Little Rock Drops Series Opener at North Alabama

FLORENCE, Ala. – Tyler Williams hit his second home run of the season and John Michael Russ drove in the tying run in the eighth but Little Rock couldn't hold on in a 6-4 series-opening loss at North Alabama Friday evening.
 
Williams hit a two-run shot in the eighth and Russ followed with an RBI single to even things up at 4-4 but North Alabama (1-6) used a Kevin Brenning two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to claim its first win of the young season. Russ led the Trojans with a 2-for-4 performance a the plate with an RBI while Jordan Hussein was 1-for-3 with two runs scored.
 
Little Rock (3-5) was unable to complete its second come-from-behind win in as many games as Calvin Hunt (0-1) was charged with the loss. Hunt had fanned two batters but walked Drew Hudson, who scored the go-ahead run on Brenning's blast.
 
Austin Nichols (1-0) was credited with the win after holding the Trojans scoreless over the final 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out one.
 
The Trojans originally fell behind 2-0 in the second off a bases loaded hit-by-pitch to UNA's Reid Homan followed by Levi Jensen's sacrifice fly. The Lions added another run to their tally in the third after Harris Kain ripped an RBI single pushing the lead to 3-0.
 
Little Rock responded in the sixth as Noah Dickerson drove in Hussein with a double, cutting the deficit to 3-1. UNA would add one more run in the seventh as a single and an error allowed a run to cross the plate.
 
That was when Little Rock's bats really came alive. Hussein reached on an eighth-inning double and two batters later Wiliams blasted a home run, cutting the tally to 4-3.
 
Dickerson reached on a walk then moved to second on a passed ball, put him in scoring position as Russ came to the plate. Russ would send him home with an RBI single, tying the game. But North Alabama would pull ahead with a two-run shot in the bottom half of the eighth.
 
The two teams are set for a 2 p.m. first pitch Saturday in the second game of the three game set in Florence.
 
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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