LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock dropped both games of a Saturday doubleheader to Southern Illinois at Gary Hogan Field. The losses snapped the Trojans' six-game win streak as Little Rock drops its first series of the season.
Game One – Southern Illinois 9, Little Rock 6
Little Rock and Southern Illinois combined for 15 runs and 30 hits in the opening game of the doubleheader, but six runs by the Salukis over the final four innings proved to be the difference in a 9-6 Trojan loss.
Southern Illinois struck first with a pair of runs to take the early lead, but was answered with an RBI single from Jack Stroh in the bottom of the second to score
Miguel Soto and bring the Trojans within one.
Both teams went quietly in the third before the Salukis added a run off a two out single in the top of the fourth to increase the lead to 3-1. The Trojans answered in the home half, however, as a leadoff single by
Nathan Lyons set the stage for a two-run homerun by
Miguel Soto, tying the game at 3-3. With two runners on,
Eldrige Figueroa then knocked an RBI single to right, bringing
Jake Wright home and give the Trojans the 4-3 lead.
But Little Rock stranded a pair in the fourth, a theme that would become far too common on the day as the Trojans stranded nine runners.
Southern Illinois reclaimed the lead in the top of the sixth, using an RBI single and then drawing a bases loaded walk to take the 5-4 lead. They would add two more in the top of the eighth off a two-run home run, pushing the advantage to 7-4.
Little Rock wouldn't go away quietly, however, as Wright and Stroth registered back-to-back home runs to nearly identical locations, bringing Little Rock to within one at 7-6. But two more Saluki runs in the top of the ninth pushed he deficit to 9-6, and Southern Illinois' fourth turned double play in the bottom of the ninth preserved the win.
Canyon McWilliams had a big day at the plate in game one, going 3-for-5. Soto, Wright, Stroth and
Jorden Hussein each registered a pair of hits with Soto and Stroth each driving in a pair.
Tyler Williams went 1-for-4 and stole his eighth base of the season while Soto notched his seventh steal.
Jacob Weatherley got the start and went 4.0 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with a strikeout to earn the no decision.
Matthew Davis was credited the loss, allowing the baserunner that scored the fifth run on the bases loaded walk that would put the Salukis on top for good.
Game Two – Southern Illinois 5, Little Rock 2
Southern Illinois used a four-run fourth to break the game open and kept the Trojan baserunners frustrated in a 5-2 game two loss.
Erik McKnight got the start on the mound for Little Rock and worked his way out of trouble in the first and third, getting around a pair of walks in the first and benefitting from a Trojan double play in the third to keep the Salukis off the scoreboard.
Little Rock had a prime opportunity in the third, getting runners at second and third with one out behind back-to-back singles from McWilliams and
Noah Dickerson and a wild pitch to move them up 90 feet. But back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat as the duo was left stranded, two of nine Trojan baserunners left on base.
Southern Illinois loaded the bases off a hit by pitch and back-to-back walks in the fourth, scoring the game's first run of an RBI groundout. But the next Saluki batter took the first pitch he saw off the scoreboard in right center, upping the Southern Illinois lead to 4-0.
Little Rock got one back in the bottom of the fifth off an RBI double to left from Dickerson, scoring Williams from second following a walk. But Dickerson was stranded at second to keep the Saluki lead at 4-1.
Southern Illinois added another in the seventh, which was answered in the home half by a leadoff double from Figueroa. He would advance to third on a groundout and was brought home off a sacrifice fly from McWilliams, cutting the deficit to 5-2. But Little Rock couldn't muster the hits it needed down the stretch to drop game two.
Little Rock outhit the Salukis 10-6, led by a 4-for-5 outing from Figueroa. McWilliams and Dickerson both went 2-for-3 in game two, each driving in a run, with Stroth and Hussein getting the other two Trojan hits.
McKnight was credited with the loss after allowing the four runs in the fourth, giving up just four hits.
Hoss Brewer pitched the final five innings in relief and gave up just one run on two hits with four strikeouts, throwing 72 pitches.
After nine-straight at home, Little Rock will now get set for its first game away from Gary Hogan Field this season, making the short drive to Conway to take on Central Arkansas on Tuesday, March 8. First pitch has been bumped up to 4 p.m.
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