Trojans Drop Sun Belt Tournament Opener

SAN MARCOS, Texas – In its first Sun Belt Tournament appearance since 2013, No. 3 Little Rock baseball (26-27) took a 13-4 loss to No. 6 Georgia Southern (35-23) on Wednesday morning at Bobcat Ballpark on the campus of Texas State.
 
Zach Baker was the Trojans' leading hitter as he went 3 for 4 with an RBI and was the only Little Rock player with multiple hits.
 
Georgia Southern scored the opening runs of the 2016 Sun Belt Tournament. After a scoreless first inning, Jordan Wren got the first hit of the game on a leadoff single to second. A Hunter Thomas double to right center put runners in scoring position. Once Cal Baker walked to load the bases, an RBI ground out by CJ Brazil scored Wren. CJ Ballard then scored Thomas on an RBI ground out to short. After Kent Rollins was hit by a pitch, a Trojan fielding error allowed Baker to score. Logan Baldwin then hit an RBI single through the left side to score Rollins.
 
Down 4-0 entering the bottom of the second, the Trojans struck back for two runs of their own. Nik Gifford singled up the middle to get the inning started and advanced to second as Cameron Knight was hit by a pitch. With one out, Zach Baker hit an RBI single to center, scoring Gifford for the Trojans' first run. After Kyle Kirk walked to load the bases, Hunter Owens hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Knight.
 
The Trojans came within a run of the lead at 4-3 in the bottom of the third. With the bases loaded, Ty Gunter hit a deep sacrifice fly to right to score Ryan Scott.
 
The Eagles made it a 6-3 game in the top of the fourth. With runners in scoring position, Baldwin hit an RBI single to center. Ryan Cleveland then reached on fielder's choice as Evan McDonald scored.
 
A Hunter Thomas solo home run to right got the fifth inning started for Georgia Southern as it took a 7-3 lead. After hitting Brazil with a one-out pitch, Trojan starter Matt McDowell's (4-3) day came to an end. Keenan Wingfield made his way out of the bullpen, but he quickly got into trouble as he hit the first batter he faced and allowed a two-run double down the left field line. An RBI single by McDonald then made it a 10-3 game in Georgia Southern's favor.
 
Dylan Slayton entered the game for Little Rock to begin the sixth inning. With a runner on and one out, Hunter Thomas struck again with a RBI double to center. Wren scored from first and gave Georgia Southern an 11-3 lead.
 
Little Rock got one run back in the bottom of the sixth. After Gunter and Baker got on with one-out singles, Kirk hit a sacrifice fly to center. Gunter scored and decreased the deficit to 11-4.
 
The Eagles weren't done scoring as they took a 13-4 lead in the top of the eighth. With two on and no outs, Wren came through again for Georgia Southern on a two-run single to left.
 
Zach Ours came on for the Trojans to begin the ninth inning and got two ground outs and a foul out while giving up just one walk.
 
The Trojans tried to make one last push in the bottom of the ninth with back-to-back singles to lead off the frame, but a fly out and two strikeouts ended the game.
 
"We didn't execute on the mound very well," head coach Chris Curry said. "Pitches were elevated out over the plate, and that's pretty much the reason we fell behind. Georgia Southern's leadoff man was on six of the nine innings, and you can't win on the mound that way. Pitching continues to be our Achilles heel, but I feel good about it tomorrow. We'll get right back after it. It's tournament ball, and we don't have time to feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to evaluate and adjust."
 
Little Rock will now face the loser of No. 2 South Alabama and No. 7 UT Arlington on Thursday morning at 9 a.m.