by Rylee Bamberger
Top of the ninth inning. One out. Runners on second and third. Brandon Schrepf winds back and delivers the pitch. All you can hear is the ball crack off the bat and your head snaps to the field to catch the action. The ball is traveling to shallow right field.
Kyle Mock is sprinting to get underneath it. Mock catches the ball on the run and throws the ball to home as he is falling to the ground. Freshman catcher Brooks Bryan catches the ball. ULM’s runner is moving at full speed. It’s a close call. The umpire yells “OUT!” and the crowd burst into cheers. The Trojans empty the dugout and spring onto the field, throwing gloves and hats in celebration of the game winning double play.
This was the scene in the Trojans’ second game of the doubleheader last Saturday. This play by junior outfielder Mock secured the series’ sweep against ULM.
The Troy baseball team has won four straight games, improving to 17-7 and 3-3 in conference play . This win streak started after the Trojans beat Florida A&M, 10-0, to snap a four-game losing streak.
Junior infielder William Sullivan hit two solo home runs to headline the Trojans’ offense who finished the game with 10 runs and 10 hits. Pitchers Kristian Asbury and Matt Mercer combined for 5.1 total shutout innings, six strikeouts and three hits before Schrepf and Beau Fletcher finished the shutout.
Redshirt sophomore Shane Lewis continued adding to his impressive season. With two home runs against ULM on Friday, Lewis has hit 13 home runs on the season and is tied for third in the nation for most home runs. Lewis also has recorded 41 RBIs, which has him in sole possession of third place in the nation.
The Trojans’ bullpen was the most important part of the Trojans’ sweep last weekend. Logan Ross shut the Warhawks’ momentum down on Friday with 2.2 scoreless innings. Noah Manning closed the game out, recording a four-out save.
In the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, junior Ben Thompson relieved Zach Fruit in the second inning after ULM scored three runs and Fruit walked three batters. Thompson struck out nine batters in five innings before Manning recorded the save, shutting ULM down for the last 2.2 innings of the game.
Grayson Stewart started the second game of the doubleheader off strong, striking out eight batters in six innings and only allowing three runs. Asbury entered the game and shut the Warhawks down for 2.1 innings, striking out five batters and only allowing one hit.
Mock won the game for the Trojans after hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to grab the lead for the Trojans. Schrepf entered the game in the bottom of the ninth and on his fourth pitch, Mock made the game-winning double play.
Conference play continues this weekend against Southern Miss at Riddle-Pace Field. The first pitch is at 6 p.m. on Friday, 3 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
