Troy Earns Doubleheader Split Behind Grayson Stewart's Quality Start

Friday, April 28

Mobile, Ala.

2:30 p.m.

Troy University

29-14, 10-9

South Alabama

22-20, 10-9

Troy

South Alabama

Troy Earns Doubleheader Split Behind Grayson Stewart's Quality Start

4/28/2023 10:55:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

MOBILE, Ala. – Behind Grayson Stewart's quality start and three home runs in game two, the Trojans evened up the series with South Alabama after an 8-1 win, splitting the doubleheader Friday night from Stanky Field after falling 5-2 in game one.

The win gives head coach Skylar Meade his 62nd win at the helm of the Trojans in two seasons, passing Melvin Lucas, who won 61 games from 1961-1964.

Stewart (6-2) picked up his sixth win of the season after going 6.2 innings allowing only one unearned run on three hits with a career-high 10 strikeouts and one walk. Stewart already matches his win total from last season and tosses his fourth quality start of the year.

Two games after setting the Troy record for most home runs in the BBCOR Bats era, Lewis continued punishing baseballs, hitting his 20^th home run of the season. He now moves into sixth place for most home runs in a single season. He is the first Trojan to hit 20 home runs since 2010.

Caleb Bartolero and Tremayne Cobb Jr. also went deep as all eight of the Trojans' runs (30-14, 11-9) came from the long ball. Bartolero and Cobb Jr. hit three-run home runs making it six games this season with three home runs.

GAME ONE:
The Trojans had opportunities to win game one but couldn't come up with a big hit. Brady Fuller (4-4), making his 11^th start of the season, lasted three innings, allowing three runs, two earned on five hits. Fuller faced 17 batters finishing his day with three walks and three strikeouts.

In his first weekend start of the season, Leif Moore (3-0) kept the Trojans scoreless through six innings while only allowing three hits, finishing with two strikeouts and two walks.

Errors continued to hurt the Trojans this season as a leadoff walk reached third base with nobody out after a stolen base and Donovan Whibbs unable to make a play allowing the ball to go into center field. That run came around to score off a sac fly, and South Alabama added another with an RBI single to make it 2-0 after two.

Another leadoff walk in the third resulted in the third run for South Alabama as a sacrifice fly from the Jaguars again brought home a run to extend the lead. Fuller managed to get out of the inning without giving up anything else.

Kristian Asbury came out of the bullpen in relief and gave Troy three solid innings holding South Alabama to one run on two hits. Troy pitching combined to walk 12 Jaguar batters which is the most Troy has given up this season.

After Moore left, the Trojans had a golden opportunity to tie the game and even take the lead as they loaded the bases with only one out. Whibbs had a patient at-bat to put the first Trojan run on the board with a walk. Troy had the middle of the lineup next, but the one run was all they could plate as William Sullivan fouled out and Lewis lined out to center field, neatly hitting it over the defender's head.

The missed opportunity proved crucial as South Alabama loaded the bases themselves in the bottom of the seventh and used a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-1 and restore the three-run advantage. Ryan Pettis came on and got two outs to limit the damage.

Troy again looked to put runs on the board as they had two in scoring position and one out in the top of the eighth. With runners on second and third, Cobb Jr. cut the deficit in half with a sacrifice fly. Over the two games, Cobb Jr. finished with three hits and four RBIs, but once again, one run was all the Trojans managed in the inning.

GAME TWO:
With one swing of the bat in the first, the Trojans surpassed their run total in game one. With two outs and two men on, Barotlero launched his 11^th home run of the season to left field to give Troy the early three-run advantage.

Mitchell Heer (3-2) settled in after giving up the home run and retired 10 Trojans in a row, but Lewis took him deep, and he finished with a final line of six innings, five runs on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Stewart, from the start, dominated the South Alabama lineup, with the Jaguars' lone run coming from an error and a wild pitch.

Zach Fruit came on and earned his third save of the season after throwing 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball with only one hit, not allowing the Jaguars any sort of comeback.

The Trojans will look to take their fourth straight Sun Belt series on Sunday, April 30, at 1 p.m. as Troy and South Alabama conclude their three-game set.