Trojans Split Sunday Doubleheader

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Trojans picked up their 20^th win at Gary Hogan Field this season in game one of today's doubleheader before dropping the rubber match against New Orleans. The results moved Little Rock's record to 25-16 on the season looking ahead to a midweek matchup against reigning national champion Ole Miss on Tuesday.
 
Game One – Little Rock 6, New Orleans 3
 
Little Rock starter Noah Burkey started the game out hot, retiring the first six Privateers who stepped up to the plate with three strikeouts through the first two innings. A single began the third, but it was quickly erased with a 6-4-3 double play and a groundout followed, letting Burkey face the minimum through three.
 
The Trojans got on the board in the bottom of the third inning, with two outs sophomore Alex Seguine sent a single down the left field line before Tyler Williams hit a towering homerun out to deep left field for two runs. The ball was measured at over 108 miles per hour off of the bat and traveled a distance of 444 feet.
 
After another shutdown inning from Burkey, the Trojan offense got back to action with a leadoff single by Nico Baumbach. A batter later, Luke Pectol hit a frozen rope that crawled its way over the fence in right field for the Trojans second two-run homerun in as many innings. Noah Brewer would then chase the UNO starter a batter later with a double to left.
 
New Orleans made things interesting in the top of the sixth, a double and error allowed runners on the corners with no outs and the Privateers would end up scoring three runs, one earned, on four hits in the inning. This tightened things up to a one run ballgame and made Little Rock go to the bullpen, bringing on Austin Stubber.
 
Little Rock was able to get a pair of runs back in the bottom of the sixth, a walk from Skyler Trevino and second double by Brewer put two runners in scoring position with two outs. Christian Bernabe then sent a single through the left side to bring home both runners and give the Trojans some needed breathing room.
 
Stubber pitched relatively clean innings in the seventh and eighth before things got interesting in the ninth. A single and pair of walks in three batters loaded the bases with just one out and another call was made to the pen, this time for Jacob Weatherley. It took the junior from Jonesboro just two pitches to escape the jam as a tailormade double play ball was rolled Seguine's way, and he converted on the 6-4-3 for the winner.
 
Pectol and Williams hit two very different homeruns, but got the same result nonetheless. Each had two RBI on the game and scored once. Williams went 1-or-2, adding two walks and a stolen base to his homer. Pectol was 2-for-4 in the game and was one of two Trojans with multiple hits.
 
Burkey was stellar in his start and perplexed the Privateers through his first five innings of work. He struck out four and walked none, allowed one earned run, and scattered six hits in his 5.2 inning of work while also earning the win.
 
Game Two – New Orleans 14, Little Rock 5 (7 Innings)
 
Little Rock again got out in front early on in game two, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first after a scoreless top of the frame. The first five Trojans reached on four hits and a base on balls. Seguine started things off with a single into center before Williams worked an 11 pitch walk to put two runners on. Pectol then sent a double down the right field line that scored Seguine and put Williams on third. Back to back singles by Baumbach and Trevino scored a run each and at the end of the inning Little Rock led 3-0.
 
Over the next three innings New Orleans would score five total runs with two in both the second and third and one in the fifth to take a 5-3 lead past the midway point of the shortened seven inning contest.
 
The Trojans would draw even once more in the bottom of the fifth when a two out double into the right-center gap by Baumbach scored Seguine, and Pectol all the way from first as the game evened up at five apiece.
 
The Privateers were able to pull away late with four runs in the top of the sixth and five in the seventh to deny the Trojans the series victory.
 
Baumbach provided a great deal to the Trojan effort in game two with a 2-for-3 performance that saw him drive in three runs, he doubled and singled in the shortened contest.
 
Seguine was the only other Trojan to collect multiple hits in game two as he singled twice and came around to score two times as well.
 
The Trojans will return to action on Tuesday for an 11 a.m. matchup against Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi. Head Coach Chris Curry will be looking for his 200^th career win as the head coach for Little Rock after picking up win 199 in game one of today's doubleheader.
 
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.
 
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