Big Seventh Inning Gives Missouri State Win Over Trojans in Opener

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — One inning made all the difference in Friday's series opener between Little Rock and Missouri State. The host Bears hung a six on the scoreboard during a crucial seventh inning and held off the Trojans for an 8-5 win at Hammons Field.
 
The series concludes tomorrow as the teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 pm. Both games will be available on ESPN+.
 
"That was a tough Friday night game. I want to compliment Brannon [Westmoreland] on an outstanding performance against one of the top offenses in college baseball. I can't say enough about the job he did," head coach Chris Curry said. "We gave them the key ingredients for a big inning – an error, a walk, and a hit by pitch. But our guys fought back, and I'm proud of that."

"We had an opportunity to win it, had the tying run at the plate. We knew driving up here that this series would be difficult. Frustrating that we didn't win, but I like the fight in our club." 
 
Westmoreland threw 108 pitches in 5.2 innings, finishing with nine strikeouts while allowing just two runs and six hits. Both runs came early in the game as Missouri State (5-4) took a 2-0 lead in the second. 
 
Little Rock (6-3) cut that in half in the third with an RBI double by Kade Smith, one of three hits by Smith in the game. Later, in the fifth, Ty Rhoades drove in a pair with one of his two doubles, giving the Trojans a 3-2 advantage.
 
The Bears took advantage in the seventh, loading the bases for a grand slam that put them ahead by five. Easton Roe drove in two runs with a pinch-hit double in the eighth, but despite having runners on the corners in the ninth, the Trojans' potential rally ended on a double play.