Troy Bats Stay Cold In 9-3 Loss to JSU

Wednesday, March 18

Troy

3:00 PM

Troy University

Jacksonville State

3/18/2009 5:00:00 AM | Baseball

The offensive struggles for the Troy University Trojans continued on Wednesday afternoon as Jacksonville State came in and jumped out to a big early lead en route to a 9-3 victory.

The loss, Troy's second straight, drops the Trojans to 11-7 on the year. Jacksonville State improved to the same mark with its fourth straight win.

The Gamecocks, who were playing their sixth game in as many days, and their 12th in 13 days, got off the bus swinging the bats. In particular, it was junior Heath Wall who powered the JSU attack.

Wall came into the game hitting .343, but with just three extra-base hits on the year. He matched that total his first three trips to the plate, launching a pair of two-run homers off Troy starter Jeff Green (2-1) in the second and third innings. Wall followed up with a ground-rule double in the fifth off Robby Loew to plate another run.

In all, Wall drove in six runs on three hits in the game.

That was more than enough support for a JSU pitching staff that seemed much more rested than the schedule would make you think.

Starter Daniel Watts (2-0), a freshman, needed just 36 pitched to go through his prescribed three innings. Two other freshmen, Malcolm Thomas and Chase Smith, fared almost as well, allowing Troy just one unearned run on one hit through the next three innings.

Troy finally got a big hit in the seventh inning off Smith when Chad Watson snuck a line shot over the foul pole in right for a two-run homer, but that was it for the Troy offense.

The Trojans got runners on base in each of the last two innings, but double plays eliminated any chance to score.

Besides Watson's homer, the lone bright spots in the game for Troy were the return of two pitchers from injury. Junior Andrew Dickinson made his first appearance since going down with a shoulder problem early last year.

Dickinson's return to the mound, however, pails in comparison to the one made by Steven Morelock. The fifth-year senior was a starter for two seasons for Troy before shoulder surgery kept him out of action for the last two years.

Morelock made his first appearance for Troy since June 4, 2006, by working a scoreless ninth inning, striking out the first batter he faced in live competition.

The Trojans will have to find a way to shake out of their offensive funk before this weekend when Sun Belt leading Western Kentucky visits Riddle-Pace Field to open a three-game conference series. Friday's series opener is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.