Trojans Sweep Double-Header From High Point

Saturday, February 19

Riddle-Pace Field

1:00 pm

Troy University

High Point University

Photo by: Edward Fieder

Trojans Sweep Double-Header From High Point

2/19/2011 8:32:17 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Troy Will Go For Series Sweep on Sunday

By: Ricky Hazel

GAME ONE FINAL BOX SCORE: PDF | HTML
GAME TWO FINAL BOX SCORE: PDF | HTML

After posting a blowout win in their season-opener on Friday night, the Troy Trojans had to find different ways to handle visiting High Point in a double-header on Saturday.

The Trojans had to battle from behind after coughing up a four-run lead in the opening game, and did so to take an 8-7 victory in 10 innings. In the second game, the Trojans got outstanding pitching from both senior starter Drew Hull and sophomore Shane McCain out of the pen to take a 6-1 win.

Troy (3-0) will go for a four game series sweep on Sunday when the teams meet at Riddle-Pace Field at 1 p.m.

“The first game was a great ball game,” Trojans coach Bobby Pierce said. “We relaxed a little with a lead and saw them make a nice comeback to take the lead late. We had to get a big two-out hit to stay in it. You never like to give up a lead like we did, but it was good to see them battle back to win.”

Troy built a 6-2 lead in the opening game of the day thanks to a two-run double by Boone Shear in the third inning and a three-run frame in the fifth that included a run-scoring double by Adam Bryant, an RBI single by Blake Martz and a double by Tyler Hannah to score Shear.

Shear pushed the Troy lead to 6-2 with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, but the four-run edge was not enough.

Troy sophomore starter Ryan Sorce had an up and down game. He allowed just two runs, but was in constant trouble over his 5.2 innings of work by allowing seven hits. High Point's Steve Antolik was the biggest problem for Sorce, delivering a run-scoring double in the first and a solo homer in the third.

Nick Ward was the first out of the pen for Troy, and he kept the Panthers at bay for 1.1 innings. Sophomore Thomas Austin followed and got roughed up. Austin allowed five runs in the HPU eighth while surrendering five hits, all singles. A Ryan Retz hit plated the first run and Robbie Gilles pushed in two more with a single. Mike Mercurio singled to tie the game and chase Austin.

Tyson Workman (1-0) came in from rightfield to pitch and gave up and single to Murray White IV to give the Panthers a 7-6 lead.

Down to their last out in the ninth against HPU closer Kyle Wigmore (0-1), Hannah delivered a clutch double to drive in T.J. Rivera to tie the game and force extra play.

After avoiding damage despite allowing two walks in the 10th, Workman came to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame after Wigmore walked Logan Pierce, hit Daniel Peterson with a pitch and then walked Bryant. The junior took advantage, delivering a sacrifice fly to plate the winning run.

Game two was the kind of game many expect to exemplify the 2011 season with the Trojans dominating with pitching and defense. Troy starter Drew Hull (1-0), like both Troy starters before him, surrendered a single run in the first inning, but then slammed the door on the Panthers.

After Hull completed his work, sophomore Shane McCain dominated for three innings to earn his first collegiate save. All he did was retire nine straight High Point hitters to close the game, seven on strikes.

“Game two was all about Hull and McCain,” Pierce said. “The last thing we thought we would get from McCain was to strike out seven of nine guys but, boy did he throw well.”

Hull surrendered three consecutive two-out singles in the first inning to fall behind, but then retired 11 straight. He appeared to tire late, hitting two batters and allowing a walk and a single, but kept the Panthers off the scoreboard.

Troy got all the runs it would need in the second inning off HPU starter Mike Caldwell (0-1). A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for freshman Kyle Brown, who drew a walk of his own to plate the first Troy run. After Caldwell struck out Ali Knowles, he had to face Bryant with the bases loaded in a tie game.

“Adam delivered and got a chopper down the line, which was big for us,” Pierce said.

The chopper turned into a three-run double, his fourth two-base hit of the series. Rivera delivered a sacrifice fly to score Bryant, giving Hull and the Trojans a 5-1 lead.

Hannah pushed the lead to 6-1 with a solo homer in the fourth inning. It was the first homer of the “dead bat” era for the Trojans.

“I had a good day and felt good swinging,” Hannah said. “The home run ball was money. It just felt perfect coming off the bat. We got good pitching and good defense and that is what you have to have to win.”

Defense has been the key for Troy so far in the series. The Trojans have committed just one error in three games, and that came on a throw from the outfield that only allowed an extra base for the trailing runner.

“The thing I really liked about our play all day was that we were good on defense,” Pierce said. “Tyler Hannah made some great plays, Adam was his normal consistent self and the catches Daniel Peterson and Hayden Hillyer made in the outfield were some big plays.”

The Trojans will send freshman Jimmy Hodgskin to the mound on Sunday in search of a series sweep.

“I expect Jimmy to throw well,” Pierce said. “We are in good shape in the pen behind him. It is the fourth game of a series so I expect to get some run support behind him. We kind of lost focus offensively today and I'd like to see us get that back.”