Late Runs Cost Little Rock in Doubleheader Against Valparaiso

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – It was a rough day to open the series against Valparaiso as Little Rock dropped a pair of games Saturday at Gary Hogan Field. The Trojans led or were tied through much of both games, but eventually fell 7-6 in game one and 9-3 in game two, falling to 4-4 in the young season.
 
Game One – Valparaiso 7, Little Rock 6
 
Both teams got on the board early in the first inning of game one. Valpo was able to score a run in the top of the first with a two-out single, but the run was unearned due to a fielding miscue earlier in the inning which allowed the runner to advance a base. The Trojans struck back in the bottom of the first when Nico Baumbach took the first pitch he saw and sent it over the center field fence for a homerun.
 
Little Rock starting pitcher Jackson Wells then found his groove and kept the game at a stalemate until the bottom of the third when the Trojans would add another run to the board and take the lead. This time it was Luke Pectol to leave the yard as he led off the bottom of the third with his first homerun of the season as well as his first hit in a Little Rock uniform. Baumbach would double later in the inning but was stranded at second.
 
After a three-up three-down inning by Wells it was Jake Wright who took his turn to hit a solo shot for Little Rock, this time with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, crushing the baseball over the left-center field wall to extend the Trojan lead to 3-1.
 
Wells would continue his performance into the top of the sixth where, after a one-out double, he was relieved by Austin Stubber. Stubber would go on to get a strikeout and a flyout in the inning to keep the Beacons off the board and maintain the lead.
 
In the bottom of the sixth Baumbach would leave the yard yet again, this time as the leadoff batter for his second homerun of the game and Trojans' fourth solo homer of the matchup.
 
Valparaiso brought a run home in the top of the seventh on a two-out single to right field, but Little Rock would take that and double it in the bottom of frame after a triple off top of the center field wall from Tyler Williams scored Pectol and Wright.
 
The Beacons refused to go away however, after a leadoff walk Brady Renfroe worked his way to third before scoring on a groundout to short. The Trojans would then go down in order in the bottom of the eighth and in the top of the ninth Valparaiso had loaded the bases with no outs trailing 6-3. The Beacons would go on to score four runs in the inning and Little Rock was unable to mount a comeback in the ninth, falling 7-6.
 
Wells was impressive yet again in his start, finishing with 5.1 innings pitched and giving up no earned runs allowing just six hits and striking out three.
 
Baumbach didn't have an at bat that ended in an out the entire game, going 3-for-3 with two homeruns and a double and walked once.
 
Wright hit his first homerun of the season in his 2-for-4 performance and was the only other Trojan with multiple hits in the game.
 
Game Two – Valparaiso 9, Little Rock 3
 
Valparaiso again got out to a fast start in the second game, after a walk and double off of Little Rock starter Preston Davis, a sacrifice fly was enough to give the Beacons an early lead in the first inning.
 
The Trojans would draw even in the bottom of the second when Ty Rhoades scored Noah Brewer on a two-out single up the middle. The tie didn't last for long as leadoff double eventually led to a second run for Valpo in the top of the third.
 
The score stayed at 2-1 in the Beacons favor until the top of the fifth when a leadoff walk combined with a one-out double led to two runners in scoring position. A fielder's choice would bring the third run of the game home for Valpo before a groundout to first ended the inning.
 
A trio of singles created a run for Little Rock in the bottom of the fifth before an unfortunate double play ended the threat before the Trojans could strike for any more damage. After a quiet top of the sixth, Baumbach hit his third homerun of the day to lead off the bottom of the inning, again over the center field wall and this time in a 1-1 count to even up the game at three all.
 
But again, the tie did not last for long as the Beacons were able to push five runs across in the top of the seventh before adding another in the eighth to bring the score to its eventual final of 9-3 in favor of Valparaiso.
 
Rhoades was the only Trojan to collect multiple hits in the second game of the doubleheader, going 2-for-4 while driving in and also scoring a run.
 
Baumbach extended his homerun streak to five games dating back to February 21 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The sophomore from Euless, Texas had a very impressive day, slugging three homeruns across two games to bring his season total to six.
 
Little Rock will try to salvage the final game of the weekend series on Sunday with first pitch being at 1 p.m. Junior Hoss Brewer is scheduled to make his 2023 debut on the mound tomorrow as the starter for the Trojans.
 
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