kevin Mirabal capped off the big inning with a two-out, two-run bomb to left, tying the game at 5-all.
FIU capitalized on two straight infield errors by the Trojans to take a 6-5 lead in the sixth. Arrojo reached on an error at third to start the frame and advanced to second on the play. An error at short in the ensuing at bat, allowed Arrojo to score from second and put FIU on top. The Golden Panthers had runners on second and third with one out, but freshman reliever Gavin Gray was able to escape the jam by getting a strikeout and a pop up from the next two hitters.
The Golden Panthers extended their lead to two runs, 7-5, after opening the seventh with consecutive doubles from Mirabal and Fuentes. Laughlin took the mound for Gray at that point, but could not prevent Mirabal from scoring from third off a sacrifice fly to left by Cody Jacobs. Fuentes tried to score from third moments later on a groundout by Arrojo, but was nailed at the plate (3-2).
Trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the eighth, the Trojans manufactured a run to make it a 6-5 contest, but missed an opportunity to do further damage by leaving the bases loaded. After surrendering a one-out single to Torres, Polizzano was pulled for James Lajiness. Freshman Brad Swiderski was the first Trojan to face Lajiness, and ripped a double to center to put runners on second and third with one out.
Lajiness fell into an 0-2 count on the next batter he faced (King), and was pulled for reliever Evan Ellison. King eventually walked to load the bases, and junior Nick DeSanctis followed with a run-scoring single to left to pull UALR within one, 7-6. Ellison buckled down and got a strikeout and a fly out to center to end the inning, and strand three Trojans on base.
Trailing 7-6, Lawler knotted the score at 7-all by opening the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff homer to left center ? his second of the year.
FIU had a scoring opportunity in the 10th when Arrojo opened the frame by reaching on a fielding error, but Laughlin buckled down and forced the Golden Panthers to strand Arrojo at third. Laughlin would retire the final nine batters he faced following Arrojo's at-bat.
