Troy Blanks Hofstra in Series Opener

Friday, March 10

Troy, Ala.

6 PM

Troy University

7-5

Hofstra

3-9

Hofstra

Troy

Photo by: Joey Meredith

3/10/2017 9:10:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Jace Sanders

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TROY, Alabama – Daren Osby struck out a season-high six over 6.1 scoreless innings as shutout Hofstra, 4-0, in the series opener Friday night at Riddle-Pace Field.

Osby (3-1) picked up the win for the Trojans (7-4) – behind his season-high strikeouts while only giving up three hits. He leads the Trojans with 21 strikeouts over just 23 innings of work in his four appearances.

Marc Skinner relieved Osby in the seventh inning and shut the door on Hofstra (3-9) – picking up five strikeouts and scattering two hits in 2.2 innings. Skinner picked up his third save of the season and 11^th in his Troy career.

Trevor Davis continued his tear at the plate – going 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI to lead Troy. Davis is now 9-for-12 (.750) over the last four games. Steven Whitaker, Justin Friend and Drew Frederic accounted for the remainder of the Trojans' six hits.

Vinnie Costello led Hofstra's five-hit attack with its lone extra-base hit, a double in the fifth. Teddy Cillis (0-2) took the loss after allowing a run and two hits in five innings on the mound for the Pride – who are now 0-6 all-time against the Trojans.

QUOTABLE
"Daren (Osby) was great today, besides that one hiccup in the seventh when he walked the back-to-back guys," Troy head coach Mark Smartt said. "He was terrific and was able to use all of his pitches and stay ahead in the count. Marc Skinner executed with a little pressure and did an outstanding job. Anytime you get shutout baseball that is big. I look forward to a day when we will score more than four – not sure when that will be, maybe tomorrow."

MOMENT THAT MATTERED
Seventh-Inning Spark: Coming to the plate with a narrow 1-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh, Troy's bats came alive to extend its lead to 3-0. Drew Frederic provided the Trojans with a one-out base runner after an infield single and he moved to second on a passed ball. Steven Whitaker followed with a double that one-hopped the wall in right-center to push across a much-needed insurance run. Two batters later, Trevor Davis picked up an RBI with his second hit of the night to push the lead to three.

SOUND "SMARTT" WITH YOUR FRIENDS
• With a combined 11 strikeouts, the Trojan pitching staff has recorded at least 10 strikeouts in four of the five home games and in six games overall this season.

• On a night where hits were at a premium, Brandon Lockridge and Chase Smartt both saw their hitting streaks come to an end – Lockridge at 11 and Smartt at 6.

• Marc Skinner made his 90^th career appearance for Troy and earned his 11^th career save – which moves him into sole possession of fourth place in school history.

WHAT'S UP NEXT
The series with Hofstra continues with a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. Evan Hebert (0-0, 3.24) and Austin Crook (1-0, 2.70) are scheduled to start on the mound for the Trojans.