LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – In a game that demanded patience, Little Rock delivered the decisive punch exactly when it mattered most.

Locked in a scoreless duel through five innings, the Trojans erupted for four runs in the sixth and leaned on a dominant outing from Nic Bronzini to secure a 4-0 victory over Morehead State Sunday at Gary Hogan Field.

The win pushes Little Rock to 28-20 overall and 14-7 in Ohio Valley Conference play, completing a strong weekend performance at home.

Bronzini set the tone from the outset, working efficiently and confidently through eight shutout innings. The right-hander scattered just four hits, struck out eight and consistently worked out of traffic to keep the Eagles off the board.

"I think the biggest thing is just sticking to a consistent routine," Bronzini said. "No matter if you do good or bad, you stay with your preparation. I'm ready to pitch in any role—whenever they need me, I'll be ready."

While Bronzini handled the mound, the Trojans offense stayed steady, putting pressure on throughout before finally breaking through in the sixth.

Jerdy Lopez sparked the rally with a leadoff single, followed by a bunt hit from Kade Smith to put two aboard. After Angel Cano was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Blake Simpson delivered the breakthrough swing—a two-run single to right that opened the scoring and shifted momentum squarely to Little Rock.

"I'm just trying to stay present up there," Simpson said. "When I trust myself and keep a simple approach, I feel like I'm going to get the job done."

The Trojans kept applying pressure. Nolan Freund executed a sacrifice bunt to move runners into scoring position, and Ty Rhoades followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0. Nico Baumbach capped the inning with a sacrifice fly, giving Little Rock all the cushion it would need.

From there, it was all about finishing.

Bronzini continued to attack the zone into the eighth, and Gage Haley closed the door in the ninth, striking out two to seal the shutout. The Trojans struck out 10 Morehead State hitters on the afternoon and never allowed the Eagles to mount a sustained threat.

Head coach Chris Curry credited his club's ability to stay the course and execute when it mattered most.

"We were scoreless through five and just a little bit in a funk offensively, but that happens," Curry said. "What I loved was how we stayed with it, played 90 feet at a time and took advantage when the opportunity came."

Curry also pointed to Bronzini's command of the game as the difference-maker.

"To go out there and throw a shutout on Sunday with the conditions we had - that's outstanding," Curry said. "He gave us exactly what we needed, and once we broke through, he came right back with a shutdown inning. That was the ballgame."

At the plate, Little Rock produced nine hits, with Rhoades leading the way with a two-hit effort, while Simpson drove in two runs in the decisive inning.

The formula was familiar—and effective: timely hitting, clean execution and dominant pitching. And on a Sunday when one big inning made all the difference, the Trojans delivered exactly that.
that.

Little Rock returns to Gary Hogan Field at 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 5 to play host to rival Arkansas State.