OXFORD, Miss. – Little Rock jumped out early and continued to apply pressure throughout, but No. 20 Ole Miss used a pivotal fifth inning to pull away late in a 7-4 decision Tuesday morning at Swayze Field.
"It is hard not to wonder, 'What if,' but you can't do that in baseball," Trojans head coach Chris Curry said. "If we don't give up free bases in the fifth and the error late … but these guys competed. I thought we had quality at-bats all day and up until that last inning, we played great defense … It is always tough when you play a team of this caliber. There is no margin for error and you can't give up extra outs or runners, but I have no questions about the fight in our clubhouse. Halfway through the season, I am looking forward to getting back on the field with these guys Friday night."
The Trojans (17-12) matched the Rebels with 13 hits and showcased their offensive depth against one of the top programs in the country, building an early advantage and staying within striking distance into the late innings.
Little Rock wasted no time getting on the board. Nolan Freund delivered an RBI single in the first inning, and the Trojans added to their lead in the second with back-to-back home runs from Cooper Chaplain and Cade Martin to take a 3-1 advantage.
Freund led the way offensively, going 3-for-5 with an RBI, while Chaplain and Martin each recorded multi-hit performances and drove in a run. Easton Roe added two hits, and Jack Bilski provided a key RBI single in the eighth inning to bring the Trojans within one.
On the mound, Nic Bronzini set the tone early, allowing just one run while striking out five over 2.2 innings of work. The Trojan staff combined for 13 strikeouts against a disciplined Ole Miss lineup.
Ole Miss (20-10) used a three-run fifth inning to take the lead and added insurance late, but Little Rock continued to compete throughout, holding the Rebels to eight hits and forcing action into the late innings.
The Trojans turned two double plays defensively and continued to show resilience against a nationally ranked opponent.
Little Rock will look to carry that momentum forward as it returns to conference play at Western Illinois. Because of forecasted heavy rain, the series has been shifted to a Friday-Sunday slate. Friday's game is scheduled for 4 p.m., at Macomb, Ill. Both Saturday and Sunday's games are scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
