USI takes series from Trojans with Sunday walk-off win

EVANSVILLE, Indiana — A back-and-forth rubber match between Little Rock and Southern Indiana ended with a walk-off hit for the host Screaming Eagles, who also won the Ohio Valley Conference series with Sunday's 8-7 result at USI Baseball Field.
 
Both sides managed 11 hits and thru eight innings, the two sides also had seven runs apiece. But in the ninth, the Trojans (10-18, 1-5) left a runner stranded while Southern Indiana (12-15, 4-2) put its first two runners on with an error and walk, then scored the final run on a walk-off RBI single.
 
LITTLE ROCK SCORING
The Trojans got off to a great start at the plate, putting up five runs in the first inning on five hits … Ty Rhoades singled to score Sammy Harris, Jayce Blalock singled to score Ryan Geck, and Cooper Chaplain singled to bring in Rhoades … Little Rock chased USI's starting pitcher with a quick 3-0 lead … Scoring continued when Jacob Ambriz singled into shallow left to bring both Chaplain and Jackson Rains … In the second, Kade Goeke drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on an error and later scored when Geck singled through the middle for a 6-1 advantage … With the Screaming Eagles leading 7-6, Blalock hit a bomb off the scoreboard in left to tie the contest once again, his fourth homer of the season.
 
LITTLE ROCK HITTING
Blalock led the way, finishing with three hits and a pair of RBI … Geck and Chaplain also had multi-hit days and each drove in a run … Ambriz finished with two RBI and reached bases twice … the Trojans' seven runs were scored by seven different players
 
LITTLE ROCK PITCHING
Five hurlers took the ball for Little Rock on Sunday … Malcolm Brown started and went two innings, allowing four hits and one unearned run … After Brody Bunting pitched one inning of relief, Gage Haley went 1.1 innings with just two hits and an unearned run … Hunter Royal followed with 1.2 innings … Blake Van Cleve (0-2) took the loss while throwing the final 2.1 frames, allowing just one hit.
 
NEXT UP
The Trojans head to Jonesboro on Wednesday for a 6 pm non-conference matchup against Arkansas State (13-14) at Tomlinson Stadium. The game can be streamed live on ESPN+.