Troy Claims Series at Bethune-Cookman with Wild Finish

Sunday, March 4

Daytona Beach, Fla.

12:00 p.m.

Troy University

Bethune-Cookman

Photo by: Lisa Ray

Troy Claims Series at Bethune-Cookman with Wild Finish

3/4/2012 4:37:00 PM | Baseball

By: Adam Prendergast

BOX SCORE

DAYTONA BEACH – Troy scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to defeat Bethune-Cookman 7-6 and claim what turned out to be a wild series between a pair of NCAA Tournament teams from last season.

Tyler Hannah, who finished the game 4-for-4, drew a lead-off walk to open the ninth inning with Troy trailing 6-5. Danny Collins grounded a ball back up the middle which was stopped deep in the hole by shortstop Brashad Johnson. Bradshaw tried to flip the ball to second to catch Hannah, but the ball trickled away into right field and put runners at second and third with nobody out.

Following a ground out, Boone Shear hit a grounder back to the pitcher Jordan Dailey, who had the ball go between his legs for an error. Hannah scored on the play to tie the game at 6-all and Ali Knowles, who was pinch running for Collins, moved up to third. Hayden Hillyer then hit a sharp grounder to first which allowed Knowles to score the go-ahead run.

Tyson Workman (1-0) pitched around a two-out double in the home-half of the ninth to close out the series and pick up the win.

The series opened with Bethune-Cookman winning on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th inning on Friday and saw Troy score 26 runs on 21 hits in a 26-3 victory on Saturday.

The Trojans (6-4) needed the ninth-inning comeback after Bethune-Cookman (5-7) took the lead with four runs in the seventh. A walk, hit batter and fielder's choice on a sac bunt attempt loaded the bases with nobody out. David Lee punched a single through the right-side of the infield to pull the Wildcats within one, 5-4.

With runners at second and third and no outs, Nick Johnson fouled out and Workman came out of the bullpen to strikeout Anthony Stokes. Following a walk to load the bases, the tying run and go-ahead run scored on Trojan fielding error.

Jo-El Bennett put the Trojans on the board with an RBI single in the first inning after Clay Holcomb drew a walk and stole second. Bennett added an RBI in the second on a grounder to second and Hannah stretched the Troy lead to 3-0 with a double to right-center field later in the inning.

Tyler Vaughn pushed the Troy advantage out to 4-0 with an RBI double in the third after Shear reached on a one-out single. Vaughn finished the weekend 7-for-9 with four RBIs and five runs scored in the first two starts of his career. The sophomore reached base in 10 straight plate appearances after recording a pinch hit single on Tuesday against Samford and being hit by a pair of pitches this weekend.

Bennett and Vaughn both had two hits on Sunday as the Trojans belted out 10 on the afternoon. Alejandro Sanchez, Lee and Jordan Taylor had two hits for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats got on the board in the third as they strung together four two-out singles with Lee and Nick Johnson each driving in a run.

Bennett singled with one out in the fourth and moved up to second on a single by Hannah. Collins stretched the Troy lead out to 5-2 with a single to right center to score Bennett.

Redshirt freshman Jeremy McGowan took a no-decision for the Trojans after going 3.1 innings in his first career start. He allowed a pair of runs and scattered six hits. Thomas Austin was in line for the win for Troy after 2.2 clean innings out of the bullpen; he allowed one hit and walked one.

Dailey (1-1) was charged with the loss after allowing a pair of unearned runs in the ninth. Rayan Gonzalez started for the Wildcats and allowed five runs on nine hits in five innings; he entered the game with just six hits allowed and no runs in 14 innings on the season.

The Trojans return home for five games this upcoming week beginning with mid-week contests against UAB and East Carolina on Tuesday and Wednesday; first pitch is set for 6 p.m. both nights.