RUSTON, La. – Little Rock continued to show its offensive spark and resilience Tuesday night, highlighted by a standout performance from Angel Cano, but the Trojans came up short against Louisiana Tech, 9-3, at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
Cano powered the Trojan lineup, going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and two RBI, accounting for much of Little Rock's offensive production against a deep Louisiana Tech pitching staff.
Despite the final score, Little Rock (20-17, 8-4 OVC) matched Louisiana Tech hit-for-hit for much of the night, finishing with nine hits and putting pressure on the Bulldogs throughout the contest.
After falling behind early, the Trojans answered immediately in the second inning as Cano launched his first home run of the night to put Little Rock on the board. The Trojans continued to chip away, with Cano adding a second solo shot in the sixth to keep momentum within reach.
Little Rock's depth at the plate was evident, with Jerdy Lopez collecting two hits and multiple Trojans contributing base runners as the lineup produced consistent traffic. The Trojans also manufactured a run in the eighth on a Cade Martin sacrifice fly, continuing to battle late into the game.
On the mound, Little Rock saw strong efforts out of the bullpen, particularly from Brayden Walls and Josh Beezley, who combined to keep Louisiana Tech off the scoreboard through the middle innings and give the Trojans an opportunity to close the gap.
Louisiana Tech used a big first inning and a four-run sixth to create separation, but the Trojans never backed down, continuing to compete and generate opportunities against a quality Conference USA opponent.
Little Rock returns home to face OVC co-leader Eastern Illinois in a pivotal three-game series beginning Friday at 6 p.m., at Gary Hogan Field.
