Troy Falls to #15 UL Lafayette in Opener

Friday, March 24

Troy, Ala.

6 PM

Troy University

12-9, 2-2

UL Lafayette

12-8, 3-1

UL Lafayette

Troy

Photo by: Meredith Gramley

3/24/2017 10:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score Photo Gallery Highlights

By: Jace Sanders

Box Score | Photo Gallery | Highlights

TROY, Alabama – Handsome Monica hit a two-out double in the top of the ninth inning to break a 5-all tie and lift UL Lafayette past Troy, 6-5, Friday night in the opener of the three-game Sun Belt series. The teams will play game two of the set tomorrow at 1 p.m.; the game was moved up two hours from the originally scheduled first pitch.

Troy (12-9, 2-2) fought back from an early 4-0 deficit to take a lead into the eighth inning – sparked by a four-run third. Joey Denison dealt the biggest blow of the inning on a two-RBI single and finished 2-for-3, while Brandon Lockridge also drove in a run in the inning en route to a 2-for-5 night.

Trevor Davis brought home another run in the fourth to give the Trojans the 5-4 lead. Davis and Matt Sanders both posted multiple hits to aid the Trojans' 11-hit effort.

Troy closer Marc Skinner (1-2) entered in a save situation in the eighth but suffered the loss after allowing a run on three hits in 1.1 innings of work.

UL Lafayette (12-8, 3-1) clawed its way to victory by scoring a run in each of the last two innings. Ishmael Edwards, Brenn Conrad and Hunter Kasuls each had three hits to lead the Ragin' Cajuns to their fifth straight Friday night win.

After allowing no runs and only one hit in three innings, Wyatt Marks (1-0) won his first game of the season. Marks turned the ball over to Dylan Moore in the ninth, who earned his fifth save of the season.

QUOTABLE
"It was a tough loss," Troy head coach Mark Smartt said. "We were down 4-0 to the best pitcher in the league and we fought back and tied it up. Lance Johnson showed who he is tonight; he's a tough kid. Our guys competed their tails off and every player gave his best, but we have to find a way to get one more run than they do"

SOUND "SMARTT" WITH YOUR FRIENDS
• Brandon Lockridge's RBI single in the bottom of the third inning was the first earned run allowed by UL Lafayette starter Gunner Leger in 30 innings. The Trojans scored five runs off the Cajuns' ace, which is tied for the most he's allowed in his career (third time).

• Joey Denison drove in two runs for the Trojans; it was his first multi-RBI game of the season and the team-leading 11th of his career. Denison also recorded his 26th career multi-hit game and the fourth of the season.

• Brandon Lockridge extended his on-base streak to a career-high 21 games with his infield single in the fourth inning; he has also hit safely in 19-of-21 games this season.

• Drew Frederic has now hit safely 12 of the last 13 games and has reached base safely in 13 straight contests.

• Freshman right-hander Lance Johnson took over for Daren Osby with two on and no outs in the sixth. Following a sac bunt, Johnson struck out his first batter since the opening weekend and induced a popup to end the inning.

• Troy finished the night with 11 hits marking the sixth time this season with double-digit hits.

WHAT'S UP NEXT?
Senior lefty Austin Crook (3-0, 2.18) will take the mound as Troy looks to bounce back in the second game of the series. First pitch at Riddle-Pace Field is set for 1 p.m.