Little Rock secured a 2-0 victory over Lindenwood on April 24 in St. Charles, Missouri, during an Ohio Valley Conference baseball matchup. The win extended the Trojans’ winning streak to six games and ended Lindenwood’s eight-game run.
The result was significant as it kept Little Rock (26-17, 12-4 OVC) near the top of the conference standings with strong performances both offensively and defensively. Brannon Westmoreland led the way for Little Rock by pitching a complete-game shutout, allowing only six hits while striking out five and walking one batter.
“Friday night, you’ve got two aces going at it,” Little Rock head coach Chris Curry said. “You had last year’s Pitcher of the Year in Newell, who is really, really good. And then you’ve got a guy in Brannon Westmoreland who, if he’s not in that conversation, he is now.”
Westmoreland has recorded two shutouts over his last three starts against top teams. “Two of his last three starts have been shutouts against really good clubs,” Curry said. “That tells you everything. He was outstanding again tonight.”
After hitting the first batter he faced, Westmoreland settled down and executed his pitches throughout nine innings. “We had a great game plan going into it, and it’s about going out there and executing it,” Westmoreland said. “When you do that over nine innings, you give yourself a chance to win.”
Cade Martin provided offensive support with a solo home run in the fifth inning to put Little Rock ahead and later added a double before scoring both runs for his team. Martin also contributed behind the plate as catcher throughout Westmoreland’s performance.
“It’s definitely pretty cool to control the game behind the plate and then come through with the game-winning home run,” Westmoreland said. “That’s all we needed. If you play the game the right way, good things happen.”
Defensively, Little Rock played error-free baseball while supporting their pitcher efficiently throughout all nine innings.
“We had just one walk, no errors, and I thought Cade Martin behind the plate was outstanding,” Curry said. “It was situational baseball to a T.”
The teams are scheduled to play again Saturday at 1 p.m., with Little Rock aiming to continue its momentum from this win.
