Ray Dominates As Trojans Down SEMO 9-0

Friday, March 4

Riddle-Pace Field

6:00 pm

Troy University

Southeast Missouri State University

Photo by: Edward Fieder

3/4/2011 8:59:37 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Ricky Hazel

FINAL BOX SCORE: PDF | HTML PHOTO GALLERY

For seven innings Friday night, Troy junior right-hander Tyler Ray knew he had to keep posting zeros on the scoreboard for the Trojans to have a chance at victory.

After Troy's offense finally broke through with a pair of runs in that seventh inning, and then scored seven more runs in the eighth, Ray (3-0) was focused on finishing what he started.

The Hoover, Ala., native did just that, with some help from Daniel Peterson in center field, to post the first complete game, and first shutout of his collegiate career in a 9-0victory over Southeast Missouri State.

The Trojans improved to 7-2 on the year with the win while SEMO fell to 7-3. The teams are scheduled to play again on Saturday, weather permitting, with the first pitch set for 1 p.m.

“It was all about making plays tonight, and there was no better way for it to end than with Daniel Peterson making a diving catch in center and then doubling the runner at first,” Ray said. “It was a sweet night for me, and it was a sweet night for this team.”

Ray allowed just four hits in the game, no more than one in any inning and none after the fifth. He also walked just one in the game, to lead off the ninth after his teammates sent 12 men to the plate in the bottom of the 8th. Ray struck out six and needed just 114 pitches to go the distance.

“This was a great game, and a lot closer game than the final score indicates,” Trojans head coach Bobby Pierce said. “I am just very proud of Tyler. What more could you ask of him. He has really thrown well this year, has shown great stamina and he had great stuff late in the game.”

Ray was matched for six innings by SEMO starter Jordan Underwood. The senior left-hander, who lost his left eye when hit by a line drive in junior college, shut the Trojans out on two hits over six innings. He showed signs of fatigue in the sixth inning when he walked the bases loaded before striking out Tyler Hannah to end the inning.

The Redhawks turned to their closer, sophomore Shae Simmons (0-1) in the seventh but the Trojans got to him for a pair of runs in the inning on two hits and with the help of a throwing error, one of four errors in the game for Southeast Missouri.

It was senior All-American Adam Bryant who finally broke through when he delivered a two-out single to score Todd McRae with what turned out to be the winning run. Boone Shear, who had walked in front of Bryant, scored when the throw from SEMO centerfielder Blake Slattery sailed over third base and into the Trojans' dugout.

The hit for Bryant, who also had a two-run double in the eighth inning, broke an 0-for-7 skid at the plate.

“Adam Bryant has delivered those kinds of hits for us for a lot of years,” Pierce said. When he is coming to the plate, you have to feel good about your chances, even though he has not been swinging it well this year. With the game on the line, you want to have him at the plate.”

Bryant's double in the eighth moved him past Wendell Stephens into sixth place on the Troy career list for RBI. Stephens was one of several members of the 1986 Troy Division II national championship team that was on hand at Riddle-Pace Field for the game, celebrating the 25th anniversary of that title.

Troy's big eighth inning came at the expense of SEMO senior Kirk Boeller, who surrendered five hits in the inning. None of the runs, however, were earned because of a pair of Redhawks errors in the frame.

Bryant and Blake Martz had two hits each in the game for Troy. Louie Haseltime had two of the four hits for Southeast Missouri in the game.

“This had all the makings of a 1-0 game and I certainly did not expect to have the big inning,” Pierce said. “I am proud of our guys for hanging in there against good pitching and making the adjustments they needed to make.”