Ninth-Inning Rally Lifts Troy Past Louisiana-Lafayette

Sunday, May 6

Lafayette, La.

1:00 p.m.

Troy University

Louisiana-Lafayette

Boone Shear

Photo by: Lisa Ray

Ninth-Inning Rally Lifts Troy Past Louisiana-Lafayette

5/6/2012 4:55:00 PM | Baseball

By: Adam Prendergast

BOX SCORE

LAFAYETTE, La. – Troy had to rally twice on Sunday to secure its first-ever series win at Louisiana-Lafayette; the final surge was a three-run ninth inning capped by a two-run single by Tyler Vaughn to lift the Trojans to 10-8 victory in the series finale at Tigue Moore Field.

The Trojans entered their final at-bat of the game trailing 8-7 after the Cajuns scored three times in the bottom of the seventh inning to counter three runs scored by Troy in the top of the inning.

Danny Collins led off the ninth with a double to left-center field, but was cut down at third base on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Brandon Brown reinserted energy into the Troy dugout as he legged out a bunt single to put runners at first and second.

Jo-El Bennett stepped in next for the Trojans and began suffering cramps following his first swing of the at-bat. After working the count to 2-2, Bennett lined a double down the line in left field to tie the game. Bennett limped into second base as he battled through the cramps to leg out the double; he was replaced by pitcher Chris Fisher. An intentional walk loaded the bases with one out and a strikeout brought Vaughn to the plate with two outs.

The sophomore fell behind in the count 1-2 before shooting a single into center field to score two runs and give the Trojans the 10-8 lead. The single extended Vaughn's hit streak out to 13 games.

Thomas Austin closed out the Cajuns in the ninth inning with a pair of strikeouts and a grounder to Vaughn. Austin (3-3) worked five innings over two outings in the series as he picked up the win on Sunday for Troy (22-26, 10-14 Sun Belt).

Troy has now won three of its last four Sun Belt Conference series with the lone series defeat came on an extra-inning loss at Western Kentucky. The Trojans enter the final six Sun Belt games of the season – all of which are at home – in a tie with UALR and Western Kentucky for the final two spots in the Sun Belt Tournament. Troy is just a game behind ULM for sixth place; the Warhawks travel to Troy next weekend.

The ninth-inning rally was necessary because of a three-run seventh by the Cajuns (21-25, 9-15).

Jace Conrad led off the ULL seventh with a fly out to center field, but the next three Cajuns reached on a pair of walks and hit batter to load the bases. Austin took over for Nate Hill on the mound for Troy and got Jordan Bourque to fly out to center field for a sac fly. Daniel Nichols then hit a high fly ball to right-center field that found the outfield grass for a 2-run double.

A trio of freshmen gave the Trojans the lead in the top of the seventh. Boone Shear led off the inning with a single and Collins followed with a walk. After strikeout, Jake Harrell singled right-center field to drive home Shear and tie the game at 5-all. Bennett followed with a single up the middle to give Troy the lead and Clay Holcomb hit a grounder to third to score Brown, who was running for Harrell, and give the Trojans a 7-5 lead.

Shear was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored to lead the Trojans, while Logan Pierce, Harrell and Bennett all had two hits. Harrell and Bennett both finished with two RBIs.

Troy opened the scoring with an RBI single by Shear with two outs in the first. Pierce kept the frame alive with a single and moved into scoring position on a balk by ULL starter Austin Robichaux.

The Cajuns responded with five runs in the home half of the first inning thanks to a little luck. Ryan Leonards led off the frame with a single back up the middle and Conrad tried to sacrifice him to second. Conrad's bunt attempt was popped up in the infield, but somehow eluded all the Trojan defenders for a base hit.

Following an out, Chase Compton drew a walk and Tyler Girouard just placed a double inside the foul line in left field to score two runs. Bourque plated a run with a sac fly and Chris Sinclair added a two-run double to right.

Conrad had three hits to lead ULL offensively, while Compton and Girouard both had two hits.

Matt Hicks (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season for the Cajuns after he allowed three runs on four hits in 2.1 innings of work. Joe Zimmermann struggled out of the ULL bullpen as he allowed three runs on three hits and two walks in 1.2 innings.

The Trojans now return home for six of their final seven games of the regular season. All six of the home games are Sun Belt Conference games as ULM comes to Riddle-Pace Field next weekend and South Alabama closes out the regular season in two weeks.