LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock jumped out to an early lead on UA-Pine Bluff, then took control over the final innings to secure the 11-4 win over the Golden Lions Tuesday evening at Gary Hogan Field. The win extends the Trojans' streak to five games as Little Rock sweeps its five-game home stand, improving to 21-19 on the year and 19-9 on its home turf.
The offense was sparked by another productive night from
Canyon McWilliams, who finished 3-for-3 with five RBI and a pair of runs scored, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. McWilliams led off the scoring for the Trojans with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first, a shot to right that traveled 418 feet to break open the scoring.
Little Rock added another in the home half of the first as back-to-back-to-back two-out singles from
Jack Stroth,
Jaxson Anderson and
Andrew Pickering added another run with Pickering notching the RBI single to center to score Stroth and push the lead to 4-0 after one.
A one-out single from
Tyler Williams in the second was followed by a walk to McWilliams as the duo advanced to second and third, but were unable to score. That hit by Williams was the last for the Trojans until a
Jorden Hussein single in the bottom of the seventh as UAPB scored four unearned runs in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 4-4.
The single from Hussein sparked the key seventh inning as he was followed by a walk to Williams and a double from McWilliams, scoring Hussein to give the Trojans the 5-4 lead. A
Miguel Soto sacrifice fly scored Williams from third followed by an RBI single up the middle from
Nathan Lyons to push the Trojan lead to 7-4.
Two batters later, Anderson then connected for his first collegiate home run, belting a shot to right center to score a pair and push the Little Rock lead to 9-4 as the Trojans plated five runs in the inning.
That was plenty for reliever
Michael Quevedo, who was making his fourth appearance of the home stand. Quevedo saved his best for Tuesday, going 5.1 innings and allowing no runs on four hits with no walks and five strikeouts, earning the win on 78 total pitches.
Little Rock would give Quevedo a pair of insurance runs in the eighth as a double from
Eldrige Figueroa, a triple from Williams and an RBI single from McWilliams scored a pair, pushing the lead to 11-4 as the Trojans shut down the Golden Lions in the ninth.
Anderson had a solid evening as well, going 2-for-4 with the pair of RBI off his home run. Williams went 2-for-3 with the single and triple, driving in one as eight different Trojans tallied a hit on the night.
Starter
Matthew Davis had a productive outing as well, going 3.2 innings and allowing the four unearned runs on six hits with a pair of walks and five strikeouts on 71 total pitches.
Little Rock now begins the incredibly challenging finishing stretch of the regular season, facing the Sun Belt's current number two, three and four teams in the standings. That stretch begins this weekend in Conway, South Carolina, where the Trojans will face Coastal Carolina in a three-game series beginning Friday.
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