Ty Ammons
Staff Writer
The Troy University baseball team swept conference opponent Appalachian State in a three-game home series this past weekend, but it lost in extra innings to rival Jacksonville State on Tuesday, April 12.
The Trojans (20-14, 6-6 Sun Belt) won their three games by scores of 9-7, 4-3, and 3-2. With those wins, Troy gained some much-needed momentum in conference play before a tough stretch of road games.
In the first game, Troy didn’t take long to get in front and stay there. Troy took a 6-0 lead, beginning in the second inning when senior third baseman Bert Givens doubled up the infield line to score freshman second baseman Brandon Lockridge.
Troy scored two runs in the fourth inning and tacked on three more on a double by junior designated hitter Justin Friend.
The Mountaineers (8-25, 3-12 Sun Belt) struck back with three runs in the sixth inning, and then scored two more in the eighth off a home run by sophomore left fielder Tyler Stroup. That homer also scored junior right fielder Brian Bauk.
Troy scored three more runs in the bottom of the eighth. To start it off, junior first baseman Joey Denison scored off a single from Lockridge.
Junior first baseman TJ Binder doubled to right field to score Lockridge, and Friend doubled later that inning, scoring sophomore center fielder Shaw Pinnell and making the score 9-5. Appalachian State tried to rally in the ninth inning, but managed to score only two runs.
The next game started off differently, as Appalachian State scored first on a two-run home run by Bauk. He scored junior third baseman Matt Vernon as well.
Troy cut the lead to one in the fourth inning on a fielding error by the third baseman, which allowed Denison to score. In the eighth inning, senior center fielder Cameron Sanders singled, scoring senior shortstop Peyton Fuller and tying the game for Troy.
Appalachian State took a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth, when senior third baseman Grayson Atwood singled to right field and scored Stroup. In the bottom of the inning, Troy won on a walk-off hit by junior left fielder Trevor Davis, scoring Fuller and junior designated hitter Steven Whitaker.
The third game started much like the second one: Appalachian State scored in both the third and fourth innings. Sophomore catcher Chandler Seagle, who advanced to third on a single by Vernon, scored on an error during the play.
Troy tied the game in the ninth inning with two walks. Senior first baseman Austin Hulsey was walked on 10 pitches, and Lockridge was hit by a pitch to score Troy’s second run.
In the 12th inning, Troy won on a wild pitch by Appalachian State junior Matt Schaeffer. The final score was 3-2.
The next week, the Trojans welcomed Jacksonville State to Riddle-Pace Field.
The game did not start off well for Troy. The Gamecocks scored four runs in the first four innings, beginning with a single from senior first baseman Paschal Petrongolo, which scored senior center fielder Gavin Golsan.
Denison got one run back for Troy in the bottom of the fourth on a home run, but Jacksonville State tacked on two more runs in the fifth and seventh innings. Both runs were RBIs by sophomore shortstop Taylor Hawthorne.
Troy tied the game in the seventh and eighth innings on two walks and five singles, but Hawthorne put up another RBI in the 11th inning to score Petrongolo.
Troy tied it up again in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Denison that scored Lockridge. The Gamecocks won the game 8-7, when in the sixteenth inning junior third baseman Josh Bobo hit a home run.
Troy’s next series is against the Arkansas State Red Wolves in Jonesboro, Arkansas, on Friday, April 15, to Sunday, April 17.
