LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock baseball (0-1) opened its 2016 season with a 7-2 loss to Indiana State (2-0) after Indiana State beat Oral Roberts earlier in the afternoon.
Little Rock had a pair of batters with multiple hits in newcomers
Hunter Owens and
Dalton Thomas. Owens finished 2 for 3 with a double, a run and a walk while Thomas hit 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run.
The first inning saw Indiana State score three runs in the top half. With one out, Cody Garner walked on four straight pitches before a single to the left side by Hunter Owen advanced him to second. Andy Young then walked to the load the bases for the Sycamores. After a Dane Giesler strikeout, Kaden Moore singled to center and picked up two RBIs as Gardner and Owen scored. With runners on the corners, a wild pitch scored Young to put Indiana State up 3-0 early.
In the bottom half of the inning, Owens doubled through the left side in his inaugural at-bat with Little Rock. Owens then advanced to third on a Trojan fly-out. Thomas hit a RBI ground out to short as Owens crossed the plate for Little Rock's first run, decreasing the Sycamores' lead to 3-1.
The top of the third inning saw Owen get on base with a leadoff single through the right side. Young singled to left to put runners and first and second with no outs. Giesler picked up an RBI on a single up the middle as Owen scored from second.
Cody Daylor then came on to pitch for Little Rock starter
Jarrid Garcia. A sacrifice fly to right by Moore plated Young to increase Indiana State's lead to 5-1.
Indiana State added another run in the fourth inning. Owen earned his second double of the game with one out. After Young walked for the second time, Giesler delivered an RBI single to right, scoring Owen and increasing the Sycamore lead to 6-1.
Little Rock fought back in the bottom of the seventh as
Dalton Thomas got an infield single to short to begin the frame. With two outs,
Nik Gifford walked on seven pitches and put runners on first and second.
Zach Baker hit an RBI single through the left side as Thomas scored the Trojans second run of the game.
Up 6-2, Indiana State added one more before calling it a night. With two outs, Young singled through the left side and advanced on a passed ball with Giesler at the plate. Before Giesler walked, Young stole third base to put runners on the corners. Moore earned his second hit and fourth RBI of the game with a single to left center. That was all the damage Indiana State would have to do as Little Rock failed to score the rest of the game. The Sycamores' Ryan Keafabber picked up the win after going 7.1 innings with a seven hits, two earned runs, a strikeout and four walks.
"Indiana State didn't put us away, and we were able to hang around," head coach
Chris Curry said. "What was frustrating for me was us having eight total walks. That's where we start and end with our pitching staff. They have some mature, older hitters back who can really handle a fastball when you're behind in the count, and they did the damage. Offensively, I liked our approach. We took good swings, but we left some runners on base as well."
Also picking up hits were
Matt McDowell and
Hayden Martin as both earned singles.
Little Rock returns to
Gary Hogan Field tomorrow as it hosts the Big 12's Kansas at 3 p.m.
