Trojans Drop A Pair To Visiting USM

Wednesday, April 1

Troy

2:00 PM

Troy University

Southern Miss

4/1/2009 5:00:00 AM | Baseball

TROY, Ala. ? The Troy University Trojans have had a hard time with Mother Nature of late, but on Wednesday it was a whirlwind out of south Mississippi that caused the Trojans problems.

Southern Miss came into Riddle-Pace Field for the first time in history and took a pair of games from the Trojans, winning the opener 10-4 before taking game two 8-0.

The worst part of losing both games of the double header for Troy (15-12) is that 14 of the 18 runs USM (18-9) scored on the day came after two were out in an inning.

The Trojans will return to action on Friday, opening a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at Arkansas State. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Game 1: USM 10, Troy 4

As hard as it may be to believe, two pitches were the difference between victory and defeat for the Trojans is the first game of the double header as Southern Miss came from behind for a 10-4 win.

Those two pitches, one in the fifth inning and one in the sixth, turned a 4-1 Troy lead into an easy USM victory.

The first pitch came from Tim Wheeler (2-2) with two out and the bases loaded in the fifth against Southern Miss senior Brian Dozier, the Golden Eagles' leading hitter. Dozier lifted a lazy fly ball to left, apparently ending the USM scoring threat, but Troy catcher Steven Felix was called for interference on the play.

Before Troy finally got out of the inning, two other pitchers took the mound and Southern Miss scored four times to take a 5-4 lead.

“We knew Southern Miss could score, but we didn't think they would score in bunches like they did,” Troy head coach Bobby Pierce said. “The catcher's interference was the right call, and I think it is the sixth time that has happened to that hitter this year, so there is something about his swing that causes it. It just came at a critically wrong time for us, which seems to be the way things have gone for us all year.”

In the sixth, with Josh Storm on the mound for Troy, the inning turned on another single pitch. After allowing a walk and single to start the frame, Storm had battled back to retire the next two hitters and had a two-strike count on USM leadoff hitter Taylor Walker. Storm's 1-2 pitch appeared to catch Walker looking, but late umpire Jackie Cayson called the pitch a ball, extending the frame.

Walker went on the draw a two-out walk, which was followed in succession by a two-run single from Dozier and a three-run homer by Bo Davis, pushing the USM lead to 10-4.

Senior Josh Fields (1-0) with one inning of work for USM. It was his first pitching appearance of the year after playing 23 games in the field, starting 17 at third base. Junior Scott Copeland worked the final three innings, allowing just one hit, to earn his first save.

The USM comeback spoiled a strong outing from Troy starter Travis Burge. The senior worked four innings, allowing one run on four hits.

“Travis pitched very well and did exactly what we challenged him to do,” Pierce said.

Troy took an early lead in the game on a first inning sacrifice fly by Ryan Ditthardt. The Trojans extended the lead on a solo homer by Michael Precise in the third and added another on a throwing error by relief pitcher Jonathan Johnston.

Troy's lead grew in the fourth when Trevor Tyre blasted his third homer in the last two games.

Game 2: USM 8, Troy 0

Southern Miss sophomore Seth Hester (1-1) made his first start of the year count, going this distance against the Trojans, holding Troy to just two hits in an 8-0 USM win.

Hester walked just two in the game and struck out two and Troy never had a runner advance past first base.

Troy senior Jeff Green (3-2) pitched well over four innings, allowing just two runs on five hits, but the two pitchers who came on after Green, juniors Jason Walls and Chris Sorce, allowed Southern Miss to score six runs over the next two innings.

Southern Miss scored single runs off Green in the second and third innings, one on a ground out and the other on a sacrifice fly.

Walls came on to pitch the fifth inning and was greeted by Kyle Maxie with a home run on his first pitch.

Walls settled down after the homer, retiring the next four, two on strikeouts. He looked set to get out of the sixth with no damage after a pair of singles, getting a strikeout and then jumping ahead of Corey Stevens with two quick strikes. His 0-2 pitch, however, was over the middle of the plate and Stevens blasted it over the wall in right for a three-run homer.

Chris Sorce came on after the homer and surrendered three straight hits, two of which were doubles, as Southern Miss scored twice more.