Cerny’s Late Homer Lifts Troy Over LA Tech

Saturday, February 23

Ruston, La.

3:00 PM

Troy University

3-2

Louisiana Tech

4-1

Troy

Louisiana Tech

Cerny’s Late Homer Lifts Troy Over LA Tech

2/23/2019 7:11:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

RUSTON, La. – Freshman Logan Cerny launched a go-ahead, solo shot in the top of the seventh inning to lead Troy to a 4-3 victory over Louisiana Tech at J.C. Love Field in game one of the non-conference series Saturday afternoon.

Cerny made the most of his first career homer, sending it high over the batters' eye in dead center to give the Trojans (3-2) a 4-3 lead that would hold in the final two innings. He finished the game 2-for-4, adding a triple to his line in the top of the ninth. Junior Drew Frederic also turned in a multi-hit performance at the plate – going 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Troy never trailed in the game but was out-hit by Louisiana Tech (4-1) by five – 6-11. Starter Levi Thomas (1-0) allowed nine hits but worked his way out of numerous jams to hold the Bulldogs to just three runs in six innings of work.

The bullpen trio of Lance Johnson, Rush Hixon and Cory Gill entered after Thomas and effectively shut down the Tech offense with five strikeouts around two hits in the final three innings of the game. Gill (1) picked up his first save of the year, making his first appearance since May 2017 after missing the 2018 season with an arm injury.

Tech had four players record multiple hits in the ballgame, highlighted by Steele Netterville – who laced a pair of doubles in four at-bats. Tyler Follis (1-1) wore the loss after giving up four earned runs on four hits in 6.2 innings of work.

Quotable – Troy head coach Mark Smartt
"We did some really good things; I thought we really grew up a lot today. Levi (Thomas) doesn't typically give up nine hits but he found a way to work out of it. And I'd be remiss if I didn't congratulate Logan Cerny on his first collegiate home run; and that couldn't have come at a better time. Tomorrow is going to be a long, tough day with a doubleheader and the road trip back home, but I'm looking forward to coming out and getting back to work."

Sound "Smartt" With Your Friends
Troy was out-hit 6-11 by Tech in the game but still held on for the win. It marked the first time a Troy team won a game while being out-hit by five or more hits since April 13, 2014, against Western Kentucky.

Notable
• Logan Cerny now has three hits in his young career and Saturday was his first multi-hit game. All three of the hits have gone for extra bases – a homer, a double and a triple.

• Saturday's game was Drew Frederic's 30^th multi-hit game in his career and second of the season. He trails Chase Smartt by two games for the most career multi-hit games on the team.

• The Trojans have now claimed nine of the last 11 games they've played in the state of Louisiana – Troy won eight of its 10 games played in the state last season.

Up Next
The Trojans and Bulldogs will play the final two games of the series in doubleheader fashion starting at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning. Troy will send LHP Grant Stewart and RHP Sadler Goodwin to the mound for the starts in both games, respectively.