Troy baseball continued its hot streak with a series win over Appalachian State and a thrilling victory over Samford. The Trojans improved to 9-6 in Sun Belt Conference play.
The Trojans offense is raking, with eight home runs hit in Boone, North Carolina last weekend. Troy has scored more than 10 runs in seven out of its last nine games.
Saturday’s doubleheader against the Mountaineers was up-and-down, with both games ending in a run-rule. Troy won the first contest 17-2 in eight innings.
Brooks Bryan got the scoring started in the third inning, hitting a bases-loaded single to score Blake Sutton. Two bases-loaded walks and a wild pitch allowed the Trojans to score four total runs in the inning, and the team never looked back. The third-inning walks were just two of the season-high 17 that Troy drew in the game.
Bryan finished the game 4-6 with five RBIs and a home run and was 2-3 with a homer and a RBI in the nightcap. The sophomore star began the series fifth in the nation in RBIs and has 56 after the App State series.
Ethan Kavanagh, who is back after missing the last two games against Arkansas State with an injury, had four RBIs in the win. Luke Lyon also turned in another great outing, holding the Mountaineers to just two runs over eight innings.
The second game of the doubleheader was the opposite of the first, except for Bryan’s continued prowess at the plate. The Trojans struck out 12 times in an 11-1 loss.
Aside from Bryan’s two hits, only Peyton Watts had a hit. App State center fielder Banks Tolley hit two home runs and had four RBIs in the contest.
Sunday’s rubber match got off to a bad start after the Mountaineers jumped out to an early 5-1 lead. However, Logan Ross came on in relief of Brady Fuller and locked it down, spinning four scoreless innings in the 12-5 win.
During the middle innings, the Trojans offense teed off on the App State pitching staff. A Watts home run and an RBI single by Bryan in the third inning made it a two-run game before Troy scored another in the fifth.
The Mountaineers brought Jordan Fisher out of the bullpen, and Tremayne Cobb Jr. greeted him with a deep flyout to center field. It was only a sign of things to come.
Kyle Mock blasted a home run to right field before Aidan Gilroy poked a full-count pitch out to left. Ben Arnett, making his first appearance of the season, finished off the back-to-back-to-back with a shot to right. The Trojans took all the momentum in that moment, and only expanded upon the 7-5 lead from there.
Mock ignited another offensive explosion in the eighth inning with his second home run of the day, kicking off a five-run frame. Noah Manning closed the door with 1.2 scoreless innings.
Tuesday night, the Trojans traveled to Birmingham to play in-state rival Samford. Troy won a 10-8 offensive battle that went down to the wire.
he teams took turns having high-scoring innings, with three total lead changes. Bryan stayed hot, crushing another home run and collecting 3 RBIs in the game.
Clete Hartzog also turned in a solid outing from the bullpen, holding the Bulldogs in check during the middle innings. He pitched 3.1 innings, allowing no earned runs to cross during that time.
The game-winning hit ultimately came off the bat of Ethan Kavanagh, who hit a clutch two-out, two RBI single in the ninth inning to put Troy ahead 10-8.
Following a midweek game against Jacksonville State, the Trojans play host to Georgia State over the weekend. The series starts Friday at 6 p.m. at Riddle-Pace field.
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