Troy University Athletics
Tuesday, March 14
Troy, Ala.
6 p.m.
Troy University
13-4
7
vs
9
Columbia
5-6
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Columbia
2
2
0
0
0
1
1
2
1
9
14
2
Troy
0
2
0
2
3
0
0
0
0
7
11
1
Columbia Holds Off Troy in Midweek Matchup
3/14/2023 11:10:00 PM | Baseball
TROY, Ala. – A five RBI night from Lance Gardiner wasn't enough to propel the Trojans past Columbia Tuesday night as the Lions came into Riddle-Pace Field and beat Troy 9-7, handing the Trojans their fourth loss of the season.
Trailing 7-4 heading into the sixth inning, the Lions used runs in the final four frames to overcome the three-run deficit. Columbia (5-6) finished the game with 14 hits. The big hit for the Lions came in the top of the eighth as Seth Dardar hit a two-run home run to take the lead and bring in the winning run.
Starting in his fifth game of the year, junior Gardiner was much of the Trojans' (13-4) offense. Gardiner went 3-4, bringing in five of the Trojan's seven runs. Gardiner entered Tuesday night with a .188 batting average and finished the night with an average of .300. The other two RBIs came off the bat of Ethan Kavanagh as he finished 3-3.
Troy used eight different pitchers, the most this season in a game. Starter Ben Thompson went two innings, allowing four runs on four hits with three walks and only two strikeouts.
Matt Mercer, Kristian Asbury, and Grady Gorgen all came in and held Columbia scoreless, but the Lions scored at least one run off Brandon Schrepf, Ryan Pettys, Keaton Fuller, and Noah Manning. Manning (1-1) picks up the loss by giving up the home run in the eighth.
Despite giving up three runs on three hits in one inning of work, Jafar Vaughn (1-1) picks up his first win of the season. Justin Tucker closed things out and got his second save of the season. Columbia starter Dane Miller came into the matchup with a 16.87 ERA but only allowed two runs on two hits in two innings pitched.
Troy found themselves down 4-0 after two innings. But cut the deficit in half as Gardiner singled in two runs. It was Gardiner again laying down a squeeze bunt to bring troy within a run. Kavanagh would end up tying the game with a single shortly after.
A three-run fifth inning gave Troy the lead as Gardner and Kavanagh teamed up again, each singling to give Troy a three-run advantage.
A solo home run by the Lions in the sixth brought them within two, and a run in the seventh brought them within one before taking the lead in the eighth. An unearned run in the ninth, making it 9-7, was enough as the Trojans could not mount another comeback.
In the bottom of the eighth, with two men on and nobody out, Troy had their chance to tie or retake the lead. However, the second double play of the night quickly erased the Trojan threat. Troy left 10 runners on base.
This was the first time the Trojans had lost to an Ivy League school.
Sun Belt Conference play is next for the Trojans as they travel to Atlanta to take on Georgia State for a weekend series beginning on March 17.
Trailing 7-4 heading into the sixth inning, the Lions used runs in the final four frames to overcome the three-run deficit. Columbia (5-6) finished the game with 14 hits. The big hit for the Lions came in the top of the eighth as Seth Dardar hit a two-run home run to take the lead and bring in the winning run.
Starting in his fifth game of the year, junior Gardiner was much of the Trojans' (13-4) offense. Gardiner went 3-4, bringing in five of the Trojan's seven runs. Gardiner entered Tuesday night with a .188 batting average and finished the night with an average of .300. The other two RBIs came off the bat of Ethan Kavanagh as he finished 3-3.
Troy used eight different pitchers, the most this season in a game. Starter Ben Thompson went two innings, allowing four runs on four hits with three walks and only two strikeouts.
Matt Mercer, Kristian Asbury, and Grady Gorgen all came in and held Columbia scoreless, but the Lions scored at least one run off Brandon Schrepf, Ryan Pettys, Keaton Fuller, and Noah Manning. Manning (1-1) picks up the loss by giving up the home run in the eighth.
Despite giving up three runs on three hits in one inning of work, Jafar Vaughn (1-1) picks up his first win of the season. Justin Tucker closed things out and got his second save of the season. Columbia starter Dane Miller came into the matchup with a 16.87 ERA but only allowed two runs on two hits in two innings pitched.
Troy found themselves down 4-0 after two innings. But cut the deficit in half as Gardiner singled in two runs. It was Gardiner again laying down a squeeze bunt to bring troy within a run. Kavanagh would end up tying the game with a single shortly after.
A three-run fifth inning gave Troy the lead as Gardner and Kavanagh teamed up again, each singling to give Troy a three-run advantage.
A solo home run by the Lions in the sixth brought them within two, and a run in the seventh brought them within one before taking the lead in the eighth. An unearned run in the ninth, making it 9-7, was enough as the Trojans could not mount another comeback.
In the bottom of the eighth, with two men on and nobody out, Troy had their chance to tie or retake the lead. However, the second double play of the night quickly erased the Trojan threat. Troy left 10 runners on base.
This was the first time the Trojans had lost to an Ivy League school.
Sun Belt Conference play is next for the Trojans as they travel to Atlanta to take on Georgia State for a weekend series beginning on March 17.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Vaughn, James (1-2)
L: Manning, Noah (1-1)
S: Tucker, Justin (2)
Batting:
2B: Blake, Andy 1 ; Schott, Hayden 2 ; Hage, Cole 1
HR: Blake, Andy 2 ; Dardar, Seth 1
RBI: Palfrey, Griffin 2 ; Blake, Andy 2 ; Schott, Hayden 1 ; Eberly, Weston 1 ; Dardar, Seth 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Palfrey, Griffin 1 ; Blake, Andy 2 ; Schott, Hayden 1 ; Eberly, Weston 1 ; Dardar, Seth 1 ; Hage, Cole 2 ; Kail, Jack 1
SB: Hage, Cole 1
CS: Palfrey, Griffin 1
HBP: Hage, Cole 1
PO: Palfrey, Griffin 1
Batting:
2B: Hartsfield, Hudson 1
RBI: Kavanagh, Ethan 2 ; Gardiner, Lance 5
SH: Sessions, Parker 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lewis, Shane 2 ; Mock, Kyle 1 ; Hartsfield, Hudson 1 ; Sessions, Parker 3
HBP: Hartsfield, Hudson 1 ; Sessions, Parker 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
3
RBI
5
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
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RHP
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LHP
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
UTL/P
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LHP
/ Baseball
OF/RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballBehind the Wall - S10, E1
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PODCAST - Josh Lauer
Thursday, September 04
Football Press Conference (Players) - Clemson Game
Monday, September 01
Gerad Parker Press Conference (Clemson Game)
Monday, September 01