Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short in 15-13 Slugfest

LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock staged a furious ninth-inning rally, putting six runs across the plate, but the deficit proved too great as UT Arlington takes the second game of the weekend series 15-13 at Gary Hogan Field Saturday afternoon.
 
The loss drops Little Rock to 12-10 on the year and 3-2 in Sun Belt Conference play while UT Arlington improves to 11-10 overall and 4-1 in conference play.
 
Offense was the story of the day as the game featured a combined eight home runs with both the Trojans and Mavericks hitting four each. UT Arlington began with a two-run homer in the top of the first, which was answered quickly by a two-run blast by Matt Merino in the bottom half of the inning.
 
The Mavericks then notched a solo shot in the top of the second, but again Little Rock responded in the bottom half of the inning as Ryan Benavidez tallied an RBI single, evening the game at 3-3 after two.
 
UT Arlington built a commanding 7-3 lead over the next two innings, taking that advantage into the bottom of the sixth when Little Rock cut the deficit in half courtesy of a two-run home run from Troy Alexander, his fifth of the year.
 
The Maverick bats then showed their firepower in the top of the seventh as a grand slam and an RBI double put UT Arlington firmly in the driver's seat, leading Little Rock 12-5. The Trojans chipped away in the bottom half of the inning as James Gann drilled a solo shot to center, his first of the year, followed by an RBI single from Alexander for his team-best 25th RBI of the season.
 
UTA added three more runs in the top half of the ninth as Little Rock faced a 15-7 disadvantage down to its final three outs. But the Trojans continued to show their tenacity, beginning with a Benavidez home run and a balk which scored Marcus Ragan, cutting the deficit to 15-9.
 
After a double play put the Trojans down to their last out, Chase Coker brought home two more off his team-best fourth triple of the year, plating Kale Emshoff and Alexander, promptly followed by an RBI single from Nick Perez to bring Coker home. Gann then doubled to right, bringing Perez home and bringing the tying run to the plate. But a strikeout ended the Little Rock rally, coming up two runs short.
 
The two teams combined for 38 hits on the afternoon, 18 of which came off Trojan bats. Riley Pittman led the way, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored, followed by Alexander, Coker and Gann who all finished 3-for-5 for Little Rock. Perez (2-for-5) and Benavidez (2-for-5) also recorded a multi-hit game for the Trojans.
 
Pitching was shaky for both teams as Little Rock used eight different pitchers on the day. Starter Cole Townsend took the loss, lasting just two innings while giving up four runs on five hits. After striking out 11 Mavericks Friday, Little Rock pitchers registered just five Ks Saturday, led by three from Carter Brown and two from Aaron Funk.
 
With the series even at a game a piece, the rubber match will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field as Little Rock seeks its first-ever series win over UT Arlington.
 
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