Troy Splits Doubleheader with Arkansas State

Saturday, May 10

Jonesboro, Ark.

2:00pm

Troy University

22-27, 9-15

Arkansas State

27-22, 15-10

Troy

Arkansas State

Photo by: Joshua Thurston

Troy Splits Doubleheader with Arkansas State

5/10/2014 9:08:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Wes Johnson

Box Score (Game 1) | Box Score (Game 2)

JONESBORO, Ark. – Troy (22-28, 9-16 SBC) split a Saturday doubleheader with Arkansas State (28-22, 16-10) at Tomlinson Stadium winning the first game 2-1 before falling in game two 10-7.

TROY 2, ARKANSAS STATE 1

In game one, the Trojans used eight excellent innings on the mound by Shane McCain to defeat the Red Wolves 2-1. The senior southpaw allowed just one run on five hits and struck out six batters. McCain (4-4) has now turned in nine quality starts in 13 outings this season.

Arkansas State plated the game's first run in the fourth inning. Stuart Levy doubled with one out and scored on a double from Lucas Feddersen. Levy terrorized Troy pitchers all day as he finished the two games with three doubles.

It didn't take long for Troy to respond as Nick Masonia singled and Ali Knowles walked to start the fifth. After both runners advanced on a double steal, Matthew Howard drove home the tying run with a ground ball to first base. On the next pitch, Trevin Hall grounded to short, scoring Knowles and giving the Trojans the lead.

The Trojans had a chance to add on to its lead in the sixth. Masonia and Knowles singled with one out and both advanced when Matthew Howard reached on a fielding error to load the bases. A strikeout and a pop up ended the threat however. Troy finished the game with eight hits but stranded 11 runners. Masonia and Knowles collected two hits each in the winning effort.

Marc Skinner pitched a clean ninth inning to earn his fifth save of the season, which moves him into a six-way tie for 10^th for saves in a season. Behind the solid relief pitching, Troy improved to 18-0 when leading after eight innings.

ARKANSAS STATE 10, TROY 7

The Red Wolves erased a 4-0 Troy lead by taking advantage of defensive miscues by the Trojans. Starter Tanner Hicks (2-9) struggled at times but didn't get much help from his defense as the team committed three errors allowing ASU to score four unearned runs. Hicks allowed eight runs – four earned – on seven hits in six innings of work.

The Trojans struck first on a David Hall RBI double to left-center field. Jakob Nixon, who worked an 11-pitch walk, scored on the play. Nixon was 1-for-4 in the game extending his reached base streak to 11 games and his hitting streak to 10 games; both are team highs.

Garrett Pitts extended the Trojans lead in the third with a single through the right side with the bases loaded scoring two runs. David Hall made it a 4-0 game with an RBI fielder's choice later in the frame.

Arkansas State plated two unearned runs in the third. Four more scored in the fourth on four hits but a heads up double play started by catcher Austin Sullivan on a popped up bunt attempt.

Troy battled back to tie the game in the fifth on Ali Knowles two-RBI single to center. After ASU regained the lead in the bottom half, the Trojans again tied things up on a Pitts sacrifice fly.

One run in the bottom of the sixth and two more in the eighth sealed the game for the Red Wolves. Clay Holcomb finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored. David Hall and Matthew Howard had two hits each.

The teams will play the rubber match of the series Sunday at 1 p.m.