Trojans Split Doubleheader With IPFW

LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock baseball (3-3) split Saturday's doubleheader at Gary Hogan Field with IPFW (5-2) as the Trojans took a 9-7 loss in the first game and rebounded to take an 8-6 win in the second game.
 
For the day, Hayden Martin had the hottest bat for Little Rock as he went 5 for 8 with two runs and went for 4 for 4 in the first game of the day. Ryan Scott drove in three runs and crossed the plate twice as he went 3 for 8, and Zach Baker earned three RBIs and two runs as he went 2 for 5 and walked three times.
 
GAME 2
 
After suffering a ninth-inning loss in the first game of the day, Little Rock started the second game with a three-run first inning. Hunter Owens got a leadoff walk on eight pitches. Scott reached base on an error by the shortstop to put runners on first and second. Owens advanced to third on a fly out by Thomas to put runners on the corners with no outs. Matt McDowell came through with a clutch RBI double to left as Owens scored the Trojans' first run. With runners in scoring position, Nik Gifford singled to right as Scott came home. Baker successfully performed a suicide squeeze as McDowell came across the plate to give Little Rock a 3-0 lead.
 
IPFW battled back in the top of the second inning. With a runner on and one out, Jonathan Valenzuela-Reece walked to put runners at first and second. Jackson Boyce reached on a fielder's choice as Brock Logan was forced out at third. Brandson Soat then hit an RBI single to right as Valenzuela-Reece scored and Boyce moved to third. Evan VanSumeran reached base on the Trojans' first error of the season while Boyce scored to cut into Little Rock's lead at 3-2.
 
The Trojans countered in the bottom of the second with a run of their own. With one out, Martin singled to center and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt. With two outs, Scott singled as Martin scored to make it a 4-2 lead.
 
Just like the first, Little Rock had another big inning in the fifth as it plated three runs to make it a 7-2 game. Thomas led off the frame with a single through the left side. With one out, Nik Gifford singled to right center to put runners on first and second, but a wild pitch put both Thomas and Gifford into scoring position. Gunter then came through with a big two-run double to center as Thomas and Gifford scored. After that, IPFW went to the bullpen as Tanner McAninch replaced starter Trevor Storie. Cameron Knight welcomed McAninch to the game with an RBI single to center as Gunter scored from second.
 
The Mastodons had a big seventh inning, scoring three runs to take cut the deficit to 7-5. With one out, VanSumeran singled through the right side and advanced to second as Kendall Whitman walked with a full count. After a strikeout, Greg Kaiser doubled to left, scoring VanSumeran. Logan made it back-to-back doubles for IPFW as Whitman and Kaiser scored on the play.
 
Dylan Slayton came on for reliever Joe Corbett to begin the eighth. Slayton struck out the first batter he faced on four pitches. Boyce and Soat earned back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. VanSumeran hit a deep sacrifice fly to center as Boyce scored to cut the deficit to 7-6.
 
Little Rock added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Martin beat out a single to first to lead off the inning, and Owens beat out a bunt to put runners at first and second. Scott laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Thomas reached on a fielder's choice to third, but Martin was thrown out at home. With runners still on the corners, a wild pitch to the backstop scored Owens to put Little Rock up 8-6.
 
Slayton made short work of the Mastodons in the ninth on just four pitches to earn the save and give Little Rock the win.
 
Gunter led the team with two RBIs in the second game as he went 1 for 2 with a walk. Gifford and Knight each finished with two hits apiece.
 
"We got punched in mouth in the first game, and I challenged our guys in the second game to swing," head coach Chris Curry said. "To their credit, they came through mentally."
 
GAME 1
 
Little Rock carried a 7-6 lead into the ninth inning, but IPFW wasn't going down without a fight. Logan pinch hit for Zak Kellogg to begin the ninth and was walked on five pitches. Grant Wilson came on to run for Logan and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Boyce. Soat walked on four straight pitches before a three-run bomb by VanSumeran gave IPFW its first lead of the game at 9-7.
 
Down two runs, the Trojans couldn't get anything going in the bottom of the ninth as a strikeout swinging ended the game.
 
Behind Martin's 4 for 4 game, Scott, Thomas, and Baker each picked up two RBIs. Scott and Baker each took home two hits for the game.
 
Little Rock returns to Gary Hogan Field tomorrow at 1 p.m., as it looks to split the four-game series with IPFW.