21 May 2025 Wells, Henry spark Trojans’ rout of USI in opening game of OVC tourney

MARION, Ill. — Jackson Wells threw a complete game with eight strikeouts and Zach Henry had four hits, drove in five runs and blew open Wednesday’s game with a three-run homer as Little Rock stunned Southern Indiana, 10-1, in the opening game of the 2025 Ohio Valley Conference Championship, presented by SERVPRO.

The eight-seed Trojans (20-32) got behind their ace with a six-run second inning, and added runs in the fourth and sixth, plus a pair in the seventh. Wells threw 129 pitches, scattered six hits and surrendered just a single run – a solo home run – in the seventh. The five-seed Screaming Eagles (27-29) never recovered after the big second inning by the Trojans. USI pulled its starter after just 1.1 innings and committed four errors in the field.

Little Rock will return to the field this afternoon for a faceoff with four-seed SEMO (30-24) at approximately 4 pm. The winner advances to the double-elimination portion of the tournament, while the loser is eliminated.

The Trojans loaded the bags in the second before breaking through on Reed Willbanks’ double down the left field line to make it 2-0. Alex Seguine followed with a bunt single that scored another run, and Henry blasted a shot to right center, doubling the lead to 6-0. He added another run in the fourth on a single to right, then another in the sixth on another single into right for an 8-0 advantage.

Kade Goeke made it 10-0 in the seventh, reaching safely on an error that allowed Cooper Chaplain and Cade Martin to cross. Seguine finished with two hits and scored three times, Chaplain had two hits and two runs, and Martin scored twice. Angel Cano dropped down a pair of crucial sacrifice bunts to help the Trojan offense.