Trojans Fall to Bobcats in Tight Series-Opener

Friday, April 9

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

13-15, 2-5

Texas State

14-17, 4-6

Texas State

Troy

Trojans Fall to Bobcats in Tight Series-Opener

4/9/2021 11:25:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – Troy fell short in a soggy series-opener after the start of the contest was delayed just over an hour due to inclement weather. Missed opportunities late in the game hurt the Trojans as they dropped a tight 4-2 decision to the Bobcats Friday night at Riddle-Pace Field.

Drew Frederic logged his 14^th multi-hit game of the season with a 3-for-5 night at the plate that included a pair of doubles. The shortstop has now reached base in all 28 games this season and is riding a 37-game on-base streak dating back to last year.

Texas State (14-17, 4-6 SBC) struck first after it crossed an unearned run on a passed ball in the first inning, and added another run in the third on a solo homer from Justin Thompson to take a 2-0 lead.

The Bobcats extended their lead to 3-0 with a run in the top of the sixth, but Troy (13-15, 2-5 SBC) would respond with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to pull back within one. Caleb Bartolero delivered an RBI-single to right field before Clay Stearns drew a bases-loaded walk for the Trojans' second run of the inning.

The Bobcats loaded the bases in the seventh, but Lance Johnson got the Trojans out of the jam by forcing a fly out. Troy missed an opportunity after the stretch when Frederic roped a double to left field that would have placed runners on second and third with one out, but Jesse Hall over-slid third base on the slick turf and was tagged out on the play.

Troy squandered another quality opportunity in the eighth after Hudson Hartsfield, who entered as a pinch runner for Bartolero, went from first to third on a single from Dalton Sinquefield with one out. The Trojans were unable to put the ball in play, however, and left the runners stranded on the corners.

Texas State added an insurance run in the top of the ninth with a solo home run from Peyton Lewis to give the Bobcats a two-run buffer entering the bottom of the ninth. Frederic won a competitive at-bat with a single up the middle to bring Logan Cerny, representing the tying run, to the plate. Troy would be unable to draw even as Tristan Stivors iced the game with Texas State's eighth strikeout of the ballgame.

Orlando Ortiz (2-4) struck out seven in his return to the weekend rotation, but was tagged with the loss after giving up three runs, two earned, in 5.1 innings.

Zachary Leigh (2-4) earned the win on the mound for the Bobcats after striking out four and allowing two runs on five hits in 5.2 innings. Stivors logged his fifth save of the season with a three-strikeout performance.

Quotable – Head coach Mark Smartt
"Our team competed really hard tonight but we didn't execute well enough in key points of the ballgame to tie it or take the lead. We're going through a very difficult period; our team is going to have to stay the course and continue to fight to get over this hurdle. We made good strides tonight, but we need something positive to happen to get over this hump and my belief is that it'll happen tomorrow. I'm looking forward to getting back out there."

Notable

Drew Frederic logged his 14^th multi-hit game of the season with a 3-for-5 night at the plate that included a pair of doubles. The shortstop has now reached base in all 28 games this season and is riding a 37-game on-base streak dating back to last season.
Lance Johnson tallied his 108^th career appearance on the mound, the third-most among any collegiate pitcher across all NCAA divisions.
This marked Troy's fifth loss of the season when out-hitting its opponent.
The Trojans dropped their first-ever game to Texas State at Riddle-Pace Field. Troy is now 12-7 all-time against the Bobcats and 6-1 at home.

Up Next
Troy and Texas State are back in action in game two of the series Saturday at 4 p.m.