Trojans Power Past UNF 9-6

Tuesday, March 16

Troy, Ala.

6:00 pm

Troy University

North Florida

3/17/2010 2:15:00 AM | Baseball

After managing just two infield hits through the first four innings Tuesday night, the Trojans bats finally came to life, blasting three homers in a 9-6 victory over North Florida at Riddle-Pace Field.

The Trojans even their season record at 7-7 while North Florida falls to 8-9 on the year. The teams will meet again on Wednesday, with the first pitch slated for 1 p.m.

The long ball has been the Trojans' primary offensive weapon this year, and that proved to be true again on Tuesday.

Senior Miles Hoyle finally got the offense started for the Trojans in the fifth inning when, trailing 5-1, he blasted a three-run homer to deep left field. Two batters later Ryan Ditthardt launched a solo homer to tie the game.

Both blasts came off UNF starting pitcher Robbie Collier, but the Trojans piled on more once the junior left-hander left the game.

In the sixth inning John Atteo (1-1) came on to pitch for the Ospreys and was greeted by consecutive hits from Steven Felix, a double, and Todd McRae, an RBI single. After a strikeout, Hoyle singled and Chase Whitley followed with a towering homer to center, giving Troy a 9-5 lead. Atteo lasted just a third of an inning, allowing four runs.

“We know we can score in bunches, the problem has been not doing enough between the long balls,” Trojans coach Bobby Pierce said. “Tonight we got a good mixture of both, but I would like to see a little more of the in-between.”

The three homers were enough for Trojans freshman right-hander Thomas Austin (1-0) who came on in relief of starter Shane McCain to open the fourth inning. Austin scattered six hits, allowing three runs, while walking one and striking out three in five innings of work.

“Tonight all of the credit goes to Thomas Austin,” Pierce said. “He came in and threw a nice sinker and that is two times in a row he has come into a game and held a team right where they were. He pitched very well and I was very proud of his effort. He did leave the one slider up, and he has struggled with that since changing to the new arm angle.”

Whitley came on to pitch the ninth to earn his first save of the year.

North Florida scored three runs in the third after a pair of one-out walks by McCain was followed by an RBI double by Michael Smith and a two-run single by Preston Hale. The Ospreys added two runs in the fifth off Austin on a two-run homer by Andrew Karmeris.

UNF scored its final run in the seventh on a Karmeris single.

“There were bumps here or there, but when you have a guy out there who is throwing strikes and is effective, you are going to stay with him,” Pierce said. “No one is going to go out and throw up a bunch of zeros in college baseball with the aluminum bats.”

The Trojans will turn to junior right-hander Nick Ward for Wednesday's game. It will be his first start of the season after six relief appearances.

“He is going to have to throw quality strikes to this team because they are as good as any we have seen with the bats,” Pierce said. “Nick is very capable. If we can continue to swing the bats well and play good defense we should be in good shape.”