Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 LITTLE ROCK - The UALR baseball team (6-6)
split its doubleheader against IPFW (1-3) on Sunday at Gary Hogan Field,
winning the first contest by a final of 16-3 and dropping the second by a score
of 7-2. The Trojans used 16 hits and 15 RBI to score 16 runs, all season bests,
to win big in the opener, while IPFW's Samuel Walker went the distance while
allowing just two runs on six hits to give his team the win in game two.
In game
one, The Trojans took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the first and
never looked back. That's when a two-out, RBI single to left field by Casey McCollum scored Justin Barnes from second and gave UALR
an early one-run advantage.
The
Trojans picked up two more runs in their next set of at-bats. After Sean Bignall and Hector Acosta were both hit by pitches to start the inning, a bunt
single by Niko Navarro loaded the
bases for UALR with no outs. Brock
Feldmann drove in the first UALR run of the inning with a grounder to
second, while an RBI single by Cameron
Bentley to center field would score Acosta and give the Trojans a 3-0
advantage after three innings of play.
The UALR
bats stayed hot, scoring two more runs in the bottom half of the fourth.
Following a drawn walk by Jason Houston,
Jake Rowell doubled off the left
field fence to give the Trojans runners at second and third with two outs. The
next hitter, Barnes, ripped a two-RBI double down the right field line that
drove in both runners and put UALR up 5-0 at the end of four.
Daniel Golden cruised through four innings,
giving up just three hits over that span, before running into trouble in the
top of fifth. In the frame, the 'Dons were able to manufacture three runs on a
pair of walks and two singles to cut the Trojan lead to two at 5-3.
That would
be as close as IPFW would come, however, as the Trojans responded with
back-to-back one-run innings in the bottom halves of the fifth and sixth,
before exploding with five- and four-run innings in the seventh and eighth,
respectively.
Five
different Trojans finished the game with multiple hits. Houston and Rowell led
the way with three apiece, while Barnes, Navarro and Feldmann each contributed
with two-hit games. Barnes also finished the contest with five RBI, the most of
any UALR player thus far in 2011.
Golden
earned his first win of the season, pitching 5.0 innings while giving up three
runs on five hits. Nick Grimmett also pitched well in relief, allowing no runs
and no hits in 3.0 innings of work. Ryan Montgomery closed out the game for the
Trojans, also allowing no runs and no hits in his 1.0-inning stint in the top
half of the ninth.
In game
two, UALR fell behind early and was never able to get even, as the offense
lacked the firepower it enjoyed in the day's opener. The Trojans finished the
second contest with six hits and two RBI.
After two
scoreless innings by both sides, the Mastadons used five straight two-out
singles in their third set of at-bats to gain an early lead, their first of the
series, a 5-0 advantage heading into the bottom of the third.
UALR
answered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning. After Greg Garcia and Bentley each drew
one-out walks, a wild pitch allowed both runners to advance and gave the
Trojans two baserunners in scoring position. The next batter, Houston, scored
Garcia on a deep fly ball to centerfield and made the score 5-1 in favor of the
'Dons.
After IPFW
tacked on additional runs in the top-halves of the fourth and seventh innnings
to make the score 7-1, the Trojans put their final tally on the board in the
bottom of the eighth.
Following
a two-out single by Houston,
Rowell ripped an RBI double to left-center field that cut IPFW's lead to five.
However, that would be as close as the Trojans would get, as Walker would retire the next batter to get
out of the eighth before closing out the ninth to earn his and IPFW's first
wins of the season.
With the
split on Sunday, the Trojans took two of three from the 'Dons and claimed their
first series victory of 2011. UALR will have just a day of rest before
returning to Gary Hogan Field for games on Tuesday and Wednesday against Southeast Missouri State.
Tuesday night's affair will begin at 6 p.m., while Wednesday night's contest is
scheduled for a 3 p.m. start time.
