Trojans Leave Birmingham Victorious

Tuesday, February 28

Birmingham, Ala.

6 PM

Troy University

5-3

UAB

5-3

Troy

UAB

2/28/2017 10:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Jace Sanders

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Troy picked up a key 4-2 win in a mid-week bout with in-state rival, UAB, at Regions Field Tuesday night behind a stellar performance by Austin Crook.

Crook (1-0), who missed all of last season with an injury, made a huge impact in his first appearance since 2015. He went 6.2 innings on the mound and gave up five hits – only one of which went for extra bases. Freshman Ryan Fultz toed the rubber in the ninth and picked up his first career save.

The Trojans (5-3) continued their early-inning hot streak as they struck for three crucial runs in the first off the bat of veteran Trevor Davis, who sent a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall for a three-run blast. Another run came in the fifth, when Steven Whitaker used aggressive base running to slide under a tag at home.

Chase Smartt and Mason Rodgers led the Trojans with two base hits each, while Brandon Lockridge extend his hitting streak to eight games.

UAB (5-3) picked up its only two runs of the game off of a Blake Johnson single with the bases loaded in the seventh. Kyle Davis (0-1), the Blazers' starter, took the loss – giving up three earned runs on four hits in 3.1 innings of work.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Davis' Return: Matt Sanders and Brandon Lockridge hit back-to-back singles with one out in the first inning to put two runners on for Trevor Davis. Davis, who has been battling an injury, was hitless prior to tonight's game. He changed that when he put a ball on the "Home Run Deck" behind the left field wall of the Minor League ballpark to give Troy a 3-0 lead.

Double Play Defense: The Trojan defense did not commit an error in the game and added two double plays to their season total. The biggest came in the bottom of the eighth after the Blazers seemed to be gaining momentum. UAB had just scored two runs in the seventh to cut the lead in half and a one-out walk had one on in the eighth. Brett Blackwood hit a shot up the middle, but Lockridge knocked it down and turned a beautiful 4-6-3 double play to send the game to the ninth inning.

NOTEWORTHY
• Troy has now scored 10 runs in the first inning and improves to 5-0 this season in games where it scores first.

• Brandon Lockridge's eight-game hitting streak marks the halfway point to reaching his career and team best 16-game streak from last year.

• After losing six in a row to UAB, the Trojans have now won three of their last five against their in-state foe.

QUOTABLE
"Austin Crook was great," Troy head coach Mark Smartt said. "It was his first time facing real competition in a long time and he went deep in the game. It was good to see Trevor Davis unload on the ball with a great swing. I think that gave Crook a lot of confidence on the mound, to see an early lead like that."

WHAT'S NEXT
The Trojans will face Seton Hall, South Alabama and Southeastern Louisiana at the Cox Diamond Invitational in Pensacola, Fla. First pitch for Friday's game against Seton Hall is set for 2 p.m.

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.