Thomas Nearly No-Hits, Troy Blanks UNA

Friday, March 8

Troy, Ala.

6:00 PM

Troy University

7-6

North Alabama

2-10

North Alabama

Troy

3/8/2019 10:00:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – Levi Thomas held North Alabama hitless for 7.1 innings and picked up a combined shutout as Troy blanked the Lions, 5-0, Friday night in the series opener at Riddle-Pace Field. Due to a forecast of thunderstorms on Sunday, the two teams will wrap up the non-conference series Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

The Cullman, Ala., native Thomas (3-0) fanned a career-high 11 batters in the game and allowed just three baserunners – an error and two walks – before UNA (2-10) pinch hitter Harris Kain was able to pick up a hit off the sophomore with one out in the eighth inning. Reliever Lance Johnson capped off the shutout, allowing just two hits around a strikeout in 1.2 innings of work.

T8 | ⚔️ 5, 🦁 0

ALMOST A NO-NO … @_Levi32 fanned 11 batters and didn't allow a hit through 7.1 innings but the no-hit bid is spoiled in the top of the eighth

Take a look at ALL ❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌ #theTROYway | #OneTROY pic.twitter.com/LLZocrUv6F
— Troy Baseball ⚔️x7 (@TroyTrojansBSB) March 9, 2019

Troy (7-6) jumped on the board first in the fourth inning as Chase Smartt doubled to right center to score Sadler Goodwin all the way around from first. Smartt, who had missed the last four games with a lower-body injury, picked up where he left off and continued a streak of four straight games with a double.

Logan Cerny drove in two more a couple of batters later on a single, scoring Smartt and Tanner Jackson – Cerny finished the ballgame 2-for-3 with the two RBI and a walk. After scratching across another run on a wild pitch in the fifth, the Trojans added one more for good measure in the bottom of the seventh as Goodwin scored Drew Frederic on a sacrifice line drive.

Lions starter Chase Best (0-4) wore the loss after giving up four runs on seven hits through 4.1 innings on the mound – he fanned six and walked two.

QUOTABLE – TROY HEAD COACH MARK SMARTT
"We did some good things, but the story was Levi Thomas. He was fun to watch; he dominated from early on and had everything working for him. He showed great poise tonight, great tempo and I'm really proud of how he performed tonight."

QUOTABLE – SOPHOMORE RHP LEVI THOMAS
"It all starts with our defense; you're never going to go out there and strike everyone out. Tonight was a big confidence-booster as we head into conference play next weekend. It was by far the longest I've ever gone without giving up a hit and the longest outing I've had here at Troy. It was a blast; I loved it."

SOUND "SMARTT" WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Levi Thomas was five outs away from finishing off the eighth no-hitter in school history and the first since 1996. That season, Dean Cordova picked up two no-no's within a month's time – a nine-inning against Valparaiso on March 4 and a seven-inning against C.W. Post on March 31.

NOTABLE
• Despite missing the last four games with a lower-body injury, senior catcher Chase Smartt picked things back up in stride by extending his doubles streak to four consecutive games with a two-bagger.

• Freshman Tanner Jackson showed the patience of a veteran at the plate Friday, drawing three walks in the game. Jackson is the first Troy player to walk three times in a single game since Joey Denison did so on March 31, 2018 against Georgia State.

• Rigsby Mosley poked a single through the right side in the seventh to extend his career-long hitting streak to seven straight games.

• The shutout marked Troy's first as a team since it defeated Duke, 6-0, in the 2018 NCAA Regional in Athens last June.