Ty Ammons
Staff Writer
The Troy University baseball team beat New Orleans on Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3, as well as Samford on Tuesday, April 5.
The Trojans (17-13, 3-6 Sun Belt) won the home series against New Orleans two games to one, and defeated Samford 5-3.
The first game of the series didn’t go well for Troy, as the Privateers (18-10, 4-5 Southland) scored in the third and fourth innings, and then tacked on three more runs in the seventh. The visitors’ scoring kicked off when junior designated hitter Hezekiah Randolph grounded into a fielder’s choice to the shortstop, and junior shortstop Aaron Palmer crossed the plate.
Troy answered in the seventh inning, plating two runs to make the score 5-2.
New Orleans responded by plating five more runs in the eighth inning. It extended its lead on a home run to center field by junior catcher Kyle Bracey that brought in three more runs.
The Trojans made one final push in the ninth inning, but it wasn’t enough, scoring just four runs. Three of them came off a home run by junior pinch hitter T.J Binder to right field, making the final score 10-6.
The tables turned in the second game as Troy jumped out to a 7-0 lead by the fifth inning.
Senior left fielder Cameron Sanders brought home the first three runs on a home run to right field, and Binder tacked on another run with his home run in the fourth inning. Junior right fielder Trevor Davis homered to left center, which plated two runs, and junior first baseman Joey Denison homered to left field the very next at-bat.
New Orleans scored four runs in the sixth and seventh, as it tried to mount a comeback. Troy halted the comeback when it tacked on another run in the seventh inning to make the score 8-4.
Senior center fielder Chaz Boyer gave New Orleans two more runs in the eighth inning on a single up the middle, bringing home Bracey and junior second baseman Samuel Capielano. Troy tacked on another in the bottom of the eighth to make the final score 9-6.
In the third game of the weekend, Troy fell into an early 0-3 deficit, which started on a double by Palmer in the third inning that scored Boyer and sophomore right fielder Jay Robinson.
Troy surged back in the bottom of the third inning, led by a double from senior shortstop Peyton Fuller that scored freshman second baseman Brandon Lockridge for Troy’s first run. Troy scored a total of six runs in the bottom of the third.
New Orleans tried to come back in the sixth inning, but could only muster one run. Troy put up three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, and Troy won the game 9-4 to close out the series.
Troy took its momentum into its game against Samford on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs (16-13, 3-3) jumped out to a 0-1 lead in the top of the third inning, but Troy took care of that in the bottom of the inning by scoring four runs. The scoring rampage was kicked off by a home run by Binder.
Samford put up one more run in the fourth, but Troy washed that out with another run of their own in the seventh inning. Samford started a comeback in the ninth inning as it loaded the bases and scored one run, but that was all it could bring in. The final score was 5-3.
Troy’s next series is against Appalachian State at Riddle-Pace Field on Friday, April 8, to Sunday, April 10. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m.
