Box Score TROY, Ala. – UALR baseball began its three-game conference with Troy by taking a narrow, 4-3 loss in Troy, Ala., on Friday night. Due to expected rain on Sunday, UALR and Troy will now play a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Junior Ryan Scott continued his assault of the baseball as he extended his hitting and reached base streaks to 13 games. Scott went 3 for 4 with a double and a run, increasing his average for the season to .429.
“Ryan continues to have an unbelievable year,” head coach Chris Curry said.
UALR began the game by loading the bases with one out, but a double play ended the Trojans' chances to take an early lead.
Troy struck first, scoring two runs in the first inning with a one-out single off the bat of Trevin Hall through the left side.
Freshman Ryan McSwain went yard with a solo shot over the left field wall to lead off the second inning. This was McSwain's second-career home run after getting his first last Sunday against Louisiana.
“I thought McSwain swung the bat really well all night,” Curry said.
Troy scored one more in the bottom of the second after a double, sac bunt and a single to third. They took a 4-1 lead after UALR committed two errors in the inning with a high throw to first and a fielding error in left center.
“As we talk about with our team, most college baseball games are lost and not won,” Curry said. “No disrespect to Troy, they did a great job of taking advantage. We gave them one run in the bottom of the second off of two errors. That led to a run, and we lost by a run.”
Starter Jarrid Garcia had some struggles early, but settled in after a couple of innings. Through four innings, Garcia had struck out five and walked only one.
“Garcia was up in the zone early, and Troy capitalized on that by scoring two runs,” Curry said. “He settled down and got us into the fifth.”
With runners on second and third with one out in the fifth, Garcia was relieved by senior Dyllon Brownmiller. Garcia ended the day with a final line of 4.1 innings, seven hits, four runs, two walks and five strikeouts on 85 pitches. Brownmiller left both runners on to end the fifth inning.
Ryan Scott led off the sixth inning with a double to the right center field gap. Tanner Rockwell then knocked Scott in from second with an RBI single to right center, cutting the deficit to 4-2.
Jason Prevatt got on base with a leadoff walk to begin the eighth and advanced to second after single to right from Scott. UALR grounded into a double play, but Prevatt safely advanced to third. Kyle Kirk doubled to left, scoring Prevatt from third to cut the deficit to 4-3.
“We hit into a double play with bases loaded with no outs to begin the game. Then later, we had runners on first and second with nobody out and elected to let our four-hole hitter swing, and that led to a double play. That was a chance we took because we figured he could split a gap like he did last time. Those are the situations where we leave those runners on base and a big hit could have turned the tide.”
After 3.1 innings and only giving up a hit and a walk, Brownmiller was relieved by Cameron Allen in the bottom of the eighth with two outs and runners on first and second. Allen got the Troy batter to ground out on his first pitch to end the inning.
UALR needed to rally in the bottom of the ninth, but two strikeouts and a lineout to right ended UALR's chances.
“We're just a big hit away,” Curry said. “We were a big hit away tonight. We pride ourselves on not making mistakes, but a good team like Troy capitalized on them tonight.”
The Trojans will look to win the second and third games of the series tomorrow against Troy at Riddle-Pace Field to claim another Sun Belt series win.
