Troy Takes Mid-Week Tilt at Alabama State

Tuesday, April 11

Montgomery, Ala.

6 PM

Troy University

17-14

Alabama State

17-16

Troy

Alabama State

4/11/2017 9:59:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

By: Jace Sanders

Box Score

MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Troy strung together six runs in the last five innings to defeat in-state foe Alabama State, 6-4, at Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex Tuesday night.

The Trojans (17-14) were efficient at the plate despite only six hits, as all nine of Troy's starters reached base safely at least once.

Brandon Lockridge led the Trojans - going 2-for-5 with two RBIs in the contest. Lockridge broke the scoreless tie in the fifth inning with a two-RBI single to tie his career-long 16-game hitting streak.

Chase Smartt also turned in a multi-RBI game for Troy after doubling in a run in the seventh and driving in an insurance run on a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Houston Mabray (2-1) threw four innings of one-hit shutout work to earn his second win of the season. Freshman Jimmy Robbins struck out the side in the eighth inning after entering and working the Trojans out of a jam in the seventh.

Marc Skinner earned his Sun Belt-leading eighth save of the season – scattering only a hit and striking out two in the ninth.

Alabama State (17-16) saw their 10-game winning streak snapped with the loss. Hornet catcher, Chris Biocic, led the squad with a 3-for-3 night, while back-to-back SWAC Hitter of the Week, Gustavo Rios, went 2-for-4 with two doubles.

Terrell McCall (1-4) was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs on two hits and six walks in 4.2 innings of work.

QUOTABLE
"It was a really good ballgame," Troy head coach Mark Smartt said. "Jimmy Robbins and Marc Skinner were lights out and our offense battled their tails off. Our team just fights hard, we always have a chance to win and we pulled out a hard-fought one tonight."

SOUND "SMARTT" WITH YOUR FRIENDS
• Steven Whitaker stole second and third base consecutively in the third inning to push his season total to 13 – the team-high last season was nine from Trevor Davis.

• Brandon Lockridge drove in two with a single in the fifth to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. He has also reached base in all 31 games this season – hitting safely in 29 of the 31.

• Chase Smartt delivered two RBIs on a double and a sac fly for his third multi-RBI game of the season and 11^th of his career – tied for second on the team in career multi-RBI games.

• Marc Skinner made his 98^th career appearance to tie Thomas Austin for the second most appearances in Troy history – four short of the all-time record.

• Skinner also earned his league-leading eighth save of the season and 16^th save of his career – one shy of second in school history.

• The Trojans are now 13-0 when leading after the eighth inning and 4-0 in Tuesday night games this season.

WHAT'S UP NEXT?
The Trojans will jump back into conference play with a series at Georgia State starting Thursday, with the first pitch from Atlanta scheduled for 5 p.m.