LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Jake Wright went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs and a pair of runs scored – highlighted by an inside-the-park home run in the fifth inning – as Little Rock overpowered Eastern Illinois, 11-4, on Sunday at Gary Hogan Field.
The Trojans (2-1) claimed the series win by scoring 11 runs on 16 hits. Five different Trojans registered multiple hits in the game, including a 3-for-4 performance by
Noah Dickerson as he hit his second home run (the traditional way) of the season.
Jorden Hussein was also 3-for-4 in the game.
All four runs for Eastern Illinois (1-2) were unearned.
Sawyer Smallwood (1-0) was credited with the win after allowing just one hit and striking out three in 3.1 innings in relief.
Hayden Birdsong (0-1) was charged with the loss after allowing four runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in his first start of the season. He was chased after two innings but Kyle Lang, who entered in relief, didn't fare much better against the Trojan bats as he allowed six runs on nine hits over 3.2 innings. Lang did strike out four while walking one.
Little Rock jumped on the board early as Dickerson hit a three-run home run to center in the first inning. Wright scored in the second as he was driven home by a
Tyler Williams single to left. Eastern Illinois finally got on the board with a trio of unearned runs in the third, cutting the Trojan lead to 4-3.
Dickerson opened the bottom half of the third with a walk and would eventually come around to score on a Wright RBI groundout, pushing Little Rock's advantage to 5-3.
The Trojans broke the game wide open in the fifth when Dickerson smacked a one-out double down the right field line and then scored on a double by
Nathan Lyons in the next at bat. That's when Wright crushed a ball off the left field wall. Misplayed by EIU's Nathan Aide, the ball ricocheted off the wall and rolled back towards the infield with Aide fast in pursuit as Wright raced around the bases, sliding in at home as he barely beat Aide's throw home.
Back-to-back RBI singles by Williams and
Canyon McWilliams in the sixth pushed the Trojan lead out to 10-3.
Jack Stroth drove in Little Rocks final run on a double in the seventh and Eastern Illinois added one more inconsequential run (unearned) in the eighth.
Austin Smith retired the Panthers in order in the ninth as Little Rock clinched the win.
The Trojans remain at home with a four-game series against Western Illinois next weekend.
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