LITTLE ROCK – Aaron Funk put threw a gem Saturday night at Gary Hogan Field, going 8.1 innings and allowing just two late runs (one earned) on six hits with a season-high 11 strikeouts to pace Little Rock to the 4-2 victory over App State. The win improves the Trojans to 20-25 on the year and 10-10 in Sun Belt play, keeping Little Rock in the hunt in the West Division.
Funk threw 130 pitches, a new career-high and the most for a Trojan since
Jose Torres at ULM on April 20, 2019, registering 83 for strikes. After a shaky first inning where he allowed a leadoff double, a single and a walk, Funk would retire 20 of the next 25 batters he faced, aided by three Trojan double plays.
Little Rock gave him run support early, scoring two in the second off a two RBI double from
Tyler Williams to score
Noah Dickerson and
Nathan Lyons, who reached on back-to-back singles. The Trojans added another run in the third with
Jorden Hussein registering a sacrifice fly to score
Eldrige Figueroa.
The Hussein-Figueroa connection was prevalent all night as the duo teamed up again in the fifth with Figueroa reaching by way of a walk and stole second, then was driven home by Hussein on an RBI single to left to up the lead to 4-0.
The duo also came up big defensively as they were part of three double plays on the night, tying a season-high for Little Rock. Hussein snagged a line out and flipped it to Figueroa for a 4-6 double play in the first, then the two of them were part of 6-4-3 double plays in the fourth and eighth innings, keeping App State off the scoreboard.
Returning to the mound in the ninth, Funk gave up a single and registered a fly out before a double to right center gave the Mountaineers a pair in scoring position and ending his night two outs shy of a complete game.
Aaron Barkley came on and was able to induce a ground out, scoring a run, before App State used a throwing error with two outs to bring another run home and make it 4-2. But Barkley kept the Mountaineers in check, striking out the final batter to preserve the win, earning his seventh save of the season.
Little Rock's bats managed just five hits on the night, but they were timely. Williams and Hussein both finished with a pair of RBI on the night as Figueroa scored twice, with Dickerson and Lyons logging the other two hits. A positive sign for Little Rock was the tally of just four batters striking out on the night, tied for its lowest of the season.
With the win, Little Rock evens the series with App State with the rubber game set for 12 p.m. Sunday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field.
Jacob Weatherley will get the start for the Trojans as the three Little Rock seniors (Barkley,
Dillon Delgadillo,
Eli Sievert) who will exhaust their eligibility will be recognized in pregame festivities, beginning at 11:40.
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