Walks Hinder Trojans in Loss at Central Arkansas

CONWAY, Ark. – Leading the season series 1-0, Little Rock baseball (15-17) took a 6-1 loss to Central Arkansas (14-17) in the second game of the Rock 'n' Roar Rivalry at Bear Stadium in Conway on Wednesday night.
 
Ineffective pitching was the Trojans' downfall as Little Rock gave up a season-high 15 walks as the Bears only had four hits for the night.
 
"The most disturbing stat for me was the 15 walks," head coach Chris Curry said. "There were way too many. This team is very 'Jekyll and Hyde' right in that when they believe they're in it, they'll get out and battle you. When things don't go their way, especially early, that's when they don't respond very well. I told them that's very unlike them, especially in a big rivalry game on the road."
 
Offensively, the Trojans had nine hits, but they couldn't get the big one as they left six on base.
 
Hunter Owens, Dalton Thomas and Zach Baker each had two hits in four at-bats while Owens had the Trojans' lone RBI.
 
The scoring started early as UCA put a run on the board in the bottom of the first inning. With a runner on second, Matt Anderson hit an RBI double to left center field to plate the first run.
 
With two on and two outs in the bottom of the second, Chris Townsend gave Central Arkansas a 2-0 lead with an RBI single to right field as Brooks Balisterri scored from second.
 
The Bears took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third. With a bases-loaded and two outs, a sacrifice fly to right by Brandon Montalvo scored William Hancock. A balk by Trojan reliever Reed Willenborg with runners on the corners scored Tyler Langley from third.
 
Little Rock finally put a dent in UCA's lead in the fifth. With two outs and runners on first and second, Owens singled up the middle to plate Baker from second and put a dent in the Bears' 4-1 lead.
 
The Trojans' pitching staff got itself into trouble in the bottom of the sixth as it hit a batter, got two outs and proceeded to walk four. With runners on second and third and two outs, Langley scored on a wild pitch. Two walks later, Anderson trotted home to give the Bears a 6-1 lead.
 
Little Rock never found a way to respond at the plate and eventually took the loss to even the season series at 1-1.
 
With its midweek game out of the way, Little Rock will travel to Texas State for a three-game Sun Belt series in San Marcos, Texas, beginning on Friday at 6 p.m.