Hernandez Twirls Gem to Lead Troy Past Middle Tennessee

Saturday, April 14

Troy, Ala.

6:00 p.m.

Troy University

Middle Tennessee

Joe Hernandez

Photo by: Edward Fieder

Hernandez Twirls Gem to Lead Troy Past Middle Tennessee

4/14/2012 9:14:00 PM | Baseball

By: Adam Prendergast

TROY, Ala. – Joe Hernandez was masterful on the mound for Troy over 6.1 innings Saturday night at Riddle-Pace Field to lead the Trojans to a 6-2 victory in game two of a three-game series with Middle Tennessee; the rubber game of the series is Sunday at 1 p.m.

Hernandez (3-1) struck out eight Blue Raiders batters and did not issue a walk before leaving the game in the seventh inning after suffering from cramps. The junior right-hander scattered five hits against a team that had 21 hits in the opener Friday and allowed just two unearned runs, both in the first inning. At one point in the game he retired 10 straight Middle Tennessee batters.

The Trojans (15-19, 4-10 Sun Belt) scored the game's final six runs after a dropped fly ball with two outs was followed by a Trent Miller home run in the top of the first inning for the only scoring of the night by the Blue Raiders (21-14, 9-5).

Danny Collins put Troy on the board in the home half of the first inning with a double to right-center field after Tyler Hannah reached on a dropped fly ball by Middle Tennessee. In three games this week, Collins is batting .636 (7-11) with seven runs scored, two home runs, nine RBIs and a 1.455 slugging percentage.

Freshman catcher Jake Harrell tied the game 2-all with his third home run of the season to lead off the fourth inning. Harrell, Collins and Jo-El Bennett all had two hits for the Trojans, while Hannah scored a pair of runs after being hit by two pitches; Hannah is tied for third all time in Troy history with 23 career hit by pitches.

Bennett provided the winning-run with a two-out single in the fifth inning to score Hannah. Harrell kept the inning alive by beating out an infield single.

Collins struck again with two outs in the sixth inning. Hannah was hit for the second time in the game and following a fly out for the second out of the inning, Collins crushed his seventh home run of the season over the wall in right field to give the Trojans a 5-2 lead.

Clay Holcomb tacked on an insurance run in the seventh with a two-out double down the line in left field after Harrell was hit by a pitch.

Thomas Austin picked up his first save of the season after taking over for Hernandez in the seventh inning. Austin, who has now allowed just two earned runs over his last 22.1 innings of work, inherited a 3-2 count when Hernandez was forced out of the game due the injury. He struck out two batters around a walk to close out the frame. Austin struck out three and did not allow a hit in 2.2 innings of work.

Matthew Drake (0-1) was saddled with the loss for Middle Tennessee after allowing a run on three hits in an inning of work. Starter Johnathan Frebis didn't make it past the fourth inning after throwing 100 pitches thanks in part to a 46-pitch first inning.