AUBURN, Ala. – A grand slam from
Kenny Rodriguez in the fifth sparked 11 unanswered runs for the Trojans as Little Rock roared past Auburn 12-6 in the final game of the weekend series at Plainsman Park.
After managing just seven hits in the first two games of the series, Little Rock responded with 15 Sunday afternoon, 14 of which came from the fifth inning on. The 15 hits ties a season-best as the 12 runs are a new season high for the Trojans.
Nearly every Trojan starter registered at least one hit on the day, led by 3-for-5 performances by
Jorden Hussein and
Tyler Williams. Williams and Rodriguez each knocked in four runs for Little Rock.
Nathan Lyons,
Noah Dickerson and
Kobe Barnum all had a pair of hits with Dickerson driving in two. Hussein also scored three times on the afternoon.
Auburn struck early in the final game of the series, putting three runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning off four hits and a Little Rock error to put the Trojans in an early 3-0 hole.
Little Rock ended its scoreless streak in the bottom of the second when
Noah Dickerson sent a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right for his second home run of the season. The round tripper gave Little Rock its first run of the weekend in Auburn, getting its first run in 19 innings.
Auburn added another in the third off a home run to right that bounced off
Kenny Rodriguez's glove over the fence, pushing the score to 4-1. The Trojans then got out of jams in the third and fourth, setting up the memorable fifth inning.
The fifth started with Dickerson singling to left, followed by
Miguel Soto being hit by a pitch and a single to left for
Kobe Barnum, setting the table for Rodriguez. The senior atoned for the missed catch in the third by drilling his first career hit to the deepest part of Plainsman Park for a grand slam, putting the Trojans on top for the first time in the series at 5-4.
Little Rock wasn't done in the fifth, however, as back-to-back singles from
Nathan Lyons and
Jorden Hussein got a pair of runners on with a balk on the Auburn pitcher advancing both 90 feet.
Tyler Williams then delivered with a two RBI double down the left field line, pushing the Trojan lead to 7-4. For the inning, Little Rock scored six runs on six hits and were aided by a Tiger error.
The Trojans would extend the lead to 8-4 in the top of the seventh with three-straight singles from Hussein, Williams and Russ, the last of which came on a hit-and-run that allowed Hussein to score from second.
Aaron Barkley then kept the Tigers frustrated coming in with one out in the fifth and proceeded to retire 11 of the next 12 batters he faced, helping the Trojans maintain the 8-4 lead heading into the ninth.
The Trojans added some insurance runs in the final frame, scoring four times to up the lead to 12-4. With a pair of runners on, Williams ripped an opposite field triple to the right field corner, allowing Hussein and Lyons to score to make it 10-4.
Williams would score off a sacrifice fly from Dickerson, then
Kobe Barnum knocked an RBI single that brought
John Michael Russ home to finish the scoring for the Trojans.
Auburn would get two back in the bottom of the ninth off a two-run home run, but Barkley slammed the door with strikeout to end it, earning the win and giving Little Rock its first victory over an SEC foe since the 17-7 win over Arkansas in Fayetteville in 2019.
Barkley went the final 4.2 innings and allowed just two runs on three hits with four strikeouts and no walks to improve to 3-0 on the season. Starter
Jack DeCooman earned the no decision after going 4.1 innings and allowing four runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts.
Little Rock salvages the final game of the weekend series and improves to 6-7 on the year, winning five of its last eight. The Trojans now turn their attention to Sun Belt play, opening at home with a weekend series against Texas State, beginning Friday at 6 p.m. at Gary Hogan Field.
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