TROY, Ala. — Arkansas-Little Rock’s historic postseason run hit a major obstacle Friday afternoon. The Trojans saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end in brutal fashion, as Troy hit four home runs on its way to a 12-2 victory in Game 1 of the Troy Super Regional at Riddle-Pace Field. The announced crowd of 6,426 witnessed both programs making their first appearances in the super regional round. UALR (39-27) entered the weekend one win away from a College World Series berth. Now the Trojans face elimination, needing to win consecutive games Saturday and Sunday to keep their season alive. “Good job by Troy winning the first game,” UALR Coach Chris Curry said. “The series is not over. … The art of winning the weekend is if Friday doesn’t go your way, you’ve got to flip the momentum and regroup.” Troy (46-14) used the long ball to take control early. The Trojans hit four home runs — including two from Boroff — as the Troy pitching staff held UALR to just two runs on five hits. With Friday’s victory, Troy moves to the brink of securing the best-of-three series. A win Saturday would send the program to the College World Series, scheduled for June 12-22 at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb. Game 2 is set for 2 p.m. Central on Saturday. UALR’s eight-game winning streak was the longest in program history during postseason play. The Trojans rolled through the regional round in Fayetteville last weekend, outscoring opponents 32-9 in three games to earn the trip to Troy. Friday’s loss marked the first time UALR had been defeated since falling to Southern Illinois in regional play. The Trojans had won 12 of their last 13 games coming into the super regional. Both teams entered the super regional as surprises. UALR finished third in the Sun Belt Conference during the regular season but caught fire at the right time, winning the Fayetteville Regional as the No. 2 seed. Troy claimed the automatic bid by winning the Sun Belt Tournament and carried that momentum into Friday’s opener. The Trojans will need to rediscover that offensive production quickly. UALR managed just two runs on five hits against Troy’s pitching staff, a significant drop-off from the 32 runs the team scored in three regional games. UALR’s season ends with the Super Regional loss regardless of outcome. A victory Saturday would force a decisive Game 3 on Sunday.
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
