LITTLE ROCK – Another solid pitching performance, timely hitting and Western Illinois miscues set the stage for an 8-3 Little Rock victory on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field. The win is the fourth-straight for the Trojans, who clinch their second series win of the 2022 season.
Little Rock's pitching trio of
Jacob Weatherley,
Sawyer Smallwood and
Hoss Brewer combined to limit the Leathernecks to just three runs (one earned) on seven hits while striking out 11 with just one walk. Weatherley earned the start and gave up the one earned run with four strikeouts, earning the no decision after 4.1 innings.
Smallwood relieved Weatherley with one out in the fifth and put together a solid inning, striking out three of the four batters he faced to earn the win, his second of the season. Brewer than came on to shut the door, allowing just two hits and facing the minimum over the final 3.2 innings, striking out four to earn the save.
At the plate, Little Rock was led by
Tyler Williams and
Jack Stroth, both of which finished with a pair of hits on the afternoon. Williams was 2-for-5 with a pair of stolen bases while Stroth went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, driving in three and drawing a pair of walks, putting him on base in all four times to bat.
Nathan Lyons,
Miguel Soto and
Jorden Hussein registered the other three hits on the day for the Trojans with Hussein notching an RBI double. Soto scored three times after drawing a pair of walks as the Trojan batters were patient once again at the plate drawing nine walks with two additional hit by pitches.
Western Illinois struck first in the top of the first, benefitting from a single and a Trojan error to bring the first run home on an RBI groundout. After threatening in the home half, Little Rock responded in the bottom of the second as a one-out walk by Soto and a wild pitch advanced him to second, driven home by Hussein's RBI double to even the score.
Little Rock used a big third inning to break the game open, using a walk from Dickerson and a fielders choice for Lyons to put two on for Soto, who drove Dickerson home with an RBI single to center.
Jake Wright drew a two-out walk to load the bases for Stroth, who drilled a bases-clearing double down the left field line and pushing the Trojan lead to 5-1.
Western would chip away with solo runs in the fourth and fifth, but Little Rock's pitchers continued to frustrate the Leatherneck hitters and the defense turned a pair of double plays to end Western Illinois threats.
The Trojans added three insurance runs in the seventh, all of which came with two outs. McWilliams (hit by pitch), Lyons (single) and Soto (walk) loaded the bases before a wild pitch brought McWilliams home from third. A pickoff attempt of Soto at second sailed over the second baseman's head, allowing Lyons to come home and advance Soto to third, who took advantage of another Leatherneck wild pitch to push the lead to 8-3.
Brewer then came on in the ninth to slam the door, striking out the side to preserve the win for Little Rock. It clinches the series win for the Trojans, marking the 40th series win for head coach
Chris Curry.
Originally scheduled to be a four-game series, Little Rock and Western Illinois will play just three with the final game slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch Sunday at Gary Hogan Field. Junior
Erik McKnight will get the start on the mound for the Trojans.
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