Trojans Rally Falls Just Short

Friday, February 27

Troy

6:00 PM

Troy University

Memphis

2/27/2009 6:00:00 AM | Baseball

The Troy University Trojans had their 2009 home-opener spoiled by a junior left-hander for Memphis, who shut the Trojans down to within one out of a shutout on Friday night.

The Trojans (4-2) rallied with two out, scoring five times, but Memphis (3-2) avoided a catastrophic meltdown when a base-running mistake resulted in the final out in a 7-5 Tigers victory.

Tigers junior Brennon Martin (1-0) kept Troy's hitters off-balance and out of sync all evening. The Memphis native did not allow a runner past second base until Troy senior Brett Henry hit a two-out homer to right in the bottom of the ninth to end Martin's shutout attempt.

Henry's homer, his third of the season, came on Martin's 100th pitch. He threw only four more, walking Trevor Tyre, before being lifted from the game.

“Martin was really good all night,” Trojans coach Bobby Pierce said. “You have to give him credit for making good pitches time after time. We finally got some good at bats in the ninth, but we got a little too excited at third base.”

After Martin left the game, junior right-hander Garrett Hachtel came on and allowed a walk to Blake Martz and a two-run double to pinch-hitter Miles Hoyle. After a wild pitch moved Hoyle to third, Hachtel hit Steven Rosado to bring the winning run to the plate.

Memphis coach Daron Schoenrock went back to his bullpen and brought in freshman right-hander Heath Hatfield to face J.R. Myers. Myers worked the count full and fouled off a pair of nasty sliders from Hatfield before he uncorked a wild pitch that appeared to have loaded the bases.

But, instead of having bases loaded, Hoyle ventured too far off the bag at third on the wild pitch and, when the ball ricocheted right back to catcher Shawn Ablett, the junior was caught in a run-down that ended the game.

“I am glad that we made the comeback because it showed a lot about this team,” Pierce said. “For us to have had a chance to win late is a great sign.”

The night started as a pitchers' dual as Martin and Troy freshman Tyler Ray (1-1) posted matching zeroes on the scoreboard. It wasn't until the sixth inning that the Tigers finally broke on top, and it took a disputed call on a pitch to open the door.

A walk to lead off the inning, followed by a pair of one-out singles from Trey Wiedman and Ablett gave Memphis a 1-0 lead. After getting the second out on a fly ball, Ray worked to a full count on Cole Shelton and thought he had delivered what might have been a called third strike. But the pitch was called ball four, and allowed Tyler Huelsing to come to the plate.

The junior doubled to the gap in left-center on the first pitch he saw, driving in three runs. Jacob Wilson followed with a single up the middle to score Huelsing, giving Memphis a 5-0 lead.

“Tyler pitched a good game for us, but he wasn't as good as he was in his first outing last week,” Pierce said. “We had that one call that went against us, and give Memphis credit because they took advantage of it.”

The Tigers added two more runs in the seventh inning off junior reliever Chris Sorce. Once scored on a wild pitch and the second on a single by Ablett.

Martin allowed just one walk, to the last batter he faced, and three unearned runs in earing the victory. He struck out seven. Hatfield earned his second save of the year despite walking the only batter he faced.

Ray allowed five runs, all earned, on seven hits while walking three and striking out five.

Henry and Ryan Ditthardt had two hits each to lead Troy while Wiedman and Ablett had two hits apiece for Memphis.

The two teams will return to the diamond on Saturday for the second game of the weekend series. Troy will send junior right-hander Jason Walls (0-1) to the mound while Memphis will counter with junior right-hander Ryan Fraser (0-1).

The first pitch from Riddle-Pace Field is scheduled for 1 p.m.