LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Needing a win to keep their Ohio Valley Conference tournament hopes alive, Little Rock delivered in a big way Saturday with a dominant 11-4 win over UT Martin at Gary Hogan Field, evening the series at a game apiece. The rubber match is scheduled for Sunday at 1 pm and can be seen on ESPN+.
Jackson Wells tied his single-game career-high with nine strikeouts to pick up the win,
Zach Henry had four hits – including three doubles – with three RBIs and two runs, and
Ryan Geck mashed a three-run homer as part of a six-run sixth that blew the game open for the Trojans (19-28, 8-12 OVC).
The win puts the Trojans (.400 win percentage) back in front of Western Illinois (.391) for the eighth and final spot in the upcoming OVC Championships with four games to play. UT Martin (19-30, 10-12) remains in seventh place.
Wells (2-5) went 5.1 innings on 99 pitches, surrendering just three hits, one earned run and three walks. He had gone four innings without allowing a hit before the Skyhawks hit a solo homer to start the fifth. The OVC-leader in strikeouts, Wells' nine punchouts also match his highest total of the season.
With Wells facing a jam in the sixth and the bases full of Skyhawks,
Hunter Royal came in to get two crucial outs, including a strikeout.
Gage Haley went the final three innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run with a pair of strikeouts.
The Trojans started their offensive onslaught in the second when
Cade Martin doubled to bring in
Ty Rhoades.
Reed Willbanks followed with a single that allowed Martin and
Jayce Blalock to cross the plate for an early 3-0 lead. UT Martin got its first tally on the home run in the fifth, but the Trojans answered back in the bottom half on consecutive doubles from Henry and Geck for a 5-1 lead.
The Skyhawks added a run in the sixth and had looked like they were ready to rally before being shut down by Royal, and Little Rock followed in the bottom half by batting around the order and plating six runs, including
Cooper Chaplain scoring with the bases full when
Alex Seguine was hit by a pitch. Henry then doubled home two runs to make it 8-2, and Geck's homer cleared the left field fence to give the Trojans an 11-2 cushion.
UT Martin added a pair of runs in the seventh but went down in order in the eighth and stranded two runners in the ninth.
