Walk-Off Hit-By-Pitch Pushes Trojans Past Sycamores

LITTLE ROCK – With bases loaded, a walk-off hit-by-pitch pushed Little Rock baseball (2-1) past Indiana State (3-1) by a score of 6-5 on Sunday at Gary Hogan Field.
 
Junior outfielder Hunter Owens had a very special day offensively as he went a perfect 5 for 5 at the plate with two doubles and three singles. His five hits tied the team record for hits in a single game, and he became just the 13th Trojan player to accomplish the feat.
 
The scoring began in the second inning as Indiana State put a run on the board. Tyler Friis singled to second before stealing second and third on separate plays. Andrew Gutierrez grounded out to Trojan starter Joe Corbett, but Friis was able to cross the plate for the Sycamores' first run.
 
Little Rock came out swinging in the bottom of the third inning with three runs on four hits. Owens earned his second hit of the game as he singled to short with one out. After, Ryan Scott did the same as Owens to put runners on first and second. Dalton Thomas came through with an RBI double to center field as Owens crossed the plate for the Trojans' first run. Matt McDowell was clutch with runners on second and third as he belted a two-run single into center to give Little Rock a 3-1 lead heading into the fourth.
 
After Little Rock's big inning, Indiana State stole the spotlight with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs and three runners on base with walks, Andy Young doubled and advanced to third on the throw home as the Sycamores once again took the lead at 4-3.
 
Not to be outdone, Little Rock got a rally going in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs and no runners on, Ty Gunter and Hayden Martin walked. With an 0-2 count, Owens earned his second double and third hit of the game as Gunter made his way from second to tie the game. Scott then hit an RBI single to center as Martin came around to push the Trojans in front at 5-4.
 
After a solid four-inning, four-strikeout performance by Dylan Slayton in relief, Little Rock went to the bullpen with one out in the top of the ninth inning. McDowell came on to pitch, but Indiana State wasn't going to go down quietly. Jeff Zahn hit for Gutierrez and singled to center. Tony Rosselli then came on to run for Zahn. After Young walked to put the tying run at second, Keenan Wingfield made his second appearance of the season out of the Trojan bullpen. Andy DeJesus walked to load the bases for Indiana State, and Hunter Owen singled to short as Rosselli came home to tie the game at 5-5. Little Rock worked itself out of a jam with a double play coming into effect after the runner slid high into second on a ground out, causing umpires to call the hitter out as well at first base.
 
The momentum suddenly shifted as Owens became the first player since former Trojan Tanner Rockwell to get a fifth hit with a single to left. Scott walked, forcing the Sycamores to go to the bullpen for the third time. The first pitch from reliever Ethan Larrison sailed all the way to the backstop, allowing Owens and Scott to move into scoring position with no outs. Dalton Thomas was then intentionally walked to load the bases. Triston Polley came on in relief for Indiana State, but his second pitch to pinch hitter Seth Jones struck Jones in his first Division I at-bat to end the game as Owens walked home for the 6-5 win.
 
"There's a lot of heart in that dugout," head coach Chris Curry said. "I'm proud of this club in the early going, but we have to stay humble and keep working. There are still a lot of good players that haven't played yet that we need to see."
 
Little Rock's win is just the second over Indiana State all-time as the first victory occurred in 2005.
 
The Trojans will now focus their efforts on the first road trip of the season as they visit Louisiana Tech on Tuesday at 6 p.m.