Little Rock Extends Winning Streak to Four Games

LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock baseball (10-11, 3-4 Sun Belt) secured its first four-game winning streak since 2014 with an 11-8 win over Troy (13-10, 3-4) on Thursday night at Gary Hogan Field.
 
Little Rock came out swinging with 16 hits, its second-most in a game this season.
 
Six Little Rock players had multiple hits for the game, including Dalton Thomas and Riley Pittman who each went 3 for 5. Thomas extended his hitting streak to 17 games while aslo earning three runs and two RBIs.
 
The nation's leading hitter, Ryan Scott, did more of the same as he went 2 for 2 with four runs, three walks and an RBI. He's now hitting .512 for year.
 
Also having big a night at the plate were Nik Gifford, Cameron Knight and Kyle Kirk. Gifford and Knight took home two hits and three RBIs a piece while Kirk had two hits and an RBI of his own.
 
Troy got out to a quick start as Brandon Lockridge began the game with a leadoff triple to right. Payton Fuller knocked Lockridge in with a single to center to take an early 1-0 lead. Joey Denison reached on a fielder's choice as Fuller was out at second. Trevor Davis got on with a bunt single to third before Troy's leading hitter Matt Sanders grounded out to third for the second out of the inning. With runners in scoring position, T.J. Binder walked on seven pitches to load the bases. Chase Smartt came up with the big hit as sent a two-run single through the right side to give Troy a 3-0 lead.
 
Little Rock struck back in the bottom of the first with a couple runs of its own. With one out, Scott walked on five pitches before Dalton Thomas reached on an infield single. With two outs, Knight hit an RBI single to right as Scott made his way around to score. Kirk came up with the other RBI single in the inning as Thomas scored to cut Troy's lead to 3-2.
 
Little Rock's bats stayed warm in the bottom of the second. Zach Baker reached on a throwing error by Troy's third baseman and advanced to second. Hayden Martin put down the sacrifice bunt to advance Baker to third with one out. With two outs, Scott walked for the second time to put runners on the corners. Thomas stepped in and earned his second RBI of the evening with a single through the right side. With runners on the corners once more, Knight put Little Rock ahead 5-3 with a two-run single to left.
 
Troy got within one in the top of the third. Davis started the inning with an infield single before advancing on a passed ball. Sanders then grounded out to second as Davis moved up 90 feet. Binder hit an RBI ground out to second as Davis scored to narrow Little Rock's lead to 5-4.
 
Little Rock had its biggest inning of the night in the bottom of the third as it scored four runs on five hits. Pittman got the frame started with a single to center and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Baker. Martin doubled down the left field line as Pittman scored to put Little Rock up by two runs. That would be all for Troy starter Lucas Brown (3-3) as Houston Mabray made his way out of the bullpen after Brown went 2.1 innings with a strikeout while allowing seven hits, seven runs (four earned) and three walks on 65 pitches. However, things wouldn't improve for Mabray as Hunter Owens welcomed him to the game with a single to right. With runners on the corners, Scott singled down the left field line and advanced to second on the throw as Martin scored. Thomas earned an RBI on a ground out to short as Owens scored. Gifford had Little Rock's second double of the inning as Scott scored to put Little Rock up 9-4.
 
Troy's biggest inning was yet to come as it narrowed Little Rock's lead to 9-8 with four runs on four hits in the top of the fifth. Fuller walked to begin the inning, and Denison doubled to center to put runners in scoring position with no outs. Davis earned an RBI on a ground out to second as Fuller scored and Denison advanced to third. Sanders hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Denison for Troy's second run of the inning. With two outs and no one on base, Binder singled, and Smartt hit an RBI double. That would be all for Little Rock starter Matt McDowell as he went 4.2 innings with a strikeout and allowed eight hits, eight runs (seven earned) and two walks on 89 pitches. Cody Daylor (2-0) was brought in and was welcomed to the game with an RBI single by Justin Friend.
 
Still up by a run in the seventh, Little Rock looked to provide a couple of insurance runs. With two outs, Scott earned his second hit of the night with a single to center. Thomas then singled to left center before Gifford knocked both runners in with a two-run double to put Little Rock up 11-8.
 
Little Rock's relievers allowed just two hits and four walks after McDowell left the game in the fifth. Dylan Slayton came on for Daylor in the sixth with two outs and bases loaded and got Brody Binder to fly out. Slayton struck out two and allowed nothing in 1.1 innings on the mound. Preston Oberling made his way to the mound to begin the bottom of the eighth. Oberling got in some trouble as he gave up a hit and walked two to load the bases, but he got himself out of a jam with a strikeout to end the inning. Cody McGill came on to close things out and worked efficiently as he earned his third save of the year with just 12 pitches.
 
"It was an awesome effort by our offense tonight, and then our bullpen came in and did another great job," head coach Chris Curry said.
 
Little Rock will go for the series win in the second game of the three-game series against Troy on Friday at 6 p.m.