Trojans Drop Opener to WKU, 7-4

Friday, March 20

Troy

6:00 PM

Troy University

Western Kentucky

3/20/2009 5:00:00 AM | Baseball

After battling even with league-leading Western Kentucky through seven innings, the Troy bullpen was unable to keep the Hilltoppers at bay for the final two frames, leading WKU to a 7-4 victory on Friday night at Riddle-Pace Field.

With the win, WKU maintains its strangle-hold on first place in the Sun Belt Conference with a 13-5 overall record and a perfect 7-0 league mark. Troy dropped its third straight game overall and falls to 11-8 on the year and 1-3 in league play.

The teams will meet again on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. in the second game of the weekend series.

“I thought our kids played hard, and we haven't done that much lately,” Trojans head coach Bobby Pierce said. “Western Kentucky has a complete team and you have to play mistake free to beat them. We had our chances, but we didn't take advantage of them.”

The Hilltoppers took advantage of their best chance in the eighth inning off a quartet of Trojan relievers. Sophomore Drew Hull (1-2), who worked a scoreless seventh in relief of starter Jason Walls, surrendered a single to Chad Cregar and an RBI double to Matt Rice to start the eighth.

After retiring the next hitter, Terrence Dayleg delivered an RBI single through a drawn in Troy infield to give WKU a 5-3 lead. The next three WKU hitters faced three different Troy pitchers as, in order, Jordan Mathers walked Jake Wells, J.J. Whetsel hit J.B. Paxson, and Jason Howell surrendered a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to Matt Payton to give the Toppers a 6-3 lead.

Troy got a run back in the bottom of the inning thanks to a WKU error and an RBI double by freshman Blake Martz, but the Hilltoppers got it right back in the top of the ninth when Wade Gaynor led off with his second home run of the game.

Troy had chances early in the game against WKU starter Matt Ridings (3-0). The preseason Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year surrendered a double to J.R. Myers and walked two in the first inning, but got out of the jam when Charley Williams grounded to short. The scoreless opening frame for Troy left the Trojans still without a run in the first inning this year.

“We had a great opportunity there in the first inning and had some quality at bats, but we couldn't finish,” Pierce said. “You have to take advantage of your chances against a guy like that, especially when he isn't throwing well early.”

Ridings wound up going seven innings for the Toppers, allowing just three runs on five hits while striking out eight and walking three.

The Trojans did get on the scoreboard in the second inning when Steven Felix launched a two-out, two-strike homer to right. After Ridings walked Chad Watson, Myers ripped his second double of the game into the right-field corner, scoring Watson for a 2-0 Troy lead.

But that lead didn't last long. Walls got into trouble in the third due to no fault of his own. The junior, who worked six innings, allowing three runs on six hits with six strikeouts, recorded his third strikeout for what would have been the second out of the inning against Paxson. But, when Felix came up to tag Paxson, the ball trickled away from him far enough for the WKU catcher to reach first safely.

Walls followed up by recording another strikeout for what should have been the third out, but a stolen base by Paxson, followed by an RBI single from Jared Andreoli plated one run, and Gaynor, the league's leading hitter, followed with a two-run homer to left, giving WKU a 3-2 lead.

Troy tied the game in the fourth when junior Bart Pettus blasted the first homer of his career over the monster in right, and that is where the score stayed until the fateful eighth inning.

Senior Evan Teague retired the final four Trojans to record his first save of the year.

For Troy, Myers had two of the Trojans' six hits, all of which went for extra bases. Gaynor had three hits and three RBI to lead WKU, who also got two hits from Matt Hightower, who is scheduled to be Saturday's starting pitcher.

“We didn't get much done in the middle of our order and we have got to get some better at bats from those spots in the lineup,” Pierce said. “You can have some productive at bats, even making outs, but we haven't been getting that. Those guys have to find a way to compete, even when they aren't at their best.”

The Trojans will send freshman Tyler Ray (2-2, 3.38) to the mound on Saturday to face Hightower (3-0, 1.47), a senior left-hander.

“His numbers so far this year are better than Ridings, but that is the way it is in this league,” Pierce said. “You have to show up ready to compete every day, and tomorrow is a must-win for us if we are going to have a chance to win this series.”