Trojans Fall to South Alabama in Series Finale

Sunday, April 30

Mobile, Ala.

1 p.m.

Troy University

South Alabama

Trojans Fall to South Alabama in Series Finale

4/30/2023 4:50:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

MOBILE, Ala – Seven unearned runs with six coming in the top of the third inning was the difference in the series finale between Troy and South Alabama as the Jaguars came away with a 9-4 victory over Troy Sunday afternoon from Stanky Field.

South Alabama (23-21, 11-10) scored a run in four of the first five innings, with the damage coming in the bottom of the third, where they scored six runs, all with two outs after a fielding error kept the inning going.

Shane Lewis hit his 21^st home run of the season for Troy (30-15, 11-10), putting him in a tie with Michael Rivera for 5^th place for most home runs in a single season in Troy baseball history. Lewis finished with two hits and two runs scored.

William Sullivan, Kole Myers, and Clay Stearns each had a hit and an RBI, while Ethan Kavanagh, like Lewis, had a two-hit game.

Only one run of the eight given up by Trojan starter Logan Ross (2-1) was earned. Ross went 3.1 innings, allowing eight hits, one walk, and three strikeouts.

Caden Homniok (1-0) picked up the win for the Jaguars after coming out of the bullpen and pitching 2.2 innings allowing only the Lewis home run while striking out three. Micah Morgan went two-for-four with three RBIs and two runs. Will Turner had a three-hit game and scored twice in the victory.

Troy got off to a good start. Sullivan tripled in his first at-bat on the first pitch he saw to put Troy on the board in the first inning. Lewis walked with two outs to keep the inning alive after two quick outs.

South Alabama responded and looked to have a big inning as they loaded the bases with nobody out after a leadoff walk, error, and infield single. However, only one Jaguar came around to score to tie the game as Ross got three straight outs, including back-to-back strikeouts.

Both teams threatened in their half of the second. Troy had runners on first and second with two outs after a South Alabama error, but a flyout ended their threat. In the bottom half, South Alabama started the innings with two singles. Ross got a strikeout and a double play to keep the game tied.

Troy had another opportunity, with two straight singles to start the third and nobody out, but the hosts turned their own double play and got a ground ball to third as Troy stranded a runner as the game remained 1-1.

For the third straight inning, South Alabama had the leadoff man on to start the inning and was quickly in scoring position with nobody out after a double. Ross got a flyball and a pop-out to get two outs, and what looked to be the third out of the inning was a fielding error to keep the inning going and put South Alabama ahead 2-1.

That error proved costly as five more runs came across to score as the bases were loaded after a hit by a pitch and were followed by a single scoring two and a three-run home run to make it 7-1 South Alabama.

The Trojans got two of those runs back as Stearns and Myers singled and doubled to make it a 7-3 game, but it was back to a five-run lead in the bottom of the fourth, with the Jaguars bringing home a run.

The bases were loaded full of Trojans in the top of the fifth as Troy tried to put themselves in a position to put runs across but couldn't find the big hit to do so.

The Trojans will return to Riddle-Pace Field for a midweek rematch with Jacksonville State on Tuesday, May 2, at 6 p.m., followed by another pivotal Sun Belt Series at home against Georgia Southern.