Trojans Stumble in Series Opener at Oral Roberts

TULSA, Okla. – Little Rock baseball's (4-5) first road game of 2016 got off to a rocky start as it took a 14-5 loss to Oral Roberts (4-4) in the four-game series opener at J.L. Johnson Stadium on Friday.
 
Nik Gifford had a great day at the plate as he went 3 for 5 with three RBIs. Ryan Scott continued his hot streak as he went 3 for 4 with two runs and a walk.
 
"What's going with this club right now has nothing to do with the physical and has everything to do with the mental," head coach Chris Curry said. "We don't know how to bring an edge every day, and we don't know how to attack the game. We'll learn because we teach it that way, but sometimes it takes some guys getting the game handed to them a little bit before you bring out an edge. I'm very much looking forward to the response we bring tomorrow."
 
The scoring began in the bottom of the first inning as Trojan starter Cory Malcom gave up a leadoff walk to Oral Roberts' Nick Rotola. The Golden Eagles' Nick Roark then walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. A single up the middle by Matt Whatley scored the first run of the day. With bases loaded and one out, Malcom recorded his 100th-career strikeout to get the second out. Another single up the middle by Mason Mantle scored two more as Oral Roberts took a 3-0 lead. The hits kept coming as Trevor Sonnier came up with an RBI single up the middle to put the Golden Eagles up 4-0 to end the inning.
 
The Golden Eagles put another run on the board in the bottom of the second. Whatley doubled down the left field line before a single through the right side by Brent Williams put the Oral Roberts up 5-0.
 
Oral Roberts kept the runs coming in the bottom of the third. Michael Hungate singled to right center to lead off the frame. Hungate stole second before Sonnier walked. A single to right by Trevor McCutchin loaded the bases with one out. Rotola singled up the middle as Sonnier and Hungate scored to make it 7-0. After hitting a batter and walking a batter with bases load, Malcom's day came to an end as Reed Willenborg came on in relief to make his first appearance of the season. An infield fielding error allowed two more to score before a 6-3 double play ended the inning with Oral Roberts up 10-0.
 
With a fresh inning to work with, Willenborg struck out the side to give Oral Roberts its first scoreless inning of the game in the fourth.
 
After striking out his fourth straight batter, Willenborg gave up a double to Rotola. After fly out to center, Whatley singled to right as Rotola came around to make it 11-0.
 
Little Rock finally got on the board in the top of the sixth inning. Hunter Owens walked to begin the inning before Ryan Scott earned his second hit of the day with a single through the right side. Dalton Thomas singled to right to load the bases for Little Rock. Nik Gifford earned an RBI on a ground out to first as Owens came across for the Trojans' first run. Little Rock wasn't done yet as Cameron Knight earned an RBI on a groundout as Scott scored. Ty Gunter came up with a big single to center as Thomas came across to cut Oral Roberts' lead to 11-3.
 
Oral Roberts struck again in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Hungate doubled down the left field line. With two outs and a runner on second, Sonnier singled to right as Hungate scored to make it 12-3.
 
Hayden Weaver came on for Willenborg to begin the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out, Roark singled to center and then scored as Whatley doubled down the left field line to give ORU a 13-3 lead.
 
Zach Ours came on for the Trojans in the eighth inning. Trent Shelton got the inning started with a single up the middle. After an Ours strikeout, Sonnier singled through the left side to put runners on first and second. After a fly out, Rotola hit an RBI single to right center, scoring Shelton to make it 14-3.
 
With two outs in the ninth, Hunter Owens walked before Scott earned his third hit with a single to right. Thomas then walked to load the bases for the Trojans. Nik Gifford hit a single up the middle and earned two RBIs as Owens and Scott scored to cut the deficit to 14-5. That would be all for the Trojans as a fly out to center ended it.
 
Little Rock and Oral Roberts will go back it tomorrow in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.