Troy University Athletics
Friday, April 14
Lafayette, La.
6 p.m.
Troy University
24-11, 7-6
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Louisiana
24-11, 9-4
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9
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Troy
1
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9
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Louisiana
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Balanced Attack and Strong Pitching Pushes Troy Past Louisiana
4/14/2023 10:57:00 PM | Baseball
LAFAYETTE, La. – Production up and down the Trojan batting order backed up strong performances on the mound from Brady Fuller and Zach Fruit as the Trojans opened up their weekend series in Louisiana with a 9-6 victory over the Ragin Cajuns Friday night.
Troy (24-11, 7-6) saw their fourth straight win over Louisiana as Troy had seven different players record an RBI. William Sullivan launched his 15th home run of the season, and Kole Myers and Donovan Whibbs each had two hits, an RBI, and a run scored. Despite no hits on the night, Ethan Kavanagh finished with two RBIs and a run scored. In addition, Kyle Mock extended his on-base streak to 21 games after getting on a with a double and scoring three runs.
Louisiana (24-11, 9-4) had seven different pitchers make an appearance in the game. Julian Brock had a three-hit night and two RBIs, but the combination of Fuller and Fruit struck out 14 Ragin' Cajun batters.
With 10 strikeouts, Troy starter Brady Fuller (3-3) matched his season high as the sophomore went 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits to earn his third victory of the season. Fuller entered Friday's contest with 51 punch-outs ranking sixth in the Sun Belt.
It didn't get any easier for Louisiana as Fruit came out of the bullpen for Troy. Fruit kept the hosts at bay as he came on in the sixth inning with two outs and ended up going 3.1 innings with four strikeouts, allowing three runs on four hits. Then, Fruit shut the door and picked up his first career save.
Louisiana starter Jake Hammond (3-3) made it through 3.1 innings before getting pulled from the bull game. Hammond allowed three runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
The Trojan bats were prevalent early as the scoring got started with a home run from Sullivan in the first. It was his 15th home run of the season, putting him in a tie with for the team and Sun Belt Conference lead with Shane Lewis.
Lewis got a two-run second started with a hit by a pitch and was quickly on second with an Ethan Kavanagh walk bringing up Clay Stearns. Stearns was making his first start since March 8 against FGCU when he left due to injury. In his first at-bat, he singled, bringing in the second run of the evening. The inning continued with an RBI single for Myers, making it 3-0 early.
The bottom of the second saw the first two batters for Louisiana reach base. With runners on first and third, Fuller induced a 4-6-3 double play conceding the run but got out of the inning with that being the only damage done.
Two more runs crossed home plate for the Trojans in the top of the fifth as Troy capitalized with the bases loaded and nobody out with ground balls from Ethan Kavanagh and Tremayne Cobb Jr., which made it 5-1.
Troy nearly left the fifth inning holding onto that four-run lead, but Louisiana scored a run to make it a three-run game. A play at the plate almost got the runner as Lewis beat the runner home with his throw, but Stearns could not hold onto the ball on the tag making it 5-2.
Troy used the top of the sixth to add three critical runs as Whibbs hit a triple to drive in an RBI. It was his seventh career triple, putting him in a tie for eighth place on Troy's all-time list.
Louisiana added two runs across the bottom of the eighth and ninth, but it was not enough to overtake the Trojans.
The two Sub Belt foes will continue their series with game two tomorrow, Saturday, April 15, at 4 p.m.
Troy (24-11, 7-6) saw their fourth straight win over Louisiana as Troy had seven different players record an RBI. William Sullivan launched his 15th home run of the season, and Kole Myers and Donovan Whibbs each had two hits, an RBI, and a run scored. Despite no hits on the night, Ethan Kavanagh finished with two RBIs and a run scored. In addition, Kyle Mock extended his on-base streak to 21 games after getting on a with a double and scoring three runs.
Louisiana (24-11, 9-4) had seven different pitchers make an appearance in the game. Julian Brock had a three-hit night and two RBIs, but the combination of Fuller and Fruit struck out 14 Ragin' Cajun batters.
With 10 strikeouts, Troy starter Brady Fuller (3-3) matched his season high as the sophomore went 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits to earn his third victory of the season. Fuller entered Friday's contest with 51 punch-outs ranking sixth in the Sun Belt.
It didn't get any easier for Louisiana as Fruit came out of the bullpen for Troy. Fruit kept the hosts at bay as he came on in the sixth inning with two outs and ended up going 3.1 innings with four strikeouts, allowing three runs on four hits. Then, Fruit shut the door and picked up his first career save.
Louisiana starter Jake Hammond (3-3) made it through 3.1 innings before getting pulled from the bull game. Hammond allowed three runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
The Trojan bats were prevalent early as the scoring got started with a home run from Sullivan in the first. It was his 15th home run of the season, putting him in a tie with for the team and Sun Belt Conference lead with Shane Lewis.
Lewis got a two-run second started with a hit by a pitch and was quickly on second with an Ethan Kavanagh walk bringing up Clay Stearns. Stearns was making his first start since March 8 against FGCU when he left due to injury. In his first at-bat, he singled, bringing in the second run of the evening. The inning continued with an RBI single for Myers, making it 3-0 early.
The bottom of the second saw the first two batters for Louisiana reach base. With runners on first and third, Fuller induced a 4-6-3 double play conceding the run but got out of the inning with that being the only damage done.
Two more runs crossed home plate for the Trojans in the top of the fifth as Troy capitalized with the bases loaded and nobody out with ground balls from Ethan Kavanagh and Tremayne Cobb Jr., which made it 5-1.
Troy nearly left the fifth inning holding onto that four-run lead, but Louisiana scored a run to make it a three-run game. A play at the plate almost got the runner as Lewis beat the runner home with his throw, but Stearns could not hold onto the ball on the tag making it 5-2.
Troy used the top of the sixth to add three critical runs as Whibbs hit a triple to drive in an RBI. It was his seventh career triple, putting him in a tie for eighth place on Troy's all-time list.
Louisiana added two runs across the bottom of the eighth and ninth, but it was not enough to overtake the Trojans.
The two Sub Belt foes will continue their series with game two tomorrow, Saturday, April 15, at 4 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fuller, Brady (3-3)
L: Jake Hammond (3-3)
S: Fruit, Zach (1)
Batting:
2B: Myers, Kole 1 ; Mock, Kyle 1 ; Cobb Jr., Tremayne 1
3B: Whibbs, Donovan 1
HR: Sullivan, William 1
RBI: Myers, Kole 1 ; Whibbs, Donovan 1 ; Sullivan, William 1 ; Mock, Kyle 1 ; Kavanagh, Ethan 2 ; Cobb Jr., Tremayne 1 ; Stearns, Clay 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Myers, Kole 1 ; Whibbs, Donovan 1 ; Sullivan, William 1 ; Mock, Kyle 3 ; Lewis, Shane 2 ; Kavanagh, Ethan 1
HBP: Myers, Kole 1 ; Sullivan, William 1 ; Lewis, Shane 2 ; Bartolero, Caleb 1
Batting:
2B: Carson Roccaforte 1 ; Heath Hood 1 ; Julian Brock 2
HR: Max Marusak 1
RBI: Max Marusak 1 ; Julian Brock 2 ; Will Veillon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Max Marusak 1 ; Carson Roccaforte 2 ; Heath Hood 1 ; John Taylor 2
SB: Max Marusak 1 ; Will Veillon 1
CS: Ben Robichaux 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballIF
/ BaseballIF
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