Trojans Swept in Doubleheader at South Alabama

MOBILE, Ala. – Little Rock baseball (5-10, 0-3 Sun Belt) took two losses by scores of 7-5 and 10-6 to South Alabama (12-4, 3-0) in a doubleheader on Sunday at Stanky Field.
 
For the day, Nik Gifford had the hot bat for Little Rock as he went 4 for 7 with three RBIs, two runs, a double and a walk. Dalton Thomas had a good day as well as he went 4 for 8 with two RBIs, two doubles and two runs.
 
Pitching was once again the Trojans' Achilles heel as the team allowed 21 hits, 17 runs and 12 walks for the entire day.
 
"The entire year so far can be summed up in the way we've been pitching and giving up free bases," head coach Chris Curry said. "It's inexcusable and embarrassing. We don't hold runners, and we don't fill out position on the mound. We don't challenge hitters or attack anybody. We're going to go back to square one and make sure everybody understands the value of throwing strike one, getting the leadoff man out and attacking and pitching with a lead."
 
GAME 1
 
South Alabama got on the board in the first inning. Travis Swaggerty singled to first and stole second with one out. Drew LaBounty walked on four pitches to put runners on first and second, but a passed ball advanced both runners into scoring position. Danny Martinez grounded out to first, but Swaggerty scored to put South Alabama up 1-0 early.
 
Trojan starter Will Hazen got the second inning started on a good note as got Ben Gann swinging. Matt Bolger then walked on four pitches before he was put out at second as Tanner Halstead reached on a fielder's choice. After Jalen Haskin walked, Swaggerty earned his second hit of the day with an RBI single to right as Halstead score to increase the Jaguar lead to 2-0.
 
The third inning was highlighted by a three-run bomb by South Alabama's Gann to put the Jags up 5-0. Drew LaBounty singled to short to get to the inning started before Martinez walked. With one out, Gann homered to left, earning three RBIs in the process. This forced the Trojans to make an early pitching change as Dylan Slayton made his way out of the bullpen. Slayton was effective as a fly out and strikeout ended the top frame.
 
Little Rock earned its first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Nik Gifford earned the Trojans' first hit of the day and extended his reached base streak to 13 games with a single to first. Gifford then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Ty Gunter walked on seven pitches to put runners on the corners. With one out, Zach Baker hit a sacrifice fly to center as Gifford scored to cut into the deficit at 5-1.
 
The Trojans kept chipping away at South Alabama's lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Hunter Owens walked with one out and advanced to second as Ryan Scott walked. Dalton Thomas delivered with an RBI double to left center, scoring Owens and advancing Scott to third. Gifford hit a sac fly to left to bring home Scott for the Trojans' second run of the inning. Gunter kept the scoring going with an RBI single up the middle to score Thomas and cut the deficit to 5-4.
 
Keenan Wingfield came on for Slayton to begin the sixth after Slayton finished with 2.2 innings and three strikeouts while giving up two hits and a walk. Haskin doubled off Wingfield to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After Wingfield got Swaggerty swinging, Jarrid Garcia made his way out of the Trojan bullpen. Garcia got the Trojans out of a jam by getting a pop up and ground out to end the inning with Little Rock still down by one.
 
Cody Daylor came on for the Trojans to begin the seventh inning. After walking Jared Barnes and Gann, Reed Willenborg come on for Little Rock with no outs. Bolger was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for South Alabama. Carter Perkins reached on fielder's choice as Barnes scored. Dylan Hardy pinch ran for Perkins and proceeded to steal second. After Haskin struck out swinging, Swaggerty was hit by a pitch. This brought Preston Oberling into the game, but Cole Billingsley walked with bases loaded and Gann trotted home to make it a 7-4 lead for South Alabama.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Thomas singled to third and advanced to second on a throwing error at third. Gifford singled through the left side and stole second to put runners on the corners. A sacrifice fly to left by Gunter scored Thomas to make it 7-5. That was all Little Rock could come up with as it had no answers for South Alabama in the eighth and ninth inning.
 
GAME 2
 
South Alabama started the second game by lining out and grounding out, but Drew LaBounty tripled to center to keep the inning alive. Danny Martinez hit an RBI single to center to score LaBounty and give the Jaguars a 1-0 lead.
 
Little Rock went ahead for the first time in the series in the bottom of the third inning. Hayden Martin was hit by a pitch to lead things off, and Hunter Owens singled through the left side to move Martin to second. Ryan Scott earned his 17th RBI of the year with a single to center as Martin scored to tie the game at 1-1. Dalton Thomas laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Owens and Scott into scoring position. Nik Gifford came up with a big hit and extended his reached base streak to 15 games with a double to center. Both Owens and Scott scored to give Little Rock a 3-1 lead.
 
The Jaguars fought back in the top of the fourth. Ben Gann got the inning started with a double to right center. After a couple of fly outs, Brendan Donovan hit an RBI double to center to score Gann and cut into Little Rock's lead at 3-2.
 
Little Rock kept up the offensive momentum in the bottom of the fifth. Owens got on with a leadoff walk before Scott doubled to right. With both runners in scoring position, Dalton Thomas extended his hitting streak to 11 games with an RBI single through the right side as Owens scored. South Alabama went to the bullpen as James Traylor came on for starter Harrison Spruiell. Trying to steal second, Dalton Thomas was caught stealing in a rundown, but Scott took advantage of the situation and scored to put Little Rock up 5-2.
 
Cody Daylor came on for Trojan starter Joe Corbett to begin the sixth inning. Corbett had the best start for Little Rock in the three-game series at South Alabama as he pitched 5.0 innings and struck out three while giving up six hits, two runs and a walk on 75 pitches. Corbett pitched effectively as he struck out two and got a batter to pop up.
 
South Alabama scored three runs in the top of the seventh. Donovan led the inning off by getting hit by a pitch, and then Ryan Raspino walked. That spelt the end of Daylor's day on the mound as Jarrid Garcia came on for the Trojans with no outs. After a strikeout, Donovan and Raspino pulled off the double steal to move both runners into scoring position. Cole Billingsley singled up the middle to bring Donovan home. After Billingsley stole second, LaBounty hit an RBI single up the middle to score Raspino. Martinez then hit a sacrifice fly to right field as Billingsley scored to tie the game at 5-5. This signaled the end for Garcia as Keenan Wingfield came on with two outs.
 
Carter Perkins got the eighth inning started with a single to first, and Dylan Hardy came on to pinch run for Perkins. Barnes laid down a sac bunt, and Donovan reached first on a fielding error to put runners on the corners. Cody McGill came on for Wingfield, but Raspino put down a sac bunt to score Hardy. Adam Wolfe then sent a two-run blast to left to increase South Alabama's lead to 8-5.
 
Little Rock got a run back in the bottom of the eighth. Gifford got it started with a single up the middle, and then Ty Gunter singled to left. Riley Pittman reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners as Gunter was put out at second. Christian Reyes pinch ran for Pittman before Zach Baker reached on a fielder's choice that scored Gifford to cut the deficit to 8-6.
 
Jacob Rateliff came on for McGill to begin the ninth inning and was welcomed with two home runs to left. Gann hit a solo shot before pinch hitter Matt Bolger fouled out. Barnes then hit a solo shot of his own to make it 10-6 in favor of South Alabama.
 
The Trojans couldn't recover in the bottom of the ninth as three ground outs ended the game and series.
 
"I like the way our club wants to battle back, but as a position player, it's very hard when you score runs and the other team is allowed to get back in the game through free passes and things like that," Curry said. "That's demoralizing for your club."
 
Little Rock will return to action on Tuesday as it hosts Central Arkansas in the first game of the Rock 'n' Roar Rivalry at Gary Hogan Field.