Troy University Athletics
Trojans Complete Sweep Of Samford
2/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
TROY, Ala. - After getting off to a slow start, the Trojans bats came to life in the middle innings and sparked Troy to an 8-4 victory over visiting Samford Sunday afternoon at Riddle-Pace Field.
With the sweep of Samford, the Trojans improved to 4-2 on the season while dropping the Bulldogs to 1-3. It was Troy's 10th straight win over the Bulldogs going back to last season.
The game was a pitching dual early on as Troy freshman Steven Morelock (1-1) and Samford sophomore Joseph Edens (1-1) matched each other inning for inning.
The Bulldogs gave Edens a 1-0 lead in the second inning thanks to a Bear Burnett single, a pair of infield outs and a wild pitch. The Trojans matched that run in the fourth inning when Brian Bennett scored from third on a Edens wild pitch.
Troy finally broke through against Edens in the fifth inning when four consecutive singles at the bottom of the order plated a pair of runs. Edens avoided suffering a big inning by getting Adam Godwin to ground into a double play.
Matt Alling and Garrett Rice had consecutive two-out hits for Samford in the sixth to get one run back, but Morelock got out of the inning by catching Rice on an early stolen base attempt for the third out.
The Trojans chased Edens in the sixth by plating three more runs. Jared Keel's two-run double ended the Samford sophomore's day. He allowed six runs, four earned, on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out six.
Troy put the game away in the seventh when Clint Robinson followed a Bennett walk from reliver Scott Kubina with an opposite field home run, his first of the year.
Morelock earned his first collegiate victory by working seven strong innings. He scattered five hits and allowed two run while striking out six. He did not allow a walk.
Junior Bert Elliott struggled in his one inning of relief, allowing a pair of Samford runs, one on a wild pitch and the other on a ground out. Junior lefty Jon Gianquitti made an impressive Troy debut in the ninth, retiring the side in order with a pair of strikeouts.
The Trojans will return to action on Tuesday at Auburn (8-2). The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start and will be available on the Troy Radio Network. The Trojans will host the fifth annual Screentech Wiregrass Baseball Classic next weekend in Dothan, hosting Ohio State, Iowa and Middle Tennessee is a round-robin tournament.
