Troy Takes Opener with ULM

Friday, May 13

Monroe, LA

6:00 pm

Troy University

University of Louisiana at Monroe

Photo by: Kevin Glackmeyer

5/13/2011 10:23:09 PM | Baseball

By: Taylor Bryan

BOX SCORE

MONROE – Troy scored a pair of runs in the ninth to take a 5-3 lead and held on for the win in the Sun Belt series opener on Friday night at Warhawk Field.

ULM led the league in double plays coming into the series and the Trojans took advantage of that, inducing four different double plays and none was more crucial than the fourth in the bottom of the ninth.

“We've been consistent [in the infield defensively] pretty much for the entire season,” Troy head coach Bobby Pierce said. “We can count on our infield defense, and we have. They've been able to be very good and very consistent at the routine play, the big play and the double play. When we watch them play, we kind of expect that from them after seeing those guys do that for so long. Then tonight, a couple of double plays were huge in critical times and critical moments. You certainly have to have your defense come through in those time and they did tonight.”

Troy reliever Nate Hill (now 4-0) got ULM designated hitter Jason Hicks to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game and give the Trojans the victory.

The Trojans held a 3-2 lead entering the bottom of the eighth inning with starting pitcher Tyler Ray still on the mound. Ray gave up a single to Les Aulds to lead off the inning, but a sacrifice and a long fly out left the Aulds at third base with two outs and Warhawks clean-up hitter Caleb Clowers at the plate.

Pierce went to southpaw Nate Hill to set-up a lefty-lefty match-up, but Clowers came through with a single on a 0-2 pitch to plate Aulds and knot the game at 3. Hill rebounded and closed out the 8th by recording a fly out.

Daniel Peterson tripled with one down in the top of the ninth to start a Troy (36-14, 18-7) rally. After Tyson Workman drew his third walk of the night, Tyler Hannah blooped an RBI single to left that scored Peterson.

Adam Bryant then walked to load the bases, and T.J. Rivera followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Trojans a 5-3 lead.

Hill struck out pinch-hitter Caleb Knox to start the ninth, before walking Judd Edwards.

“I certainly expected ULM to come out and play their best game. They are fighting to get in the tournament. We certainly knew they were going to come out and play hard. We got an early lead that we kind of held on to for a while. We had a lot of opportunities to stretch that out, but didn't do it.

“[Ray] didn't have his best stuff, but he certainly did gut it out and have a really good outing for us. [Hill] came on, and give their kid credit, he tied it up on a slider. Then, we came back with the big hit by Hannah to take the lead. Just a well-played game on both team's part – well-played, well-pitched, well-fought. I just feel very fortunate that we were able to hold on for that win.”

Ray (still 11-0) took a no decision. He allowed three runs on nine hits in 7.2 innings of work with two strike outs. He did not issue a walk for the second straight start.

Sun Belt-leading Troy started the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Workman walked to lead-off the game, then Hannah ripped a double inside third base bag that sent Workman home after Aulds bobbled the ball in the corner.

Rivera made it 2-0 in favor of the Trojans on a ground out that scored Hannah two batters later.

ULM (22-26, 7-18) wasted no time plating their first run in the same frame. Single, stolen base, then another single left runners on the corners for Joey Rapp in the first. He grounded into the first double play of the game and scored the lead-off hitter Aulds to cut the Troy lead to 2-1.

Hannah walked in the third, and moved to second on a single by Adam Bryant. He would come all the way around to score after Rivera reached on an error by Rapp.

Rapp atoned for the run-scoring error with a solo home run in the sixth – his 11th of the season.

Todd McRae was 2-for-4 at the plate to stretch his streak of consecutive games reaching base to 26 – a season high for the Trojans. Rivera and Hannah each had two RBI.

ULM's Kendall Thamm was handed a touch luck loss after allowing four runs (three earned) in 8.1 innings pitched on seven hits. He struck out six and walked four while throwing a season-best 128 pitches.

Troy will send freshman Jimmy Hodgskin (2-5) to the mound on Saturday as they go for the series win. Hodgskin was lifted after just 3.2 innings last Saturday against Louisiana-Lafayette and took his fifth loss of the season.

“[Hodgskin] will pitch,” Pierce said. “We are looking forward to him having a very good game. It's time for him to get some things going in a good direction. He's had a lot of opportunity as a freshman. So, I'm looking for him to give us a good start - still knowing that ULM will be fighting. They are a good fastball hitting team, so hopefully Jimmy's command will get the ball where he needs to get it.

“The bullpen is intact. We hope to play good defense behind him and hopefully take more advantage of the run-scoring opportunities behind us. It's going to be another battle.”

The Trojans and ULM meet for game two at 6 pm on Saturday. Randy Ziegler (4-4) will toe the rubber for the Warhawks.