LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Eldridge Figueroa went 2-for-3 with a walk but Little Rock stumbled in its season opener in an 11-0 loss to Eastern Illinois at Gary Hogan Field Friday afternoon.
Hayden Arnold (0-1) struck out four over five innings but was charged with the loss after the lone hit he allowed developed into Eastern Illinois' first run of the game, coming in the fifth inning.
The Panthers (1-0) scored again in the sixth off Ryan Ignoffo's two-run double. Ignoffo led the Panther attack with a 2-for-5 performance with two doubles and three RBIs.
The Trojans (0-1) twice had chances to get on the board but were thwarted by Blake Malatestinic (1-0), who allowed five hits, fanned five and walked three in six innings on the mound. A pop up and a ground ball stranded a pair of runners in scoring position in the third and then a strike out and a line drive-turned into a double play ended a two-base runner threat in the fifth. Trevor Nicholson (1) did not allow a hit or issue a walk in three innings in relief as he claimed the save.
Figueroa and
Tyler Williams, who batted 1-2 in the lineup for Little Rock, accounted for three of the Trojans' five hits but the two were stranded aboard a combined three times.
Game two of the three-game series between the soon-to-be Ohio Valley Conference mates is set for a 2 p.m. first pitch at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock on Saturday.
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.
Get the latest Trojan news – including the weekly Trojan Report – delivered to you direct to your inbox by
signing up for Little Rock Trojan E-News here.
#LittleRocksTeam
