Trojans Swept in Twin Bill Against Louisiana

LITTLE ROCK – A twin bill matchup didn't go Little Rock baseball's way as it took losses of 9-4 and 7-4 to Sun Belt West Division leader Louisiana on Saturday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field.
 
The Trojans (14-25, 6-11 Sun Belt) came up with a combined 13 hits for the day, but the Ragin' Cajuns (25-14-1, 12-4-1) had more oomph in their swings as they tallied 23 hits and four home runs for the afternoon.
 
GAME 1 RECAP
 
Little Rock tallied six hits in the first game of the afternoon as both Nik Gifford and Ty Gunter came up with multiple hits. Gifford was 2 for 4 with two runs, an RBI and a double, and Gunter finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs, a run and a double. Christian Reyes was 1 for 3 while Zach Baker tallied one hit, a double and an RBI.
 
The Cajuns' Joe Robbins went 3 for 5 with an RBI and a run while Ishmael Edwards went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a two runs. Alex Pinero and Steven Sensley each homered and had two RBIs apiece.
 
Despite striking out a career-high seven batters, Trojan starter Ryan LeMoine (1-4) took the loss after allowing eight runs on 11 hits and three hit-by-pitches. Reliever Corbin Osburn struck out one and allowed nothing in two-thirds of an inning, and Cole Townsend sat down three batters while allowing one run on two hits and two walks in three innings of work. Louisiana starter Gunner Leger (8-1) picked up the win as he threw seven innings, struck out seven and allowed a season-high three earned runs on four hits and two walks.
 
The Cajuns began the scoring right out of the gate with two runs on Sensley's sixth homer of the season. Three innings later, it was Pinero's turn as he sent a solo shot down the right field line for his third of the year.
 
Louisiana broke it wide open in the fifth inning with five runs on three hits. A hit-by-pitch scored Kennon Fontenot with bases loaded and no outs. A two-run double by Edwards and a two-run single by Brad Antchak put the Cajuns up 8-0
 
Little Rock finally broke up the shutout in the bottom of the seventh with three runs on three hits. The Trojans' first run came on an RBI double by Gifford. An RBI single by Gunter and an RBI double by Baker put the Trojans within five runs at 8-3.
 
The Cajuns scored their final run of the game in the top of the eighth with an RBI single by Robbins through the right side.
 
Down 9-3 entering the bottom of the ninth, a two-out RBI double by Gunter plated Gifford, but that was all the Trojans could muster as a strikeout ended the game.
 
"I thought our lack of execution with two strikes was the key to that game," head coach Chris Curry said. "We also gave up five free bases via the walk and hit-by-pitch. Against a good offensive club that's starting to find their stride in the second half of the season, Louisiana will make you pay. We made a nice push late to get some guys on, but it was too little, too late."
 
 
GAME 2 RECAP
 
Cale Ridling had the hot bat for the Trojans in the second game of the doubleheader as he went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run. Dalton Thomas had the other multiple-hit game as he went 2 for 5 with a run. Zach Baker picked up two RBIs with one hit, and Nik Gifford extended his reached-base streak to 16 games as he went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a walk.
 
Louisiana's Kennon Fontenot had a marvelous game as he homered twice and pick up four RBIs. Brad Antchak went 3 for 5 with two runs and an RBI.
 
Trojan starter Cory Malcom (2-4) threw a career-high 13 strikeouts, but he took the loss as he gave up seven runs on eight hits and walk. Malcom's 13 Ks were the most by a Little Rock pitcher since Jake Sullivan struck out 13 against Houston Baptist in 2009. Malcom also came up one strikeout shy of tying the program's single-game record. The Cajuns' Nick Lee (5-3) earned the win as he struck out seven and allowed four runs on six hits, three walks and a hit-by-pitch in six innings. Reliever Wyatt Marks picked up his fifth save of the year with four strikeouts in three scoreless innings.
 
"In the second game, we really came out and attacked their starter's fastball," Curry said. "Louisiana's pitcher did a nice job of adjusting to the changeup, and we never really adjusted to that. I thought Cory had good stuff, but they really made him pay when he missed over the plate. When he was able to expand both high and low, he got his strikeouts."
 
After Malcom struck out the side to begin the game, Little Rock came out swinging in the bottom of the first with four runs on four hits. An RBI ground out by Gifford, an RBI single by Ridling and a two-run double by Baker gave the Trojans a 4-0 lead heading into the second inning.
 
Louisiana then began chipping away at Little Rock's lead as it scored at least one run over the next four innings. Alex Pinero put the Cajuns' first run across with an RBI ground out in the second inning. In the third, Robbins hit an RBI single through the right side before a fourth-inning leadoff homer by Fontenot put the Cajuns down by one at 4-3.
 
A four-run fifth inning gave Louisiana all the momentum it needed to win the game as the contest went scoreless the rest of the way. An RBI double by Antchak and a three-run homer by Fontenot gave the Cajuns a 7-4 lead that went untouched.
 
Little Rock will look to salvage the series and avoid the three-game sweep in tomorrow's series finale at 1 p.m., at Gary Hogan Field.