Troy Baseball Blanks Northern Kentucky to Open Season

Friday, February 14

Troy, Ala.

6:00 pm

Troy University

1-0

Northern Kentucky

0-1

Northern Kentucky

Troy

Troy Baseball Blanks Northern Kentucky to Open Season

2/14/2014 9:25:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Wes Johnson

Box Score | Photo Gallery

TROY, Ala. – The Troy University baseball team shutout Northern Kentucky, 7-0, to open its 2014 season at Riddle-Pace Field on Friday night.

David Hall went 3-for-3 on the night with a solo home run and a double. Tanner Hicks pitched seven flawless innings allowing just three hits and tied a career high with nine strikeouts.

The shutout was the first by the Trojans since March 30, 2013, a 3-0 win over Middle Tennessee State; it was the first on opening day since Troy blanked Alabama State 5-0 on Feb. 9, 1999.

"We started a little bit slow, you have to give their (Northern Kentucky) pitcher a lot of credit," head coach Bobby Pierce said. "We had the big four-run inning to pull away but I was really proud of the way Tanner Hicks threw the ball. It was a good, solid start, we'll come back tomorrow and see if we can't get better."

Troy (1-0) opened the scoring in the third when Garrett Pitts doubled down the left field line; the ball skipped past the Northern Kentucky left fielder and rolled to the wall allowing Pitts to come all the way around to score.

In the fourth, David Hall blasted a solo home run with two outs to give Troy a 2-0 advantage.

After Kyle Brown singled home David Hall in the sixth to make it 3-0, the Trojans opened up the game in the eighth by collecting what has become the team's trademark – doubles. David Hall led off the inning with a two-bagger, Trevin Hall followed with an RBI double. Brown picked up an infield single before Matthew Howard doubled home another run. As a team, Troy finished the night with four doubles after leading the nation in the category last season with 151.

Brown, Trevin Hall and Garrett Pitts all finished with two hits each. Tyler Vaughn also added a hit – a single in the seventh.

Jeremy McGowan and Marc Skinner each pitched an inning in relief and each struck out the side.

Troy has now won 9-of-11 season openers under Pierce.

The Trojans will take on Northern Kentucky (0-1) in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.