LR Sweeps Doubleheader to Take Series Win Over GSU

LITTLE ROCK – A doubleheader sweep was capped off with a walk-off three-run homer in extra innings by Nik Gifford as Little Rock beat Georgia State by scores of 8-3 and 6-4 on Saturday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field.
 
The series win by Little Rock (20-30, 10-16) was the third straight against Georgia State (20-30, 8-18) at Gary Hogan Field dating back to 2014.
 
If Little Rock completes the series sweep on Sunday, the Trojans will be headed to their second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
 
GAME 1 RECAP
 
Little Rock picked up an 8-3 win as it received a strong outing from starter Cory Malcom (4-5) while the Trojans' offense tallied 11 hits for the game.
 
In his final start at Gary Hogan Field, Malcom went eight innings, struck out six and allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits and four walks while throwing a career-high 125 pitches. Georgia State's Bryan White (1-3) took the loss as he went two innings, struck out one and allowed four runs on three hits and four walks.
 
"I think that game was a picture of Cory's career," head coach Chris Curry said. "He's just a bulldog, and on days where he doesn't have his best stuff, he kept the game right there for us. When Georgia State created some big innings, he got a couple of double play balls, worked out of it and got us to the ninth inning. He had the opportunity to leave the program three years ago, but he stuck with us. He's been a big force for us down the stretch."
 
Dalton Thomas went a perfect 4 for 4 with two runs, an RBI, a double and a walk. Riley Pittman picked up three RBIs, a home run and a walk while going 2 for 4. Nik Gifford also went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run.
 
"We did a great job early of working some at-bats into walks and setting the table," Curry said. "It was really good to see Dalton turn in a game like he's used to having. Four hits isn't uncommon for him when he's going good. Riley is doing an unbelievable job down the stretch, and I think a lot of players are building off what he's doing."
 
Georgia State's Will Kilgore was a perfect 3 for 3 with an RBI, a run and a walk. Romero Greer went 2 for 3 with an RBI, a run and a walk.
 
The Trojans began the scoring with a four-run inning in the bottom of the second. With the bases juiced and one out, Christian Reyes walked on a 3-1 count to score Thomas. Ty Gunter then hit a two-run double to put the Trojans up by three. An RBI single by Pittman capped off the inning and put Little Rock up 4-0.
 
Georgia State put together back-to-back innings with a run scored in the fourth and fifth. A one-out RBI single in the fourth by Greer cut the Trojans' lead to three before Kilgore scored on a Little Rock error in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Little Rock had two consecutive two-run innings in the bottom of the fifth and sixth. An RBI double by Thomas and an RBI single by Gifford gave the Trojans a four-run lead heading into the sixth. Pittman nailed his team-leading eighth homer of the year in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run shot off the scoreboard.
 
Trailing 8-2 entering the ninth, Georgia State score one more run on an RBI single by Kilgore, but it was too little, too late as Little Rock took the day's first game.
 
GAME 2 RECAP

Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the 10th, Nik Gifford ended the game with a three-run walk-off homer to give Little Rock the series win over Georgia State.
 
Gifford finished the game 2 for 5 with three RBIs, two runs and a homer. Riley Pittman went 2 for 3 with two runs, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Dalton Thomas had a couple of RBIs and tallied his league-leading 19th double.
 
"It was an absolutely huge day for the program and for our team," Curry said. "I'm proud because it's been a long time since we've gotten down, came back, given up the lead and came back again."
 
Trojan reliever Justin Garcia (2-0) picked up the win after he threw 2.2 innings, struck out five and allowed one run on two hits and two walks. Dylan Slayton picked up three Ks in one inning of relief and allowed only one hit. Starter Ryan LeMoine threw 6.1 innings, struck out two and allowed three runs on eight hits and three walks.
 
"I thought Slayton, Garcia and LeMoine did a wonderful job of keeping Georgia State at bay," Curry said. "They held them down and kept us in the game."
 
Georgia State reliever Rhett Harper (1-2) took the loss after allowing Gifford's three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning. Starter Hunter Gaddis struck out seven and allowed two runs on five hits in six innings.
 
The Panthers got on the board right out of the gate with an RBI single by Jarrett Hood in the top of the first. Two innings later, they went up 3-0 thanks to an RBI ground out by Justin Jones and an RBI single by Nick Gatewood.
 
Still down 3-0 entering the bottom of the sixth, the Trojans began their march back with two runs on three hits. Thomas hit a two-run double down the left field line to cut the deficit to one.
 
Coming into the bottom of the ninth with a 3-2 deficit, Gifford singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a ground out. Ty Gunter then plated the tying-run with an RBI double to right. The Trojans left the winning run on second as two fly outs ended the inning.
 
With two outs in the top of the 10th, Will Kilgore hit an RBI single through the left side to score the go-ahead run from second.
 
After Pittman walked and Thomas was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the 10th, Gifford's sixth home run of the year on the first pitch he saw game Little Rock the 6-4 win.
 
"What I like about tomorrow is that our fate is in our own hands," Curry said. "If you win, you get in. That's kind of been the motto all year. We have to dominate the little things and take care of our business. We won't have to scoreboard watch and wait for other things to happen. I want our team to handle our business and seal our own fate."
 
The Trojans will look to complete the series sweep and land a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Sunday at noon. All 13 Trojan seniors will be honored prior to tomorrow's game at 11:15 a.m.