Trojans Take Series With 17-8 Win Over Eagles

STATESBORO, Ga. – It took nearly four hours, but Little Rock baseball (20-18, 13-8 Sun Belt) took its fifth Sun Belt series win with a 17-8 win over Georgia Southern (24-17, 10-11 Sun Belt) on Sunday afternoon at J.I. Clements Stadium in Statesboro.
 
The Trojans' win gives them 13 conference victories for the season, tying for the second-most in program history.
 
Nik Gifford had the hot bat for Little Rock as he ended the day 4 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs. Dalton Thomas went 2 for 6 with a home run, five RBIs and two runs.
 
The nation's leading hitter, Ryan Scott, went 2 for 4 with a home run, three RBIs, two runs and two walks.
 
It didn't take Little Rock long to score as it took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. After Hayden Martin walked to begin the game, Ryan Scott went yard on the first pitch he saw for his ninth home run of the year.
 
Georgia Southern took back a run in the bottom of the inning. Evan McDonald got on with a leadoff single and moved to second on a walk to Ryan Cleveland. Jordan Wren doubled to right field to score McDonald, but Cleveland was caught in a rundown trying to score.
 
Little Rock broke it wide open in the second inning with five runs on three hits and three walks. With bases loaded and two outs, Zach Baker scored on a wild pitch after doubling to lead off the inning. Scott walked to once again load the bases as Dalton Thomas stepped into the box. Thomas came through with a bases-clearing double to right center. That would be the last pitch for Georgia Southern starter Brian Eichhorn as Anthony Paesano came on after just 1.2 innings. Nik Gifford welcomed Paesano to the game with an RBI single to center as Thomas scored to put the Trojans up 7-1.
 
Trojan starter Joe Corbett had a very short but successful outing as Cole Townsend came on to begin the bottom of the third. Townsend gave up a walk to begin the inning, then a one-out RBI triple by Logan Baldwin brought the runner home. After the Eagles walked for the second time in the inning, Wren hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Baldwin and the Trojans' lead to 7-3.
 
Little Rock took a five-run lead in the top of the fourth. Hunter Owens singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Martin. Scott then earned his 23rd multiple-hit game of the season with a single to left center. With runners on the corners, a balk brought home Owens to give the Trojans an 8-3 lead.
 
Georgia Southern's Kent Rollins walked to begin the bottom of the fourth inning and advanced to second as C.J. Brazil singled to left. After giving up the single, Townsend's day came to an end as Keenan Wingfield made his way out of the Trojans' bullpen. A wild pitch allowed Rollins to move up, but Brazil was thrown out at second. A sacrifice fly in foul territory by Will Hudgins scored Rollins and trimmed Little Rock's lead to four runs at 8-4.
 
The Trojans responded with three more runs in the fifth. With runners on the corners, a wild pitch scored Baker and moved Gunter to second. Little Rock runners loaded the bases after Owens reached on an error and Martin walked for the third time. Scott walked for the second time and Gunter trotted home. Thomas hit an RBI ground out to third as Owens scored to give Little Rock an 11-4 lead.
 
After hitting two consecutive batters, Dylan Slayton came on for Wingfield. Slayton hit the batter before Hunter Thomas belted a grand slam to cut Little Rock's lead to 11-8.
 
With bases loaded in the seventh for the Trojans, Thomas reached on a fielder's choice as Gunter scored. Gifford then hit an RBI single to first as Owens scored to make it 13-8 in Little Rock's favor.
 
After the Trojans pulled off a double steal, Owens hit a two-run single up the middle to give the Trojans a seven-run lead at 15-8.
 
Little Rock wasn't done scoring yet. After Thomas singled to center to lead off the inning, Gifford hit a two-run blast to left to give the Trojans a 17-8 lead.
 
Preston Oberling (1-0) stayed on the mound to begin the ninth after entering the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. After recording a strikeout and a ground out, Oberling hit a batter and walked another. After throwing a wild pitch to moves runners into scoring position, Oberling finished off the Eagles with full-count strikeout to pick up his first win of the season.
 
"Every time Georgia Southern made a move, we answered right back," head coach Chris Curry said. "That's the most important thing our club showed today. I was disappointed with how we attacked on the mound early, but I couldn't be happier with how Preston Oberling came in and threw well over the plate."
 
Little Rock will have a couple of days to recover before setting off to Stillwater, Okla., to take on ranked Oklahoma State on Wednesday night at 6 p.m.