Trojans Battle Rain, Defeat LeMoyne 10-3

Saturday, March 14

Troy

2:00 PM

Troy University

LeMoyne

3/14/2009 5:00:00 AM | Baseball

About the only thing that slowed the Troy University Trojans on Saturday at Riddle-Pace Field was Mother Nature.

The Trojans weathered an hour and 41 minutes in rain delays to pound out 13 hits, including eight for extra bases, in taking a 10-3 victory over LeMoyne. Troy will try to complete the weekend sweep on Sunday when the two clubs meet again at 1 p.m.

Troy improved to 11-5 overall on the year with the victory while dropping the Dolphins to 2-10.

“It was a tough day, and a long day,” Trojans coach Bobby Pierce said. “If we hadn't moved up the start time for the game we might not have been able to get it in.”

The Trojans never trailed in the game, but they were challenged coming out of the second rain delay. Troy held a 4-1 lead when the game was halted at 3:55 p.m., and was threatening to score more with two runners on a no one out.

But, out of the long delay, LeMoyne made a pitching change, sending senior right-hander Brandon Otto to the mound in place of starter Cory Nelson (0-3). Otto got two ground ball outs and a strikeout to keep the Dolphins in the game, and his teammates responded in the sixth.

LeMoyne scored twice in the inning before Travis Burge, the third Troy pitcher of the frame, came on to strikeout Matt Nandin with the bases loaded to get out of trouble.

The challenge seemed to light a fire under the Trojans' recently cold bats. Troy scored three times in the seventh, on four hits, and three more times in the eighth, thanks to four consecutive doubles, to blow the game open.

“The team seemed to loosen up a little bit at the plate, and that resulted in better bat speed,” Pierce said. “Hitting for doubles is something we preach here from the moment a player arrives, and to get seven doubles tonight is a big positive.”

Junior Ryan Ditthardt was in the middle of the doubles barrage for Troy, going 4-for-4 at the plate with three doubles, three runs scored and two runs batted in. Senior Brett Henry also had three hits in the game, two doubles, and drove in three runs while freshman Blake Martz had two hits, including his first collegiate homer, and three RBI.

“Ryan has been so tight at the plate, squeezing the blood out of his bat, but he started to loosen up a little and hit the ball better, like we know he can,” Pierce said. “Blake Martz had a great at bat when he hit the homer. He pulled a pitch foul that was crushed and then went the opposite way on the next pitch for the home run.”

The extra-base barrage for Troy made a winner out of freshman Tyler Ray (2-2), who worked five innings, allowing one unearned run on five hits. He was followed by senior J.J. Whetsel and sophomore Jordan Mathers after the second rain delay, but they struggled before Burge, on his 22nd birthday, shut down the Dolphins for two innings. Junior Chris Sorce recorded the final four outs for Troy, two on strikes.