Little Rock Splits Doubleheader With Oral Roberts

TULSA, Okla. – After losing the first game of today's doubleheader by a score of 3-2 to Oral Roberts (5-5), Little Rock baseball (5-6) was able to pull out a win in the second game with 9-8 victory.
 
For the entire day, Ryan Scott continued to stay on fire as he went 4 for 7 with two RBIs, two runs, a double and three walks. Nik Gifford and Dalton Thomas each went 4 for 10 with two runs each. Gifford now has six consecutive games with multiple hits and has reached base in all 11 games this season.
 
"Even though it was an ugly win, we'll take it," head coach Chris Curry said. "We needed it in the worst way because this team's makeup and character is still intact. We tell them over and over that we believe in them."
 
The game marked the sixth straight game in which Little Rock had double-digit hit totals.
 
"We're hitting against very good clubs that can pitch. What that tells me is the coaching staff isn't panicked about our up and down play right now, and we're going to be in every game."
 
GAME 2 RECAP
 
Little Rock got off to a hot start, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Hunter Owens got on with a leadoff single up the middle before Ryan Scott walked on four pitches. Dalton Thomas singled to right to load the bases. With one out, Matt McDowell walked as Owens trotted home for the Trojans' first run. Ty Gunter came up with a clutch two-run double down the right field line as Scott and Thomas scored to put Little Rock up 3-0.
The Trojans went up 4-0 in the top of the second. Hayden Martin walked to begin the inning, and then a double off the right center wall by Scott scored him.
 
Oral Roberts got into the game in the bottom of the third. Trevor McCutchin reached on an error and advanced to third on a Chase Stafford double to center. With one out, Nick Roark hit a sacrifice fly to center to score McCutchin and cut into Little Rock's lead at 4-1.
 
Jarrid Garcia came on to begin the bottom of the sixth inning as starter Joe Corbett (2-0) exited the game after a solid five-inning performance. Corbett struck out one and gave up two runs on four hits and a walk. Garcia made his presence felt immediately as he got through the inning on just 10 pitches.
 
Korbin Polly came on for starter Logan Michaels (0-1) to begin the seventh, but Little Rock greeted him with four runs before being pulled. The inning started with Zach Baker singling to short and advancing to second as Martin reached on an error by Polly. Owens flied out to right, but Baker tagged up at second to runners on the corners. Scott earned his second hit of the game with an RBI single to right as Baker scored. Thomas singled up the middle to load the bases for Little Rock. Nik Gifford hit an RBI single to right as Martin came home, and Scott scored on fielding error. With two outs, Gunter singled to center as Thomas scored the fourth run of the inning. That was all she wrote for Polly as Jake Morrison took over. Morrison walked Cameron Knight to begin his tenure on the mound and load the bases. Baker came up for the second time in the inning and earned an RBI with a walk as Gifford scored the fifth and final run of the inning.
 
With Little Rock up 9-2, Oral Roberts didn't stay down as it came out punching with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Noah Cummings singled through the right side. Stafford doubled to right field to put runners in scoring position with one out. Garcia threw a wild pitch as Cummings sprinted home to score. After Garcia got Rotola swinging for the second out, Roark singled to through the right side to score Stafford. After Roark advanced to second on a wild pitch, Whatley singled to left as Roark scored to cut the Golden Eagles' deficit to 9-5.
 
The game got a little tighter in the bottom of the eighth. Dylan Slayton came on for Garcia to begin the inning, but it wouldn't be smooth sailing for left-hander. Brent Williams singled through the right side to get the inning started. Michael Hungate reached on a fielder's choice as Williams was called out at second. Trevin Sonnier singled to short before he and Hungate moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Cummings doubled to score Sonnier and Hungate, but was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple.
 
Cody McGill came on for Slayton to begin the ninth, but was welcomed with a Rotola Single and a Roark walk. Whatley struck out looking, and Rolando Martinez flew out to right for the second out. Williams singled to center as Rotola scored to put the Golden Eagles within one. With a 2-2 count, McGill was able to get Hungate swinging as he picked his first save with the 9-8 Trojan win.
 
"I'm proud of them for the way they fought, and we're excited for the opportunity to split the series tomorrow," Curry said.
 
GAME 1 RECAP
 
The Trojans took a narrow 3-2 loss to start the day after yesterday's nine-run loss to the Golden Eagles.
 
"Overall, I thought our approach was a lot better as a team," Curry said. "In a one-run game, it's about execution."
 
After a strong nine-pitch first inning, Trojan starter Will Hazen got himself into a bit of trouble in the second. After a ground out, Hazen walked Michael Hungate to put on the Golden Eagles' first base runner of the day. With two outs, Noah Cummings walked, and an infield single from Trevin Sonnier loaded the bases. With a 3-1 count, Chase Stafford walked as Hungate scored ORU's first run. That would all for the Golden Eagles as a force out at second ended the inning.
 
Oral Roberts repeated their second-inning success in the third with another run crossing the plate. Nick Roark hit a single to center to lead off the inning. With one out, Brent Williams singled through the right side to put runners on first and second. Hugate doubled down the left field line as Roark scored to put ORU up 2-0.
 
The Golden Eagles plated another run in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. Sonnier hit a leadoff single to center and advanced to second on a ground out to third. Before Nick Rotola walked, Sonnier stole third. Sonnier scored on an RBI single up the middle by Matt Whatley. With two on and two outs, a ground out to third by Willams prevented Oral Roberts from putting any other runners across.
 
It took eight innings, but Little Rock finally put some runs on the board to cut into Oral Roberts lead. Nik Gifford led things off with a single through the right side. With one out, Ty Gunter singled to left to put runners on first and second. Cameron Knight put an RBI single up the middle as Gifford scored the Trojans' first run. Reyes came on to run for Knight as Oral Roberts went to the bullpen for the third time. Zach Baker then loaded the bases for the Trojans with a seven-pitch walk. Hayden Martin reached on a fielder's choice as Gunter crossed the plate to cut the deficit to 3-2.
 
Dylan Slayton entered the game for reliever Cody Daylor in the bottom of the eighth after Daylor pitched 2.0 innings, earned four strikeouts and only allowed two hits and two walks. Slayton pitched effectively as six pitches were enough to get through the Golden Eagles' batters.
 
With one out in the ninth, Dalton Thomas singled through the left side, but a fly out and a strikeout ended it.
 
Little Rock will try to split the four-game series with Oral Roberts tomorrow at 1 p.m.