Funk Fans Record Seventeen in Complete Game Win

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock junior Aaron Funk set a new Little Rock program record and tied a Sun Belt record with 17 strikeouts and went the distance in a complete game dominance as the Trojans claimed the series over North Alabama with a 2-1 win Sunday at Gary Hogan Field.
 
Funk's 17 strikeouts – the most by any pitcher in the nation so far this season – far surpassed the 11 strikeouts he had for the entire season entering Sunday's contest. That sets a new single-game program record for strikeouts, besting the previous high of 14 held by Scott Madden (1983), Brad Cherry (2003) and David Klumpp (2008).
 
It also ties the Sun Belt single game record set by New Orleans' Thomas Diamond against Arkansas State as Funk becomes the fifth Sun Belt pitcher to record 17 strikeouts in a game.
 
The junior hurler allowed one run on four hits and walked just one batter as Funk (1-0) claimed his first win, and decision, of the season. The strikeouts came early and often for him as he fanned the first eight batters that North Alabama (3-9) sent to the plate, before sitting down the final five batters as well. In all, 12 Lions went down swinging while five were looking. Funk faced just 30 batters in the game and of his 124 pitches, 84 were strikes.
 
Both pitchers threw complete games in the series-deciding contest as North Alabama's Chase Best (1-2) took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits while striking out eight in eight innings on the mound.
 
Surprisingly, despite two impressive pitching performances, the long ball would be the only offense in the game that would generate runs for either team.
 
Little Rock (8-5) struck first when Houston Parker smacked a shot over the left field wall in the third to put the Trojans on top, 1-0.
 
Kale Emshoff then sent a no-doubter to left with a solo shot to leadoff the fourth, marking his fourth home run the season, a mark that leads the Sun Belt Conference.
 
North Alabama (3-9) struck in the fifth as Tate Mathis hit a leadoff home run to right. But after that, only two Lions would reach base and Funk would respond by adding eight more Ks to his tally after that, including closing the game with five consecutive strikeouts, the last two of which were looking.
 
The three-game set ended a short homestand for the Trojans. Little Rock now heads to Tulsa, Oklahoma for a Tuesday night tilt at Oral Roberts before beginning a three-game set at Southern Miss next weekend.
 
For the latest information on Little Rock Baseball, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockBSB on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
 
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