Wesley Kirchharr
Staff Writer
The Troy baseball team picked up two wins and a series victory over the weekend at home against Sun Belt foe Georgia State. The Trojans have now won six of the last eight matchups, reaching the 19 win mark heading into a six game Sun Belt stretch.
Troy followed up that series with a road contest against Jacksonville State, but that game was not completed by the time the Tropolitan went to press. For coverage of that game, visit www.tropnews.com.
On Friday, the Trojans scored 14 runs for the second game in a row after running away with the opening game of the day’s by a score of 14-4.
The Panthers outlasted Troy in game two, stealing a 5-2 victory. Troy bounced back in the rubber game, slamming the door on the series with an 8-3 win.
In Thursday’s game one, inclement weather postponed the action until Friday, calling for a doubleheader then. This did not slow the Trojans, as they found offensive rhythm early to the tune of 11 runs between the fourth and sixth innings.
Troy tied season records in both hits and runs scored, reaching the 14 run mark for the fourth time this year. The Trojans posted 15 hits, led by Joey Denison and Matt Sanders.
Denison paced the Trojan offense, tallying four hits in his five at-bats. The senior also drove in two runs while scoring two of his own.
Sanders followed with a multiple-hit game as well. Sanders posted two hits in his four at bats, scoring four runs in the process.
Corey Childress earned his second win for Troy on the mound, allowing only one run and striking out five in his six innings on the mound.
In Friday’s doubleheader, three ninth inning runs turned a game bound for extra innings into only the fourth Trojan loss at Riddle-Pace Field this season. Georgia State’s Will Kilgore slammed the door on an early series victory for Troy after driving home two runs on a single in the final frame.
“It’s disappointing to lose a game like that,” Head Coach Mark Smartt said. “But we have to be positive because of the big win earlier today. We missed an opportunity to take the series today, but we still have tomorrow to come back and win it.”
The game was tied for six innings after the teams exchanged two runs each in the second inning. The Panthers struck first after another RBI from gave Georgia State a 2-0 lead.
Brody Binder found an answer for the Trojans later in the inning, driving home a run on a double before Chase Smartt scored unearned. Binder led Troy at the plate, connecting on three of his four trips to bat. Joey Denison followed closely with two hits.
CJ Carter was charged with the loss for the Trojans after giving up the final three runs in the ninth frame.
Following game two, the series was knotted at one game apiece, making way for a tiebreaker match on Saturday.
Troy scattered single runs in four different innings, but raced out to a four run rally in the eighth to clinch the series. The Trojans picked up the 8-2 win behind the arm of Daren Osby.
Osby picked up his fourth win on the year after only allowing two runs and striking out seven. Lance Johnson picked up the save after taking the mound in the seventh inning.
“We took advantage of our chances today and were able to get runs in that we’ve been leaving out there recently,” Smartt said after the game. “I’m proud of our club for winning this series at home and we’re looking forward to Wednesday night.”
Drew Frederic and Brandon Lockridge led the Trojans at the plate, combining for five hits.
Frederic posted three hits in his five at-bats, and finished his day with an RBI and one run scored.
Lockridge tallied two hits in his four trips to the plate, driving home two runs.
Troy returns to action Friday, traveling to Boone, North Carolina to take on Appalachian State in a three-game series. Game one is set to begin at 5 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday’s matchup set for 2 p.m. and noon, respectively.
