Troy Drops Middle Game to the Cajuns

Saturday, May 7

Riddle-Pace Field

6:00 pm

Troy University

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Photo by: Kevin Glackmeyer

5/7/2011 9:08:11 PM | Baseball

By: Taylor Bryan

BOX SCORE

TROY – After Troy won the opener in dominant fashion, it was Louisiana-Lafayette's turn to erupt offensively as it recorded a 17-1 win over the Trojans on Saturday night at Riddle-Pace Field.

The Troy pitching staff surrendered 17 runs on 18 hits to the Cajuns as they opened up a 7-1 lead after four innings. The Trojans (33-14, 16-7) scored their lone run in the second on an RBI double by Logan Pierce.

“Tonight was their night, like last night was our night,” Troy head coach Bobby Pierce said. “The series will come down to Sunday and that's what Championship Sunday is all about – winning the series.

“[Jimmy Hodgskin] certainly had good stuff tonight, as he struck out quite a few guys early in the game, the problem was the number of pitches it took to get through the innings, 90 pitches to get through three-and-two-thirds. Then [Ryan Sorce] came in and couldn't really find the secret to get these guys out, so we started giving the guys an opportunity to a couple of vacancies we've got on the staff right now. We are looking for the right guy to fill those vacancies. This is the second weekend in a row that some of those guys have had this opportunity, and haven't really taken advantage of it.”

Hodgkin (2-5) struck out six in 3.2 innings of work, but walked five and exited in the fourth with two on base. He gave way to Sorce who also struggled, allowing five runs on seven hits in 1.2 innings of relief.

Four other right-handers threw for the Trojans on Saturday as they completed the final three-plus innings.

Louisiana-Lafayette (27-20, 14-9) added a single run in the sixth, then a pair in both the seventh and ninth innings. Those two innings sandwiched a five-run eighth inning for the Cajuns.

Jordan Nicholson (4-2) was big on the mound on Saturday night for UL. He recorded his first complete game and scattered five hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. He allowed just one unearned run.

Todd McRae and Pierce both had two hits for Troy. Greg Fontenot had four hits and five RBI to pace the Cajuns. Mike Petello added four hits and three driven in.

17 runs is the most allowed by the Trojans this season and the most since giving up 26 at Auburn on April 28, 2009. The loss is just the fifth this season at home and only the third this season at home in league play.

WIth the loss, Troy's lead in the Sun Belt standings is down to just one game over Florida Atlantic and FIU.

Sunday's finale will serve as Senior Day for seven Trojans playing their final Sun Belt home game. The on-field ceremony will begin at 12:30 p.m.

A pair of lefties will square off as Shane McCain (1-2, 4.27 ERA) takes the mound for the Trojans against UL's T.J. Geith (5-3, 4.30 ERA) with first pitch of the rubber match scheduled for 1 pm.