Box Score LITTLE ROCK – The UALR baseball team came back from its first deficit of the season, but Bradley was able to break through in the 12th to hand the Trojans their first loss, 9-4.
UALR (5-1) surged ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth when Justin Steelmon tripled and scored on Tanner Rockwell's sacrifice fly. The Braves (4-1) fought right back in the top of the ninth to tie the game. Then in the 12th the visitors blew the game open with a five-run rally to pull away for the win.
UALR fell behind early when the Braves scored once in the first and twice in the second off of starter Ethan Schlechte. The bullpen held the Trojans within striking distance and didn't allow a run until the ninth, which extended its streak without an earned run to 24.1 innings.
Cory Malcom relieved Schlechte in the second and pitched 3.2 innings while striking out three. Jesse Harbin took the mound and worked out of a one-out jam for the third straight game and logged 2.1 innings in relief.
Trailing 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth the Trojans needed a rally to mount a comeback and that's what they did. Jason Prevatt was hit by a pitch before Hayden Martin punched a single through the right side. Ben Crumpton stepped to the plate and drove a single through the middle scoring Prevatt. Then Ryan Scott provided the big blow with a double to deep left center to drive in both Martin and Crumpton and tie the score.
After Rockwell drove in Steelmon to give UALR its first lead of the game Brent Mason came on looking to record his fourth save of the young season. Mason retied the first two batters he faced before Bradley strung together three straight hits to tie the game. Mason pitched a perfect 10th before giving way to Jake Busiek.
Busiek (0-1) pitched into and out of a jam in the 11th, but couldn't repeat that feat in the 12th. Busiek struck out the first batter of the inning. The second batter reached on catcher's interference and Busiek couldn't recover. The following batter singled before the go-ahead run came around to score on a sacrifice fly. Then the Braves' offense exploded with a double, two singles and a home run to finish their five-run rally.
The Trojans were unable to mount a second comeback in the 12th and suffered defeat for the first time this season.
Steelmon led the offensive attack going 2-for-3 with a triple and three walks. Crumpton also posted two hits with a double and a single and an RBI. Scott's two-run double and Rockwell's sacrifice fly contributed the team's other RBI's. Mitchell Scheuler had a double while Austin Pfeiffer and Martin added the Trojans' other two hits.
The rubber match of the series will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Gary Hogan Field. UALR won the first game of the series 3-0 on Friday afternoon before falling in Saturday's game.
