Hicks Tosses Shutout, Trojans Roll Over South Alabama

Friday, March 14

Mobile, Ala.

6:30pm

Troy University

10-7, 0

South Alabama

9-8, 0

Troy

South Alabama

Photo by: Jonah Enfinger

Hicks Tosses Shutout, Trojans Roll Over South Alabama

3/14/2014 10:03:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Wes Johnson

Box Score

MOBILE, Ala. – Tanner Hicks threw a shutout and Nick Masonia and David Hall both hit home runs as the Troy University baseball team opened Sun Belt Conference play in style with a 5-0 win over rival South Alabama at Stanky Field on Friday.

In a battle between reigning Sun Belt Conference co-champions, Hicks (2-2) kept Jaguar batters off balance all game. While striking out five batters, Hicks induced two double plays and recorded outs on 16 ground balls. He threw 123 pitches, the most in an outing in his career. It was the first shutout in a nine-inning game by a Troy pitcher since Tyler Ray did it against Southeast Missouri in 2011. It was the first Sun Belt Conference shutout by a Troy pitcher since Tim Wheeler in 2008 and the first on the road since Clegg Snipes in 2007. Hicks allowed six scattered hits and walked just one batter.

Nick Masonia opened the scoring in the second inning with a solo home run off the scoreboard in left field. On a full-count pitch, David Hall hit a rocket to left center field to give the Trojans a 2-0 lead. It was the first time Trojan batters have hit back-to-back home runs since May 12, 2013, against Arkansas State.

Through 17 games, Troy batters have hit 19 home runs and have four players – David Hall, Trevin Hall and Nick Masonia – with four home runs on the season.

Troy (10-7, 1-0 SBC) added runs in the third and fourth with the help of a pair of South Alabama (9-8, 0-1) errors. Jaguar starter Kevin Hill (2-2) pitched 6 1/3 innings allowing five runs – three earned – on six hits. Hill walked four and struck out three.

With one out in the seventh, Tyler Vaughn laced a 1-2 pitch down the left field line for a double. On the next pitch, Garrett Pitts slapped a single up the middle to score Vaughn and give the Trojans the 5-0 advantage. The RBI hit extended Pitts' hit streak to 11 games; he has reached base in all 17 games this season. With a single in the third inning, Clay Holcomb extended his reached base streak to 12 games.

Due to impending weather on Sunday, Troy and South Alabama will play a doubleheader on Saturday. Game two of the series, originally slated to start at 6:30, will start at noon. Game three will begin approximately 30 after the completion of Game two.