Troy Completes Sweep With 12-9 Win

Sunday, April 24

Riddle-Pace Field

1:00 pm

Troy University

Western Kentucky University

Photo by: Edward Fieder

4/24/2011 5:28:29 PM | Baseball

Trojans Now Four Games Up in the SBC Standings

By: Taylor Bryan and Edward Bailey

BOX SCORE

TROY – No. 29 Troy completed the weekend sweep of Western Kentucky, winning the third game in a 12-9 slugfest thanks to a timely 3-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning by shortstop Adam Bryant and outstanding relief pitching by Tyson Workman.

The victory clinched an eighth-straight 30-win season for the Trojans (30-10, 14-4), and extended their lead to four games over the Hilltoppers (25-16, 10-8) in the standings. Head coach Bobby Pierce said that the game was nothing short of a knock down, drag out fight.

The Trojans lead the Sun Belt by three games over second place Florida Atlantic.

“Western Kentucky is a fine ball club, they're well-coached. Today, Jimmy (Hodgskin) gave us a good start, but nothing was easy. It was a dogfight,” Pierce said.

Hodgskin went 5.1 innings, striking out four and only giving up three hits, although two of those hits landed over the fence and he was ultimately on the hook for five runs allowed. Nathan Hill came on to relieve Hodgskin, but was unable to get out of the jam unscathed, allowing three runs to WKU.

“Nate struggled because we used him last night. He wasn't able to slam the door like he did last night. We were fortunate that we didn't use Workman Friday or Saturday. Workman was outstanding in finishing the game,” Pierce said.

Workman pitched the final 3.1 innings, allowing only one run while fanning three to get his third victory of the season. Bryant went 3-for-6, with three RBIs on the day.

Troy jumped out early with two runs in the first, thanks to right-fielder Drew Prichard beating out an infield hit along with outfielder Ali Knowles leading off with a walk. Catcher Todd McRae scored both men with a single. While WKU was held in check for the first two games, they got their offense going with a two-run blast by first baseman Ryan Huck in the top of the second.

Troy looked to threaten again with two men on in the third but a diving catch by left-fielder Jared Andreoli robbed Logan Pierce of multiple RBI. WKU continued its burst at the plate with an Andreoli solo homerun for the Hilltoppers in the top of the fifth.

However, Troy made the most of opportunities, particularly with the bases-loaded, eventually chasing away starter Brian Edelen after 4.2 innings and reliever Rye Davis, hanging four runs on duo.

The ever-dangerous first baseman Pierce had a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth, and center fielder Daniel Peterson added another two-run single, finishing 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a stolen base.

Troy's grip on the game almost unraveled, as errors and hot swinging garnered WKU five runs in the sixth but the Trojans managed to fight back, when second baseman T.J. Rivera and Prichard led off the inning with back-to-back singles. After McRae reached on an error, Workman and Peterson had back-to-back RBI singles to plate two runs. Workman also had three hits to go along with an RBI.

From there, the Workman-led Trojan defense put the clamps on the Hilltoppers, downing the Hilltoppers in order in the seventh and only allowing one run in the eights while Troy scored the last four runs of the day, none bigger than the three that Bryant drove in.

“All you can ask for is your best player to do is to get something on the barrel. He did that and found the gap,” Pierce said of Bryant.

Bryant credited Pierce with keeping him focused in the situation.

“Coach said, “Don't give in”. He said to find a pitch I could handle and I guess I did that,” Bryant said.

The Trojans are in action next on Tuesday when they travel to face UAB in Birmingham, while hopefully avenging an 8-1 loss last week. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Young Memorial Field.