Steven Meir runs the bases after a home run.
Following a 7-4 Wednesday night victory over UAB, the Trojans welcomed Ivy League Penn to Riddle-Pace for a three game weekend series. The Trojans continued their winning streak, increasing it to eight games following a three-game sweep over the Quakers.
“This was an outstanding series from us,” said head coach Skylar Meade. “Most importantly, finding different ways to win and having a calm and collected dugout is really good for the long term.”
Game one of the series was a quick one, resulting in an 11-1 run-rule victory for Troy. Penn came out swinging and crushed the very first pitch over the left field wall, but after that, starting pitcher Garrett Gainous settled in and took over the game. Gainous finished with eight strikeouts through six innings.
The offense kicked off in the bottom of the second inning with Mike Bello smoking a solo homer into right field. After that homer, the bats woke up. Steven Meier led the charge from the plate with three hits and two RBIs, but most importantly the center fielder caused chaos on the base paths.
“Stealing bases is a big part of my game,” Meier said. “I’m going to keep going and running when it makes sense to help the team score a lot more runs.”
Meier finished the game with a career-high four stolen bases in the game. Troy’s bats remained hot throughout the entire matchup with all nine starters recording a hit. The final starter to get a hit was Sean Darnell, recording a walk off single down first base line.
Troy claimed victory in seven innings, 11-1.
Game two of the series featured a very different style of game. The Quakers were not going down without a fight and jumped out to an early 2-0 lead behind a Gavin Collins two-run homer. The pitching for Penn, however, remained shaky to start.
The starter, Marty Coyne, was pulled after only 20 pitches thrown. Coyne walked four straight batters, and Troy tied the game 2-2. Walks started to become an issue for the Quakers. In the second inning, they allowed another run on a bases loaded walk to give Troy a one-run lead.
The game remained tied through four innings -- both teams scraped by with small hits. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Meier stepped up to bat with two Trojans on base and delivered in a big way. The senior smashed a ball over the wall for a three-run home run, breaking the tie.
Troy held a 7-4 lead into the sixth inning, but the pitching bug caught up with them as well. Luke Lyon struggled in his first appearance since Auburn, allowing four runs and giving Penn the lead back, 9-7. Grady Gorden entered the game and shut down Penn to allow the Trojans a chance to retake the lead in the eighth with Brooks Bryan up to bat and a runner on base.
“I got to a 2-1 count and was ready to attack something,” Bryan said. “I saw a curveball up in the zone and attacked it and did something good with it in the process.”
Bryan hit a no doubter over the right field wall, energizing the crowd and dugout. The game now lay in the hands of Colby Frieda. Frieda secured two strikeouts and a pop fly in the top of the ninth setting up a walk off opportunity for Troy.
The top of the lineup was due up, with Meier leading off. Penn walked yet another Troy batter, and now the pressure was on. Darnell stepped up to bat and shot a heater to the shortstop, who could not corral it. Blake Cavill was next up to bat.
Cavill laid down a bunt to the third baseman, who secured the ball and skied it into the opponent’s dugout on the throw. Meier would score and Troy won 10-9, securing the series win.
“Blake laid down that bunt and put some game pressure on Penn and the ball ended up getting away and the Trojans win,” Meade said. “You must be able to win a lot of ways.
“We have not had a game this season where we trailed and won, so I am very excited to see the team fight this one out the way they did.”
The Trojans went for the series sweep on Sunday with Drew Nelson on the mound. Nelson delivered in an opposite result from the night before, shoving six strikeouts past Quaker batters in a 6-1 victory.
“The more and more I am out there the more comfortable I am,” Nelson said. “Being able to work ahead and mix up my pitches really helps.”
Meier once again shined on the offensive side of the ball, blasting two doubles and stealing another base in Sunday’s matchup. The game remained close through the first six innings with Troy holding on to only a 2-1 lead.
In the top of the seventh inning, Cavill was due up. On the second pitch of his at bat, the pitcher hit the first baseman and put him on base. Bryan stepped up to the plate and blew the game open. The catcher hit the ball 405 feet over the centerfield wall to increase Troy’s lead, 4-1. The Trojans tacked on two more in the bottom of the eighth, and then Jay Dill shut things down from there.
“To have your pitchers have ten strikeouts and no walks is outstanding,” Meade said. “That may be our standard, and it is a difficult one to repeat, but I was very impressed today.”
Troy improves to 11-1 on the season, earning the team the No. 19 spot in this week’s D1 baseball rankings. The Trojans begin a nine-game road trip this Wednesday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, versus No. 23 Alabama before travelling to USC Upstate for the final non-conference series of the season.
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