Trojans Complete Sweep with 12-7 Win Over ASU

Sunday, April 5

Jonesboro, Ark.

1:00 pm

Troy University

Arkansas State

Trojans Complete Sweep with 12-7 Win Over ASU

4/5/2009 5:00:00 AM | Baseball

JONESBORO, Ark. ? The Troy University baseball team kept its perfect record against Arkansas State in tact on Sunday, downing the Red Wolves 12-7 to complete a weekend sweep.

Troy now stands 12-0 all-time against ASU. The win moves the Trojans (18-12, 7-5) to within two and half games of league leading Middle Tennessee, which was swept over the weekend at Louisiana-Lafayette.

“Today's game was a lot like the last two,” Troy coach Bobby Pierce said. “We pitched well, defended OK and got some timely hits.”

The Trojans used an eight-run seventh inning to turn a close game into a one-sided affair. The big inning came after ASU's starting pitcher, freshman Jacob Lee (1-2) was lifted with the Trojans holding a 4-2 lead.

“That was a great inning because we got a bunch of two-out hits,” Pierce said. “I couldn't believe when we put the snowman on the board because I can't remember the last time we had that kind of inning.”

Troy's biggest offensive inning of the season started with a pair of ASU errors, two of four the Red Wolves (12-17, 6-9) committed in the game. Following the errors, Troy had six hits against three different pitchers. The big blows were two-out, two-run doubles from Trevor Tyre and Charley Williams.

The big inning lifted senior left-hander Travis Burge (2-1) to the victory. Burge scattered nine hits, allowing just two runs over five 2/3 innings despite working in a howling gale wind.

“It was a tough day to pitch because of the wind, which started to turn a little late in the game,” Pierce said. “It was a good effort all weekend by our pitchers.”

The Trojans got on the board in the first thanks to an error by ASU third baseman Guy Brown. Michael Precise reached second on the Brown error and scored on a two-out double by Ryan Ditthardt.

The Red Wolves took their first lead of the weekend in the third inning with a couple of ground singles in the infield, a sacrifice bunt, and a two-run single to right by Brandon Eller.

Troy reclaimed the lead in the fifth, scoring three times off Lee despite just two hits. Tyre led off the inning with a double to left center, moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a ground ball to second by Williams.

With two out and no one on base, Lee walked Chad Watson and Bart Pettus in succession before unleashing a wild pitch, moving both runners up. Precise followed with a single past a diving Brown at third, plating both runners.
ASU answered Troy's big seventh inning by scoring four times in the bottom of the frame. Murray Watts led off the inning by sneaking a fly ball around the foul pole in left for a homer. That was followed by three singles, two walks a pair of wild pitches and a sacrifice fly.

The inning finally came to an end when senior Josh Storm was called to the mound. He got out of that inning and worked two more scoreless frames to earn his sixth save of the year, and his school-record tying 18th of his career. The 18 saves ties the mark set by Josh Dew during the 2006-07 seasons.

Offensively, Troy got two hits each from Precise, Ditthardt and Tyre. ASU got a career-high four hits from Brown as well as three from Derrick Coleman and two each from Eller and Jordan Kimball.

The Trojans will return to action Tuesday night when they travel to Tuscaloosa in search of a season sweep against Alabama. The first pitch from Sewell-Thomas Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Troy will return to Sun Belt Conference play next weekend at Riddle-Pace Field when the Trojans host Florida Atlantic.

“We have played FAU pretty well the last two years and it will be good to get them back at home,” Pierce said. “We have put ourselves in position near the mid-way point of the season to have a chance, and now we are hoping to run off a streak like the basketball team did that will take us to the top of the league.”