Trojans Take Road Loss to No. 18 Oklahoma

NORMAN, Okla. – In its second midweek game of the season, Little Rock baseball took a 10-5 loss to No. 18 Oklahoma on Tuesday afternoon at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
 
Hunter Owens had the big bat for Little Rock as he went 3 for 4 with a home run, two doubles, an RBI and three runs. Owens also extended his hitting streak to eight games. Zach Baker went 2 for 4 with a home run, an RBI and two runs. Danny Mitchell Jr. was the third Trojan to record multiple hits for the game as he went 2 for 5.
 
Little Rock won the hit battle 11-10, and it was the fourth time this season the Trojans had recorded at least 10.
 
Oklahoma (9-1) got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning. After a one-out double, Austin O'Brien hit an RBI single to left to score Kyle Mendenall.
 
Little Rock (2-6) took its first lead in the top of the second. After a double by Hunter Owens and a single by Zach Baker got the inning started, Cale Ridling hit an RBI single to left to score Owens. Christian Reyes then reached on an attempted sacrifice bunt to load the bases. Little Rock grounded into a double play, but the go-ahead run scored to put the Trojans up 2-1.
 
After OU knotted the game in the bottom of the second with a solo shot by Quin Walbergh, the Sooners went up 4-2 in the third inning with a two-run shot by O'Brien.
 
Not to be outdone, Little Rock tied the game once again in the top of the fourth with a pair of back-to-back jacks. Owens sent a leadoff home run to right for his second of the season before Baker hit his first of the year to left. The last pair of back-to-back home runs came two years ago to the day when Sam Vogel and Ryan Scott went yard against SIU Edwardsville.
 
The Sooners retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth. After a couple of pitching changes, Steele Walker hit an RBI single through the side before O'Brien stepped up again with an RBI single to third. Oklahoma then scored four runs with two outs on two singles and a triple.
 
With two outs in the top of the six innings, Keegan Meyn delivered with an RBI single up the middle after coming on to pinch hit. Owens scored the Trojans' fifth run after doubling for the second time earlier in the inning.
 
After Little Rock's run in the sixth, the scoreboard remained silent for the rest of the afternoon on both sides.
 
Little Rock used nine pitchers in total for the game. Matt McDowell (0-3) took the loss after coming on to relieve starter Cole Townsend to begin the bottom of the fourth. Oklahoma's Nathan Wiles (2-0) earned the win with only a third of an inning on the mound.
 
"We beat ourselves tonight," head coach Chris Curry said. "I know the game would have been a lot tighter had we eliminated our mistakes, but we have to move on and look forward to the weekend at home."
 
Little Rock returns home to Gary Hogan Field for a four-game series against Fort Wayne beginning on Friday at 3 p.m.