Trojans Earn Sixth Straight Sun Belt Win at App State

BOONE, N.C. – Little Rock baseball (13-12, 6-4 Sun Belt) got its weekend started on a solid note as it took a 9-3 win over Appalachian State (6-20, 1-9) on Friday night at Smith Stadium in Boone. The Trojans' six-game winning streak in Sun Belt play ties for the longest in program history.
 
Dalton Thomas had the big bat for Little Rock as he improved his hitting streak to 21 games and went 4 for 5 with four RBIs and a run.
 
Ryan Scott, the nation's leading hitter, went a perfect 3 for 3 with three runs, an RBI, a walk and was hit by pitch. His three hits now give him 50 for the season and improves his batting average to .515 for the year.
 
The third Trojan to have multiple hits was Nik Gifford as he went 2 for 4 with three RBIs.
 
Starter Matt McDowell (1-0) earned his first win and had the longest outing of the season for Little Rock as he went 7.1 innings with four strikeouts and a walk while giving up three runs (one earned) and nine hits on 99 pitches.
 
"I'm very proud of Matt McDowell," head coach Chris Curry said. "He gave us exactly what we needed. On Friday night, you want your starter to go deep into a game so that it saves your bullpen for Saturday and Sunday since you never know what kind of trouble you'll get into. I can't compliment him enough on the job he did, especially times when he got into trouble."
 
Scoreless through two innings, Little Rock jumpstarted its offense in the top of the third with two runs on three hits. Zach Baker hit a leadoff single to left center before Hayden Martin walked on four pitches. Hunter Owens moved the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Scott brought the lead runner home on a sacrifice fly to deep center for the Trojans' first run. Thomas kept the inning going with an RBI single to short and extended his hitting streak in the process. Hayden Martin scored on the play to put Little Rock up 2-0.
 
Appalachian State responded in the bottom of the fourth. Grayson Attwood walked to begin the inning before a bunt single by Brian Bauk.  However, a throwing error to first allowed the runners to advance into scoring position with no outs. After a line out, Beau Myers hit an RBI single to left to cut Little Rock's lead to 2-1.
 
With two outs in the top of the fifth, Scott earned his second hit of the game with a single up the middle. After Scott advanced to second on a passed ball, Thomas earned his second hit with an RBI single up the middle as Scott scored to give Little Rock a 3-1 lead.
 
The seventh inning was a big one for the Trojans as they jumped out to a 6-1 lead as everyone in the lineup had an at-bat. Martin got the inning started with a single to left center before Owens was hit by a pitch. This prompted the Mountaineers to go to the bullpen for the first time as Reed Howell came on for starter Bobby Hampton (1-4). Howell had a rough go of it as Scott walked to load the bases with no outs. Thomas earned his third hit and third RBI of the evening with a single through the left side. Gifford then hit a sacrifice fly with bases loaded to put across the Trojans' second run of the inning. After Cameron Knight was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Kyle Kirk hit the Trojans' third sacrifice fly of the game to deep left to score Owens for the third and final run of the inning.
 
Little Rock's eight inning proved to be just as successful as the seventh as the Trojans once again had everyone in the lineup make an appearance at the plate. With one out, Owens singled to center and advanced to second on a fielding error. After Scott was hit by a pitch, Thomas earned his fourth hit and fourth RBI with a single up the middle to score Owens. Gifford then came up and delivered the biggest hit of the inning with a two-run double to left center as Scott and Thomas scored to give Little Rock a commanding 9-1 lead.
 
McDowell exited the game in the bottom of the eighth after giving up an RBI single by Bauke. Cody Daylor came on and earned a strikeout before giving up an RBI single to left by Myers. That would be all for App State as a fly out to center ended the inning. Daylor finished off the Mountaineers in the bottom of the ninth as App State had two fly outs, a ground out and just one hit to conclude the game.
 
Little Rock will go for its third straight Sun Belt series win and seventh consecutive conference win tomorrow at 2 p.m. (CT).