LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock delivered a complete performance Sunday afternoon, rolling to an 11-1 win over Eastern Illinois at Gary Hogan Field to secure an Ohio Valley Conference series sweep.
"It's great to be at home, and we knew if we could get back home things would be better," Trojans head coach Chris Curry said. "We had a great weekend … Eastern is a great club, and I have no doubt we will see them late in the tournament. The weekend changed when we had the two comebacks. We tied the game and fell behind by five yesterday, and I think that sent a message we were here to fight all weekend."
The Trojans (23-17, 11-4 OVC) piled up 12 hits and scored in four different innings while the pitching staff limited Eastern Illinois (21-14, 10-5 OVC) to just four hits.
Little Rock set the tone early, breaking through in the second inning. Cade Martin drove in the first run on a fielder's choice before Kade Smith followed with a two-run single to center, giving the Trojans a 3-0 lead.
Eastern Illinois got on the board in the third on a solo home run by Mike O'Conor, but the Trojans answered immediately. Nico Baumbach doubled home Nolan Freund in the bottom half to push the lead back to three at 4-1.
The Trojans added to the cushion in the fourth. Jerdy Lopez singled home a run before Blake Simpson and Freund each delivered RBI hits to extend the advantage to 7-1.
"I just try to get on base all the time – that is my plan," Lopez said. "When I go to the plate, I just try to see the ball and hit it where it goes. I just try to get on base because I know Kade Smith will get me on base. I've been finding a way to get on base, even with two strikes."
Little Rock put the game away in the sixth. Ty Rhoades ripped a three-run double to left, scoring Angel Cano, Simpson and Freund, and Ryan Geck followed with an RBI double to cap a four-run inning and make it 11-1.
On the mound, Nic Bronzini earned the win with five strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits. Malcolm Brown closed it out with two scoreless innings, striking out four.
"The biggest thing is staying in your routine and preparation every week," Bronzini said. "It was pretty exciting to know I didn't have a pitch count and could just let it go. There was a lot of relief and excitement for me this weekend."
The Trojans had production throughout the lineup. Lopez, Simpson, Freund and Baumbach each recorded two hits, while Rhoades drove in a team-high three runs. Smith added two RBIs as Little Rock finished with 11 RBIs on 12 hits.
With the sweep, Little Rock is tied with SIUE for first place in the OVC standings. The Trojans return to Gary Hogan Field for a two-game midweek set against UT Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Wednesday at 1 p.m. before traveling to Lindenwood for an OVC series next weekend.
"This is our only two-game midweek series of the year, and we'll pitch some other guys and get different guys out there," Curry said. "We have another big series staring us in the face at Lindenwood, so the midweek is important, and we need to manage our bullpen."
