Trojans Come Up Short in Home Opener Against Purdue

LITTLE ROCK – In its home opener, Little Rock baseball came up short with a 6-4 loss to Purdue (3-2) on Friday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field.
 
Four Trojan batters had multiple hits for the game. Bryce Dimitroff was 3 for 5 for the day with two runs scored. Dalton Thomas, Cameron Knight and Hunter Owens each went 2 for 4. Thomas tallied two RBIs while Knight and Owens put up one each.
 
The Trojans outhit the Boilermakers by a margin of 11-5, but on the mound, Little Rock (0-5) allowed 8 walks and hit three Purdue batters with a pitch.
 
Little Rock started the game with a one run on three hits. Dimitroff hit a leadoff single to left to begin the game before Dalton Thomas hit an RBI double to left to give Little Rock a 1-0 lead.
 
With one out in the bottom of the third, Dimitroff singled to center. After he advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Danny Mitchell Jr., Thomas delivered again with an RBI single up the middle to up the Trojans' lead to 2-0.
 
Purdue tied the game with a couple of runs in the top of the fourth. The Boilermakers' Nick Dalesandro was hit by a pitch with one out before Jacson McGowan hit an RBI double. With two outs, Logan Poisall hit an RBI double to right center to knot the game at 2-2.
 
The Boilermakers opened up the game in the top of the fifth inning with four runs on just two hits. After hitting a batter and allowing a single to right center, Trojan starter Matt McDowell's day came to an end with one out. McDowell (0-2) eventually took the loss as he went 4.1 innings, struck out four and allowed four runs on three hits, a walk and three hit-by-pitches. Little Rock went on to make three pitching changes in the inning before getting out of the frame.
 
The Trojans came back fighting in the bottom of the sixth. After Nik Gifford got on base with a leadoff walk, Knight hit an RBI double. Owens then hit an RBI double through the right side to cut Little Rock's deficit to 6-4.
 
The bats went silent on both sides following the Trojans' two runs in the sixth as no more runs came across. Purdue starter Tanner Andrews (2-0) took the win in 5.1 innings of work while reliever Dalton Parker earned the save with a 3.2-inning performance.
 
Little Rock will look to tie the series against Purdue and earn its first win of the season on Saturday at 2 p.m.