Pitching Hinders Trojans in Sun Belt Opener

MOBILE, Ala. – After relocating the series from Little Rock to Mobile and delaying the Sun Belt opener to Saturday night because of rain, Little Rock baseball (5-8, 0-1 Sun Belt) took a 13-3 loss to South Alabama (10-4, 1-0) at Stanky Field.
 
Ryan Scott, Cameron Knight and Hayden Martin each had two hits for Little Rock with Scott and Martin each earning an RBI. Scott improved his league-leading batting average to .520 for the season and extended his multi-hit game streak to seven.
 
The Trojans only mustered eight hits for the night, breaking their seven-game streak of at least 10 hits.
 
Pitching was once again the Trojans weak spot as the pitching staff walked eight batters and gave up 15 hits.
 
"It's inexcusable in Division I baseball to give up eight walks in a series opener and expect to set your team up in a position to win, especially when you're facing the best pitcher in the league," head coach Chris Curry said. "All he needs is a three-run lead, and statistics say that he's going to win the game. We gave them four runs through three innings."
 
South Alabama put the first runs on the board in the top of the second inning. Ben Gann got the inning started with a single short. Carter Perkins singled to center as Gann made his way to third to put runners on the corners. Jared Barnes kept the hit streak going for the Jags as he singled through the right side to score Gann. After Brendan Donovan walked, Ryan Raspino grounded into a 4-6-3 double play as Perkins scored to put South Alabama up 2-0.
 
The Jaguars kept the offensive momentum going in the top of the third inning with two more runs. Cole Billingsley singled to right before Drew LaBounty singled to right put runners on the corners with no outs. After LaBounty advanced to second on a wild pitch, Danny Martinez singled through the right side to score Billingsley and LaBounty. Trojan starter Cory Malcom (0-3) got out of the inning with his second strikeout and another 4-6-3 double play by the Trojan defense.
 
Malcom's rough start continued into the fourth as South Alabama loaded the bases on two hits and an error. After Travis Swaggerty singled to second to score Barnes, Malcom's night came to an end as Jacob Boggess came on in relief. Boggess walked the first batter he faced as Donovan trotted home to score the Jags' second run of the inning. A sacrifice fly to left by LaBounty plated South Alabama's third run of the inning. After Martinez walked to load the bases and Gann struck out swinging, Perkins singled to center, scoring Swaggerty and Billingsley to take a 9-0 lead.
 
Little Rock finally had some luck against South Alabama starter Kevin Hill (3-1) in the bottom of the fourth inning. Cameron Knight singled to second to lead off the inning. With one out, Kyle Kirk reached on a fielding error by the right fielder and advanced to second. With runners in scoring position, Hayden Martin singled to center as Knight scored Little Rock's first run. As Hunter Owens struck out, Martin stole second and Kirk scored on the throw. Ryan Scott singled through the right side for his second hit of the day as Martin came home to cut the deficit to 9-3.
 
I liked the way we scored three runs after South Alabama scored five in the fourth, but right there is the crux of the game," Curry said. "That's where we have to go out and put up a zero in the top of the fifth, and we didn't do it. That's how you get beat bad in a series opener. It was also frustrating that we didn't cover first base twice. We didn't do other things that we've been told to do, and that's how you lose a game."
 
Donovan walked to lead off the top of the fifth inning and stole second with one out. Swaggerty reached on a throwing error Donovan scored. Billingsley singled on a bunt to put runners on first and second. After LaBounty struck out swinging, Martinez hit an RBI single to right as Swaggerty scored to put South Alabama up 11-3.
 
Zach Ours came on in relief to begin the sixth inning for Little Rock, but his day ended after giving up back-to-back walks. Matt McDowell made his way out of the Trojan bullpen and was welcomed with an RBI single by Ryan Raspino as Barnes scored. After Swaggerty walked, Billingsley hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Donovan and give South Alabama a 13-3 lead.
 
Hill pitched seven innings and earned seven strikeouts for the Jags while giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks. Cody Van Aken came on in relief in the bottom of the eighth inning and only gave up a hit while striking out two.
 
McDowell pitched the rest of the way in his best and longest outing of the season with 4.0 innings on the mound and four strikeouts. He only gave up one hit, a walk and hit a South Alabama batter on 61 pitches.
 
"The bright spot I liked was the way McDowell pitched the ball late," Curry said. "He jumped to near the top of the list for me."
 
While McDowell had a strong showing, the Trojan offense couldn't come up with any answers as they fell 13-3 in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Little Rock and South Alabama will wrap up the opening weekend of conference action with a doubleheader beginning tomorrow at 11 a.m.