The bats came alive in a weekend sweep of Arkansas State at Riddle-Pace Field. Following two midweek victories and three wins against the Red Wolves, the Trojans extended their win streak to five.
In just three games, the Trojans scored 35 runs and saw a lot of production from the bottom of the order, including Peyton Watts. The true freshman second baseman finished the weekend 5-11 with seven RBIs.
Friday’s series opener was all Troy in a dominant 14-0 win. Luke Lyon bounced back from his only bad outing of the season, spinning a seven-inning shutout in the run-rule victory.
“We’ve had a lot of games where we’ve played outstanding for 90 percent of it, but we played a complete game,” said head coach Skylar Meade. “Our game one starter was really good… and the offense came out ready to go.”
A complete game it was, with the offense overwhelming the Red Wolves’ pitching staff. Lyon struck out nine batters and only allowed two hits in his complete game.
Ethan Kavanagh helped the Trojans jump out to an early 5-0 lead in the second inning with a two-RBI single, and they never looked back. Kavanagh finished the night with two hits and three RBIs.
Saturday, Troy clinched the series with a deceptively close 12-5 game. The game was back-and-forth for the first six innings, entering the seventh inning stretch in a 5-5 stalemate.
Brooks Bryan ripped a double into center field, scoring two runs to give Troy the lead. The Trojans loaded the bases right after, setting the table for Aidan Gilroy.
Gilroy stepped into the left-handed batter's box and delivered, crushing the 1-1 pitch to right field. It flew over the wall, clearing the bases and extending the lead to 11-5.
“He’s a real professional,” said Meade on Gilroy. “He does things right, goes about his business, and is a very good teammate.”
Gilroy’s grand slam came after a dazzling performance on Friday. He aided the defense with a SportsCenter-esque diving play to record an out and also hit an RBI triple.
Peyton Watts willed Troy to a 9-8 walk-off win to complete the sweep. Despite falling behind 4-0 in the early going, the Trojans began to battle back in the fifth inning.
Blake Sutton hit a two-RBI double in the fifth to begin the comeback, and Watts hit a double of his own in the sixth to cut the Red Wolves’ lead to 4-3. An RBI single in the seventh inning allowed Arkansas State to make it a 5-3 game, but Troy wasn’t done yet.
Kyle Mock hit an eighth-inning sacrifice fly to cut the lead in half, and Watts stepped up to bat soon after. Watts found himself in an 0-2 hole, fouling off a few pitches. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, the left-handed batter jumped out in front of the ball and sent it over the foul pole in right-field.
“I don’t ever try to go up there and go yard, I just try to hit the ball hard and whatever happens, happens,” Watts said.
The two-run shot put Troy ahead 6-5 and seemed to seal the win, but Arkansas State hit a go-ahead homer of its own in the ninth inning. The Trojans battled back yet again, with Tremayne Cobb Jr. hitting an RBI single.
Peyton Watts played the hero yet again, coming in clutch with the bases loaded. He lined a single over the Red Wolves infield, which was playing in. Pinch runners Parker Sessions and Shane Lewis raced around to score, giving Troy the walk-off victory.
“When I went up to the box, I just tried to stay within myself,” Watts said. “[The team] has had everybody’s back all season, so I had all the confidence in the world.
“It’s not every day that you get the feeling of hitting a game-winner, so when you do you have to enjoy it.”
The team travels to Boone, North Carolina, this weekend for a series against Appalachian State. The Mountaineers are 18-11 on the season but just got swept by James Madison. The series starts at 5 p.m. CT on Friday.
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