UALR Wins Suspended Game, 4-3

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Arkansas-Little Rock scored four runs in the fifth inning with the help of three walks and a home run to defeat Middle Tennessee, 4-3, in a six-inning, suspended game Sunday here at Gary Hogan Field.

The two teams played three innings Saturday before rain stopped play. The two squads were able to play three more innings Sunday before rain halted play for good, with the teams splitting the two contests over the weekend.

Middle Tennessee (9-11, 1-1 Sun Belt) led 2-0 after Saturday's three games and added another run in the fourth inning on Sunday. But the Trojans took advantage of some wildness by Blue Raider pitcher Eric Blevins, who walked three batters in the fifth after allowing a two-run homer. UALR's Steve Bilokur drove in the game-winning run with a two-run single to leftfield.

One more inning was played before a very heavy rain set in over the area. Umpires waited more than 90 minutes before calling the action for the rest of the weekend.

Blevins (0-3) suffered the loss for Middle Tennessee, giving up four runs on five hits in three innings of work. The righthander walked four and struck out three. Saturday's starter, Allan Woodward, tossed three shutout innings, giving up one hit and a walk.

UALR's Scott Yant (3-0) worked three innings on Sunday to pick up the win, allowing an unearned run and three hits. Yant walked two and struck out one.

When the game resumed in the fourth on Sunday, Josh Archer singled with one out and Marcus Taylor's roller up the middle was not handled by shortstop Derek Eilers. Eric McNamee walked and Todd Martin scored Archer with a sacrifice fly down the leftfield line for a 3-0 Middle Tennessee lead.

The Trojans got back into the game in a hurry, with Tim Lawrence singling to start the fifth and Jacob Stover following with a two-run homer into leftcenter, cutting the deficit to 3-2. UALR (13-15, 1-1) was not done in the inning, though, thanks to three walks before a two-run single to left from Steve Bilokur for a 4-3 Trojans lead.

On Saturday before the rains came, McNamee got things going for the Blue Raiders in the first, singling to leadoff. Against UALR lefthanded starter Nick Enlow, McNamee broke for second on first movement. The pickoff attempt was wild and got away, deep down the rightfield line, allowing McNamee to come all the way around and score for a 1-0 lead.

Martin followed with a single and moved to second on another failed pickoff attempt, but after another error, Enlow got a groundout and a strikeout to end the inning without any further damage.

Woodward ran into his own trouble in the bottom of the first, with leadoff hitter Eilers doubling off the wall and Jimmy Scott following with a walk. But Chad McKellar lined into a doubleplay before Bilokur chopped back to the mound for the third out.

Middle Tennessee missed a golden chance to break open the game in the third inning, with McNamee, Martin and Nate Jaggers all singling to load the bases with no outs. Michael McKenry scored a run with a sacrifice fly to center, but the next two batters grounded out to end the threat with the Blue Raiders scoring just once in the inning.

The Blue Raiders stranded nine runners in the six innings, including two in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings. McNamee and Martin were both 2-for-2, with McNamee scoring twice.

The Blue Raiders return home Tuesday to face Tennessee Tech at 7 p.m. at Reese Smith Field.

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