Troy Outlasts UAB for Eighth Straight Win; Only Third Trojan Team to Start Season 8-0

Tuesday, February 28

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

8-0

UAB

3-5

UAB

Troy

Troy Outlasts UAB for Eighth Straight Win; Only Third Trojan Team to Start Season 8-0

2/28/2023 10:59:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – For only the third time in Troy baseball program history, the Trojans have started a season with eight straight wins. The historic feat came courtesy of an 8-7 win over in-state foe UAB Tuesday night from Riddle-Pace Field.

The win streak is the first since 1990 when the Trojans won 11 straight games to open the season before losing. In addition, this is the longest win streak since the Trojans' nine-game-win streak last season.

"I'm excited with what we've done; we have found a lot of ways to win games but haven't played our best baseball," head coach Skylar Meade said. "If you show resilience and toughness, you can find a way to win. Of course, we will improve on some things, but I can't be displeased with anything we are doing from an effort standpoint."

Offensively for Troy (8-0), Clay Stearns led the way with four RBIs. This was his second career four-RBI day. Kyle Mock finished 3-4 with an RBI and three runs scored, while Tremayne Cobb Jr., Shane Lewis, and Hudson Hartsfield all finished with an RBI.

Matt Mercer (1-0) bounced back and picked up his first win in a Trojan uniform as he went 1.1 innings pitched, allowing no runs and no hits with two strikeouts. Mercer came in for starter Ben Thompson who went three innings, allowing two runs on three hits. Thompson struck out five batters in the first two innings and would finish with six.

For the Blazers (3-5), John Luke Marlin (0-1) earned the loss after coming on in the fifth in relief and giving up the go-ahead run. Peyton Puckett drove in two runs, but the Blazers struck out a total of 10 times.

Troy broke out the bats at the bottom of the second inning, scoring three runs on five hits. Back-to-back doubles from Mock and Cobb Jr. got Troy on the board. Then, singles from Stearns and Hartsfield stretched the lead to three.

The Blazers immediately responded with two runs of their own in the top of the third and had the chance to tie it up, but the arm of Kole Myers prevented the run from scoring as he threw the runner from third out at the home plate to get out of the inning.

The Trojans regained a two-run advantage in the bottom half of the third, with Mock picking up his second RBI of the night after a single that left his bat at 108 MPH. However, the scoring didn't stop there as the Trojans added two more in part to a Lewis sacrifice fly and Stearns' second RBI of the night after a single.

Making his first appearance since May 28, 2021, Mason Kenney came on and got two outs but gave up two runs on two hits before giving way to Mercer.

Stearns drove in the winning run unconventionally after laying down a sacrifice bunt scoring Mock. The Blazers capitalized off a fielding error by the Trojans in the top of the ninth to get within a run, but Grady Gorgen sealed the deal and earned his first save of the season.

The Trojans have a tough test awaiting them this upcoming weekend when USC-Upstate visits Riddle-Pace Field. The Spartans are 7-2 and coming off a win against Clemson. The three-game series begins Friday, March 3, at 6 p.m.