Little Rock defeated SIUE 3-0 on April 10, taking the opening game of their Ohio Valley Conference baseball series at Simmons Baseball Complex.
The win is significant as it puts Little Rock into a tie with SIUE at the top of the conference standings and sets up an important weekend for both teams.
Head coach Chris Curry said, “That was a quality game played by two teams at a high level. Our pitching was more than we needed. It was great. … Two teams at the top of the league, and you saw why. There was great pitching and defense on a night where the wind made it tough to hit.” The Trojans allowed only three hits while striking out eight batters in a complete-game shutout performance.
Little Rock scored its first run in the third inning after an error by SIUE and added two more runs in the fourth inning with three consecutive hits, building a lead that would hold for the rest of the game. Brannon Westmoreland started for Little Rock and kept control throughout, working around four walks but not allowing any runs. “Going in, I wanted to control the pace, get ahead of hitters and keep the ball down,” Westmoreland said. “I started that in the bullpen and then carried it into the game, rolling and controlling the game and playing the way I wanted to.” He also noted his focus during his streak: “I try not to think about it. I saw a scoreboard with a bunch of zeroes – I just wanted to keep the lead,” he said.
Isaac Evaniew closed out SIUE late in relief duties while Jerdy Lopez led offensively with two hits and one run scored. Easton Roe reached base three times, contributing two hits as well. Michael O’Brien added an RBI double during Little Rock’s seven-hit effort. O’Brien commented on how difficult scoring was: “The way the ballpark was playing, it was tough to get runs,” he said. “We had good pitching was on the mound, and we just needed one run. Having that extra cushion helped, though.”
Looking ahead, both teams will continue their three-game series Saturday afternoon at Simmons Baseball Complex starting at 2 p.m., with Curry adding: “We need to come out tomorrow and win the series, but it was a great night tonight.”
