Trojans Hang On For 5-4 Win Over UALR

Saturday, April 3

Troy, Ala.

3:00 pm

Troy University

Arkansas-Little Rock

4/3/2010 11:00:00 PM | Baseball

Troy junior Chase Whitley thought he was going have an easy Saturday afternoon.

The Trojans closer and third baseman had designated hitter duties against UALR and, with Troy holding a 5-2 lead going to the ninth inning, he got up to throw in the bullpen, just in case.

When freshman Thomas Austin surrendered consecutive singles to Nate Brown, on a bunt, and Tim Emmons, on a seeing-eye grounder, Whitley got the call to come close out the game.

Things got even more harried for Whitley when Brock Feldman battled to a 2-2 count before delivering a single to right. Troy's Steven Felix compounded things by over-running the ball, allowing all three runs to advance a base, with Brown scoring.

After getting a strikeout, Casey McCollum grounded to second, scoring another run before Whitley slammed the door shut with a strikeout of Jake Rowell, sealing Troy's 5-4 victory.

“When things are going good, they are going good,” Troy coach Bobby Pierce said. “I didn't think we played particularly well today. We did a couple of things pretty good, but we did more things well today than we did when we were not finding ways to win games.

“The karma is just right for us right now. You get a hit when you need it or make a pitch when you need it to win a big game. I am just glad that karma is on our side right now.”

The karma is certainly right for Whitley, who earned his fourth save of the year and his third pitching decision in as many games. He earned wins in relief on Wednesday against Auburn and against UALR on Friday night.

Troy sophomore Tyler Ray (4-2) worked the first seven innings for the Trojans, allowing just one earned run on four hits with four strikeouts. UALR junior Daniel Golden (2-2) took the loss, allowing all five Troy runs on nine hits over 5.2 innings of work.

“We are all waiting for the day when Tyler goes out and dominates someone, and he was pretty good today because they were not able to do much against him,” Pierce said. “I saw some improvement in what he is doing and he finished the seventh strong.”

Like in the series opener, UALR jumped on top early when Jason Houston hit a two-out, two-strike homer in the first after fouling off three straight Ray offerings. Ray kept the visitors at bay until the fifth inning when an error allowed Feldman to score all the way from first on a single by McCollum.

Troy answered the early UALR run when Steven Felix blasted a solo homer in the first. Felix has now homered in three straight games for Troy. Ryan Ditthardt reached on a two-out single later in the inning, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on a double by Whitley.

Troy added a run in the second without a hit when Golden walked Jake Sullivan and Steven Rosado to start the frame and then unleashed two more wild pitches.

Troy added what turned out to be crucial insurance runs in the sixth on a homer by Sullivan and an RBI double by Adam Bryant to score Rosado, who had singled.

Felix and Sullivan had two hits each to lead Troy while Tyson Parks had three hits to lead UALR.

Troy (15-11, 4-4) will put its seven-game win streak on the line on Sunday at 1 p.m. when they go for the series sweep of UALR (16-13, 3-8), which has now lost four straight.