LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock used a three-run ninth inning rally to complete a comeback and ensure an opening weekend series with a 7-6 victory over Illinois State Saturday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field.
Entering the ninth down two, 6-4, Little Rock loaded the bases with one out on singles by
Kobe Barnum and
Miguel Soto and a
Tucker Childers walk.
Garrett Scott was hit by a pitch to make it a one-run game before
Tim Dixon tied it with a single to right. Pinch hitter
Eldrige Figueroa then literally walked it off, drawing the game-winning base on balls in a five-pitch at bat.
Dixon, who finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBIs, drove in three runs with one swing of the bat in the fourth, launching his first home run of the season to dead-center, right over the 390-feet sign on the wall.
Little Rock's rally made a winner out of
Austin Smith (1-0), who faced three hitters in the ninth, striking out one.
Illinois State reliever Jacob Gillmore (0-1) took the loss out of the pen, allowing all three ninth-inning runs and four hits and two walks overall.
Illinois State (0-2) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on two singles, a walk and a sac fly off of Little Rock starter
Eli Sievert.
Dixon's big fly in the fourth put Little Rock ahead, 3-1, before Illinois State got a run back in the fifth on a Joe Butler double off the wall in left.
Illinois State took the lead in the seventh on a pair of home runs, a solo shot by Joe Butler and a two-run dinger by Jake McCaw that made it 5-3.
Little Rock (2-0) responded with a run in the bottom of the seventh on Soto's bases loaded infield chopper to third.
Illinois State tacked on a run in the ninth with a bases loaded hit-by-pitch but could not push any other runs across.
Little Rock's pitching staff combined to allow nine hits while striking out seven.
Little Rock will try for the opening weekend sweep on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
For the latest information on Little Rock Baseball, make sure to check out
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