Trojans' 14 Hits Help Snag 11-5 Win at South Alabama

MOBILE, Ala. – An early six-run inning gave Little Rock baseball the momentum it needed to take an 11-5 victory over Sun Belt East Division leader South Alabama on Saturday night at Stanky Field.
 
The Trojans' win was their first against South Alabama since head coach Chris Curry's first Sun Belt game in 2015. Little Rock's 14 hits were their most against South Alabama since 2014, and it was the 20th time this season that the Trojans tallied at least 10 hits in a game.
 
"I'm proud of our team because it's hard to come down here and win a game against a perennial power like South Alabama," Curry said. "We challenged our guys after last night's game to come out, score in waves and be relentless, and they did that."
 
Dalton Thomas had a huge night for the Trojans (17-29, 8-15 Sun Belt) as the senior went 3 for 5 with four RBIs, three runs, a home run and his league-leading 17th double of the season. Cameron Knight also went 3 for 5 with an RBI, a run and a double. Riley Pittman was 2 for 5 with two RBIs, two runs and a home run, and Kale Emshoff was 2 for 5 with an RBI. Zach Baker finished the night 2 for 3 with three runs, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
 
Travis Swaggerty and Will Luft each went 3 for 4 for the Jaguars (29-18, 16-7) while Swaggerty tallied two RBIs and a home run. Colton Thomas and Jared Barnes each came up with home run and two hits.
 
Little Rock starter Cory Malcom (3-5) earned the win after he threw six innings, struck out five and allowed five runs on nine hits. His season strikeout total now stands at 94 — 15 shy of breaking the program's single-season record.
 
South Alabama starter Thomas Huston (5-3) took the loss after allowing seven runs (six earned), six hits and two walks in 2.1 innings. Things didn't get much better in the Jaguars' bullpen as they allowed a combined four runs on seven hits.
 
South Alabama opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a solo shot to right by Colton Thomas.
 
Little Rock matched South Alabama's run in the top of the second. With Thomas on third and two outs, Emshoff tied the game with an RBI single through the left side.
 
The Trojans' bats exploded in the top of third inning as they scored six runs on five hits and a South Alabama error. An RBI single to center by Pittman began the scoring with one out. Thomas then hammered a three-run homer to left for his fifth of the season. After a double by Knight, a walk by Gifford and an infield error by the Jaguars, Christian Reyes earned two RBIs with a single through the left side.
 
The Jaguars earned a run back in the bottom of the third with a two-out RBI single by Swaggerty.
 
Pittman put Little Rock up 8-2 in the top of the fourth with a leadoff homer to right for his fifth of the season.
 
After Baker doubled to lead off the sixth inning, Hunter Owens drove him in with an RBI single to left and gave Little Rock a 9-2 lead.
 
South Alabama put up a three spot in the bottom of the sixth to cut Little Rock's lead to 9-5. Swaggerty got the frame started with a leadoff homer to center before Barnes blasted a two-run homer to left with two outs.
 
The Trojans went up by six again in the top of the eighth thanks to an RBI double by Thomas and an RBI single by Knight.
 
The Jaguars tried to get something going in the bottom of the ninth with a double and a single, but Justin Garcia allowed nothing else as he picked up three consecutive strikeouts to end the game.
 
"I'm so proud that these guys are still fighting and battling because we can still accomplish our goal of going to the Sun Belt Tournament," Curry added.
 
Little Rock will go into Sunday's series finale looking for its first-ever series win at South Alabama. First pitch is set for 1 p.m., at Stanky Field.