BATON ROUGE, La. — In an electrifying display of offensive power, Angel Cano delivered an outstanding performance with four hits, including two doubles and a home run, driving in seven RBIs as Little Rock triumphed over Rhode Island with a score of 22-10 on Saturday in a critical elimination game at the Baton Rouge Regional.
The victory places Little Rock (25-33) in another elimination match set for Sunday against the loser of the matchup between top-seeded LSU and Dallas Baptist. Earlier in the tournament, LSU had bested the Trojans 7-0 in their opening contest.
Brody Bunting took the mound for Little Rock, pitching the final 4 2/3 innings while yielding only two runs on three hits. The offense saw contributions from Reed Willbanks and Sammy Harris, both of whom homered, while Alex Seguine also chipped in with three hits and three RBIs.
The game began cautiously, with neither team registering a base runner in the first inning. But the Trojans ignited in the second inning, scoring five runs, with Cano and Zach Henry each notching two RBIs. Rhode Island (38-22) fought back, with Nic Notarangelo contributing a two-run homer and Brody McKenzie driving in another run to close the gap to 5-3.
As the game progressed, both teams continued their back-and-forth battle, with Rogers hitting a homer and the Rhode Island team countering with Jack Hopko’s two-run homer in the eighth inning. However, Cano’s decisive two-RBI double in the ninth sparked a seven-run rally that ultimately sealed the deal for Little Rock.
This game underscores Little Rock’s resilience as they navigate through the regional, demonstrating their capacity to rise to the occasion when faced with elimination. The prospect of advancing further in the tournament remains a hopeful reality for the Trojans as they look forward to their next challenge.
Overall, the strong offensive showing gives fans something to cheer about, leaving them hopeful for what lies ahead in the tournament.