Box Score LITTLE ROCK, Ark. ? The UALR Trojans baseball team (11-28) was bolstered by a solid pitching performance from David Klumpp as they held off the Houston Baptist Huskies (17-21) by a 4-1 score. Klumpp struck out fourteen and only gave up six hits as he picked up his second win of the season.
The Trojans got on the board first again against the Huskies in game two. In the bottom of the second inning, Robert Taylor led off with a homerun to left field, putting the home team up 1-0. The homer was Taylor's eighth of the season and was the fourth consecutive solo homerun the Trojans hit against Houston Baptist.
Klumpp kept the Huskies off balance through the first three innings. At one point, he struck out six consecutive batters before getting Chad Hebert to ground into a double play to end the top of the third inning.
In the bottom of the third, Tommy Mousel led off the inning with a walk. He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Daniel Guffey. Zach Rowles hit through the left side of the infield to put runners at the corners for Matt Apfel. Apfel walked, loading the bases for Taylor. Taylor flew out to the right fielder, but it was deep enough to score Mousel, giving UALR a 2-0 lead.
After Greg McCarthy flew out to center field to start the bottom of the sixth, Clay Rominger and Kody Kroll followed with back-to-back walks. A passed ball by catcher Josh Jackson allowed Rominger and Kroll to move up a base. Nick DeSanctis followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Rominger. Eric Hanlon pinch hit for Guffey and singled to center field scoring Kroll, putting the Trojans up 4-0.
The Huskies mounted a comeback in the ninth inning. Richard Orange led off the inning with a single to right field. Eric Schiro followed with a walk. Klumpp settled down and struck out the next two Husky batters. Shortstop Nick Homan doubled to right center field scoring Orange.
That was the end of the day for Klumpp as he gave way to Steve Gilgenbach. Gilgenbach hit the first batter he saw but struck out Greg Gossett to end the game.
Taylor was the big bat on the day for the Trojans as he went 1-for-2 with two RBIs. Rowles and Hanlon also had two hits apiece for the Trojans.
The big story occurred on the mound as Klumpp's 14 strikeouts helped UALR avoid using their bullpen until the ninth. His fourteen strikeouts tied the record set by Brad Cherry back in 2003.
Zac Schiefen and John Garey combined to hand out ten walks to UALR Trojan batters.
The Trojans wrap up the series with Houston Baptist tomorrow at Gary Hogan Field. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
