COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — The Little Rock Trojans defeated Tennessee Tech 12-4 Friday, marking a historic night for head coach Chris Curry who secured his 276th career win at Little Rock, surpassing Gary Hogan for the most wins in program history. The victory opened Ohio Valley Conference play for both teams at Bush Stadium.
Nolan Freund led the Trojans’ offensive charge with two home runs, while Jack Bilski added his first home run of the season. Little Rock quickly established a commanding lead, building an 8-0 advantage. Freund and Cade Martin each recorded three hits, contributing to the Trojans’ total of 15 hits on the night. Kade Smith, Jerdy Lopez, and Bilski each added two hits.
“It’s great to be 1-0 and start conference play with a win, and it starts on the mound,” Curry said after the game. “Brannon Westmoreland got out of a jam early, and that’s what Friday night guys do. Nolan was outstanding, and he and Bilski came up considerable. Tag Andrews was really decent coming in and getting four strikeouts in two innings.”
Freund’s first home run came as part of a three-run third inning, followed by a three-run blast in the fifth, extending the Trojans’ lead to 8-0. Tennessee Tech attempted to rally, narrowing the gap to 8-4 by the sixth inning, but Little Rock responded with additional runs in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the win.
Westmoreland (3-0) pitched six innings, allowing three hits and recording three strikeouts. Andrews followed with two hitless innings, striking out four, and Malcolm Brown closed out the ninth inning.
Chris Curry, who began his head coaching tenure at Little Rock in 2015, previously served as an assistant coach at Arkansas, according to web search results. Prior to his collegiate coaching career, Curry played professional baseball as a catcher for several years, including time with organizations affiliated with the San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers.
The Trojans and Golden Eagles will play again Saturday at 2 p.m.
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