EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Little Rock saw late life at the plate but couldn't overcome an early deficit, falling 6-2 to SIUE Saturday afternoon at Simmons Baseball Complex.
The Trojans (20-15, 8-3 OVC) were limited to five hits on the day, with two runs coming in the eighth inning after SIUE had built a comfortable lead.
"We had our chances early with the bases loaded but hit into a double play – one of three double plays on the day," Little Rock head coach
Chris Curry said. "We had two opportunities early and couldn't cash in and let a good starting pitcher settle in, to his credit, and he held us scoreless through seven innings. We showed some fight getting a couple of runs late, but we needed to do that much earlier."
Nolan Freund led the Trojan offense, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, delivering both runs in the eighth inning to trim the deficit.
Easton Roe added a hit, while the Trojans drew three walks but were unable to sustain consistent pressure.
On the mound,
Brigden Parker turned in a solid outing despite the result, working through 7 2/3 innings striking out seven.
"
Brigden Parker gave us more than enough opportunity to win the ballgame," Curry said. "He pitched well."
Little Rock showed resilience late, scoring twice in the eighth, but the rally came too late to shift momentum.
"I absolutely thought this was going to be a tough series, and that is what it is shaping up to be – a big-league fight tomorrow on championship Sunday," Curry said. "The good news is we are in good shape with our pitching. I am really excited to see [
Nic Bronzini] get his first conference start. He will bring some juice and energy, and you will see some other guys in the lineup that will get us going as well."
The series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. with a decisive rubber match as the Trojans look to secure a key Ohio Valley Conference road series.
