Trojans Avoid Sweep With 5-2 Win Over Demons Sunday

LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock avoided a series sweep against Northwestern State with a 5-2 victory on Sunday afternoon. The Trojans move to an even record of 6-6 on the year while the Demons fall to 7-4.
 
Little Rock set the tone in the bottom of the first innings as back-to-back home runs by Riley Pittman and Matt Merino gave the Trojans a 3-0 lead after just five pitches. Marcus Ragan led off with a single in the leadoff spot to account for Little Rock's third run.
 
The Trojans struck again with runs in the third and fifth inning, building a 5-0 lead. In the third, a Kale Emshoff double to left center brought Merino home for the second time on the afternoon. Emshoff then crossed home plate himself, racing home off a Demon wild pitch in the fifth.
 
Starter Cole Townsend threw a solid game for the Trojans, holding the Demons scoreless through six and a third innings before handing the ball off to Aaron Funk. Townsend earned the win, allowing just one run off of seven hits and a walk while registering nine strikeouts.
 
Funk closed out the game for the final two and two third innings letting up one run off a home run in the ninth. He let up zero walks and struck out three batters, including the final out of the game.
 
The top of the order did quite a bit of damage for the Trojans as Ragan, Pittman and Merino combined for seven hits on the day.Ragan went 3-for-4 while scoring once while Pittman continued his hot hitting at the plate from over the weekend with a 2-for-4 outing today and hitting in two runs from a first inning home run. Merino went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
 
Emshoff was a double machine, going 3-for-4 at the plate while registering doubles in his first three at-bats with an RBI on the afternoon. He now ranks second on the team with five two-baggers on the year, one behind Troy Alexander's six.
 
Northwestern State's two runs came off an RBI single in the seventh and a solo homerun with two outs in the top of the ninth before Funk shut the Demons down.
 
The Trojans will now travel to Oxford, Mississippi for a midweek game as they take on SEC opponent Ole Miss at Swayze Field on Wednesday, March 7. First pitch against the Rebels is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
 
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