Troy Downs Xavier to Split Series

Sunday, February 19

Troy, Ala.

12 PM

Troy University

2-2

Xavier

2-2

Xavier

Troy

Photo by: Joey Meredith

2/19/2017 3:47:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score Photo Gallery Highlights

By: Jace Sanders

Box Score | Photo Gallery | Highlights

TROY, Alabama – Brody Binder and Chase Smartt hit back-to-back home runs and Houston Mabray was solid on the mound as Troy defeated Xavier, 5-2, Sunday afternoon at Riddle-Pace Field in the finale of the four-game series.

The Trojans (2-2) raced out to an early lead with a three-spot in the fourth inning, capped by the back-to-back blasts from Binder and Smartt. Mack Hathcock provided Troy with a pair of insurance runs in the home half of the seventh with a two-run double after a pair of walks.

Smartt finished the game 3-for-3 from the plate, while Binder was 2-for-3 with his second double of the season to go along with his home run.

Mabray (1-0), a Troy native, picked up his first win of the season – going 5.1 with four strikeouts and allowing one unearned run while scattering just five hits. Marc Skinner earned his first save of the season and the Trojans also received scoreless outings from Lance Johnson and Cory Gill out of the bullpen.

Matt Fallon led Xavier (2-2) at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a double. Greg Jacknewitz (0-1) was tagged with the loss for the Musketeers, after he allowed three runs on six hits in 5.2 innings of work.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Fourth-Inning Rally: Matt Sanders led the bottom half of the inning off with a bloop double into shallow right field. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Sanders scored on a fielder's choice from the bat of Brandon Lockridge to give Troy the early 1-0 lead.

Brody Binder stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases empty and launched an opposite-field home run over the 27-foot wall in right. Not to be outdone, Chase Smartt hit his second career home run onto Tailgate Terrace two pitches later to stretch the Trojan lead to 3-0.

Big Top of the Seventh: Xavier's Blaine Griffiths led off the inning with a single but was thrown out at second by Steven Whitaker trying to extend it to a double. Two more singles followed, and Cory Gill entered the game for the Trojans, inheriting a one-out jam. Gill got Chris Givin to fly out to third and dealt an inning-ending strikeout to Rylan Bannon.

Even Bigger Bottom of the Seventh: Steven Whitaker drew a walk to lead off the frame and advanced to third on back-to-back wild pitches. Drew Frederic followed up with a walk and reached second on a throw back to third trying to catch Whitaker off the bag.

In stepped the Trojans' leadoff batter Mack Hathcock, who delivered with a two-RBI double through the gap in right-center, making the score 5-1.

NOTEWORTHY
• Before Sunday, the last time the Trojans hit back-to-back home runs was April 2, 2016, against New Orleans.

• Brandon Lockridge went 6-for-16 in the series and had at least one hit in every game of the series.

• Marc Skinner's ninth career save moves him into sole possession of fifth place in program history.

• Eight different Trojans – of the eleven that stepped to the plate – reached base safely.

SOUND "SMARTT" WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Today's win marks 10 years in a row that the Troy baseball team has not lost the opening series of the season. The last time the Trojans lost the opening series was 2007, when the Arkansas Razorbacks visited Riddle-Pace Field.

QUOTABLE
"We would've liked to have gone 3-1 or 4-0, but all we could do today was get the series even," Troy head coach Mark Smartt said. "I thought we played much better today compared to Friday and Saturday. They have a really good ball club that people will recognize at the end of the season. It was a good opening test for us and now we can get to work and figure out what we need to do to get better."

WHAT'S NEXT
The Trojans start a nine-game road trip in Birmingham as they face the Samford Bulldogs at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

For more information on Troy baseball, as well as all of Troy Athletics, visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find the Trojans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat by searching for Troy Athletics.