Trojans Cruise Past Florida A&M for Sixth Straight Win

Wednesday, March 29

Tallahassee, Fla.

4 p.m.

Troy University

19-7

Florida A&M

12-13

Troy

Florida A&M

Photo by: Joey Meredith

Trojans Cruise Past Florida A&M for Sixth Straight Win

3/29/2023 7:56:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – For the second time in seven days, the Trojans proved to be too much for Florida A&M as all nine batters had a hit, and pitching dominated to lead Troy once again to a run rule of the Rattlers in seven innings, winning 12-2 from Tallahassee Wednesday night.

The Trojans (19-7) current six-game win streak started last Tuesday against Florida A&M in Troy when the Trojans won 10-0. Troy now sweeps the season series and goes 4-0 against the SWAC Conference.

Troy was in control from the very beginning of the game. Kyle Mock and Caleb Bartolero each had three hits, while William Sullivan had three RBIs, and Kole Myers scored three runs. This was the second time this season that all nine starters had hit safely, with the first time coming against USC-Upstate.

Making his first start since 2021, his third start overall in a Trojan uniform, and pitching in his home state of Florida, Ryan Pettys went 2.1 innings striking out five batters and only allowing one run.

In relief of Pettys, Zach Fruit (3-1) made his first appearance out of the bullpen. Fruit had his stuff working all night, as his first six outs recorded were six strikeouts. Fruit got his third win of the season after pitching 2.2 innings of no-hit baseball with the only base runner coming via the walk.

Florida A&M (12-13) only had one earned run on five hits. The Rattlers used eight different pitchers in the ball game, with starter Jared Townsend (1-2) picking up the loss, having gone only two innings allowing four runs on five this with three walks and no strikeouts.

After scoring in the game's first four innings, the Trojans turned a four-run ball game into a 10-run affair after putting up six runs in the top of the seventh to end the game early.

Just as he did last night, Sullivan got the Trojans on the board first with an RBI single. Four of the first five Trojans batters reached via a base hit. The fourth hit of the inning came off the bat of Mock to double the lead. The third and final run on the first frame came from a sacrifice fly by Bartolero.

The Rattlers managed their first run in part to a fielding error by the Trojans, and the second and final run for the host came in the bottom of the third.

In the second inning, Sullivan picked up his second hit and second RBI of the afternoon with another single as two walks started the inning.

Bartolero came around to score after hitting a double and making his way to third after two walks. Lance Gardiner did his job at the dish with a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring the Trojans' fifth run.

Myers led off the fourth with a walk, and after a wild pitch advancing him to second, his speed allowed him to tag twice on two fly balls, with the sacrifice coming for Sullivan for his third RBI of the day.

Mock led off the seventh with a single, which was the first of seven hits of the inning. He was followed by a single from Bartolero. Then, a sacrifice bunt from Hudson Hartsfield put runners into scoring position for Tremayne Cobb Jr. as he picked up his 10^th RBI of the season with a single.

A perfectly laid-down bunt from Gardiner gave him a hit and an RBI, with Myers following with his own single to center, keeping the line and scoring going. Ethan Kavanagh cleared the bases with a two-run double before Mock, in his second at-bat of the inning, saw his second hit bring in the 12^th and final run.

The weekend will bring a big-time Sun Belt matchup to Troy and Riddle-Pace Field as the Trojans welcome Southern Miss for a three-game series beginning on Friday, March 31, at 6 p.m.