Early Run Dooms Troy at Little Rock

Friday, April 26

Little Rock, Ark.

6:00 PM

Troy University

20-22, 0

Little Rock

20-21, 0

Troy

Little Rock

4/26/2019 9:13:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

Little Rock, Ark. – An unearned run in the first inning was the difference as Troy suffered a tough 4-3 loss to Little Rock in Sun Belt Conference baseball action at Gary Hogan Field on Friday night.

The Trojans (21-21, 9-10 Sun Belt) fought back late in the game and held Little Rock (20-21, 12-6 Sun Belt) scoreless over the last six innings but could not complete the comeback.

Junior Cory Gill took the loss on the mound to move to 5-2 on the season after tossing six innings giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits with four strikeouts.

Seven Trojans garnered a hit in the contest with sophomore Rigsby Mosley (4) and freshman Logan Cerny (6) tallying solo home runs.

In the bottom half of the first, Gill notched a strikeout for what would have been the third out of the inning, but the ball went off of senior catcher Chase Smartt's glove allowing the batter to reach base and the runner on second to march to third.

The runner took a big turn around third and Smartt threw the ball to sophomore Manning Early at third to force the runner to get in a pickle. As Early was running towards the runner, Gill called for the ball and the ball hit the tip of his glove and bounced away allowing the runner to score.

Little Rock added three more runs in the third off two RBI-singles and a sacrifice fly. Troy slowly marched back as Cerny led off the fifth with his solo home run and Mosley led off the sixth with his solo shot over the right field wall.

The Trojans added their final run in the seventh off a pinch-hit RBI-double from sophomore Austin Garofalo that brought home Smartt but that would end Troy's hopes of a comeback.

For Little Rock, Chandler Fidel went 8.2 innings with 12 strikeouts while giving up three runs on seven hits.

Sound 'Smartt' With Your Friends
Mosley's solo shot in the sixth inning allowed him to increase his reached base streak to 33 games.

Quick Hits
- Mosley has hit safely in 30-of-37 games on the year
- Smartt hit his 34th career double giving him 43 career extra base hits
- Garofalo notched his first career hit as a pinch hitter with his RBI-double in the seventh

Up Next
Troy will play game two of the three-game series against Little Rock on Saturday at 2 p.m.