Trojans Complete Weekend Sweep of Warhawks, 6-5

LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock completed its first sweep over ULM since 2013 with a 6-5 victory at Gary Hogan Field on Sunday afternoon. The Trojans improve their record to 20-14 while holding their first place position in the Sun Belt West Division at 9-5.
 
North Little Rock native Danny Mitchell Jr. shined in just his third start and seventh game played on the season for the Trojans. With the game tied at 3-3 in the fifth, Mitchell Jr. blasted a hit over the right-field wall for his first career home run.
 
Mitchell was not done though, striking again after the Warhawks tied things up at 4-4 in the top of the sixth. Marcus Ragan replaced Riley Pittman from a fielder's choice, followed by a Christian Reyes walk before a ULM wild pitch advanced both Ragan and Reyes into scoring position with two outs. Mitchell Jr. knocked a shot through the left side, scoring both and putting the Trojans on top for good at 6-4.
 
"Danny has never pouted, never had a bad day, never brought negative energy and we kept preaching to stay ready," head coach Chris Curry said. "The game knows about your attitude and that it will come back to you. Danny's turn came around and he capitalized on it."
 
Mitchell Jr. ended the day 3-for-4 with the three RBI's and the one run scored in the leadoff spot for the Trojans.
 
Finding itself in a 3-0 hole early, Riley Pittman started the scoring off for the Trojans in the second inning with a solo home run just inside the right field foul pole. He ended the day going 3-for-4 at the plate with the one RBI and scoring twice.
 
Kale Emshoff and Pittman singled in the fourth inning to give Nick Perez runners on second and third with one out. Perez nailed a double down the line into the left field corner scoring Emshoff from second. Pittman turned on his wheels from first and made it all the way around to slide and beat the throw home and tying the game 3-3.
 
With the 6-4 lead intact, Justin Garcia entered the game in the eighth inning for Donavin Buck and made quick work, throwing just eight pitches and getting three outs while striking out two.
 
In the ninth, he was able to retire the first two batters with ground outs to Matt Merino at short, but gave up a home run to Warhawk's Brendan Jordan to bring the game to 6-5. That did not rattle Garcia as he struck out the next hitter to end the game.
 
Garcia moved up to second in program history for saves in a single season after getting his ninth on the year. That puts him tied with Jim Trammell (2003) and Jim Webber (1980), and puts him just four away from Darek Braunecker who threw 13 in 1991.
 
Buck remains unbeaten on the year improving to 4-0 after he entered the game in the fifth inning for starter Aaron Funk. In his three innings of work, Buck struck out six while allowing one run off of three hits.
 
With the weekend sweep complete, Little Rock now embarks on an eight game road trip to close out the month of April. The Trojans will be in Louisiana all next week as they return a home game at Northwestern State on Wednesday before taking on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in Lafayette for a three-game series over the weekend.
 
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