LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Little Rock Trojans battled tough conditions, defensive miscues, and a resilient Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles squad Friday night, ultimately falling 8-5 in the series opener at Gary Hogan Field.
Little Rock (15-11, 3-1 OVC) committed three errors — an uncharacteristic total — that allowed Southern Indiana (17-9, 3-1) to extend innings and seize momentum.
The Trojans collected 13 hits in wet and windy conditions but struggled to convert timely opportunities into a sustained rally.
The series continues Saturday at 4 p.m., with the finale set for Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.
For the first time this season, Little Rock ace Brannon Westmoreland did not reach five innings. He lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and four earned runs. Isaac Evaniew provided a bright spot out of the bullpen, tossing 3 1/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts to keep the Trojans within striking distance through seven.
Offensively, Easton Roe, Angel Cano, Jack Bilski, Cade Martin, and Jerdy Lopez each recorded two hits. Cooper Chaplain added a double and drove in two runs.
Southern Indiana opened the scoring with a run in the first, but Little Rock responded with three runs in the second and added another in the third to take a 4-1 lead.
The game turned in the fourth inning, when the Screaming Eagles plated five runs — including two on wild pitches — to swing the advantage.
Little Rock answered with a run in the bottom half on a Nolan Freund groundout, but could not close the gap. Southern Indiana added insurance in the eighth with a two-out, two-run single to seal the win.
