COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Little Rock stormed back with four runs in the ninth inning, capped by a go-ahead three-run homer from
Kade Smith, to stun Tennessee Tech 11-10 on Sunday at Bush Stadium and complete a three-game Ohio Valley Conference sweep.
Trailing 10-7 entering the final frame, the Trojans (14-10, 3-0 OVC) mounted a late rally, beginning with an RBI single from
Cooper Chaplain. After a base hit by
Trey Hill, Smith delivered the decisive blow with a three-run shot to left, putting Little Rock back in front for good.
"Sometimes you've got to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. You just can't overstate the toughness of this team, and how much guts it took to win that game," head coach
Chris Curry said. It's tough to sweep, and tough to sweep on the road. It feels wonderful to be 3-0, and we're looking forward to being back in Little Rock on Tuesday."
Little Rock built an early advantage behind home runs from
Ryan Geck and
Nolan Freund, the latter a three-run shot in the third inning that helped stake the Trojans to a 4-0 lead. The Trojans extended the margin to 7-3 through five innings before Tennessee Tech chipped away.
Smith finished 2-for-4 with two walks, five RBIs, and two runs scored, while Freund added two hits and three RBIs. Geck also contributed two hits and two RBIs as Little Rock totaled 15 hits.
Malcolm Brown (2-0) earned the win in relief, recording the final two outs of the eighth, and
Gage Haley secured his third save after working around traffic in the ninth.
Little Rock returns home for a midweek contest against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday, before hosting Southern Indiana for a weekend OVC series at Gary Hogan Field.
