Troy University Athletics
Troy University
38-18, 18-12
Appalachian State
27-23, 16-13
Appalachian State Spoils Senior Day
5/20/2023 5:57:00 PM | Baseball
Caleb Bartolero, Mason Kenney, Donovan Whibbs, Brandon Schrepf, Zach Fruit, Noah Janney, Clay Stearns, Hudson Hartsfield, and Nick Woolfolk were the nine seniors honored before the game for their countless contributions to the Troy baseball program.
Two four-run innings for the visitors were the difference, with the Mountaineers (27-23, 16-13) scoring four in the first and four in the sixth, shortly after the Trojans (38-18, 18-12) had taken the lead with a five-run inning of their own.
Brady Fuller made his first start since April 28 and went two innings allowing four earned runs on four hits with three walks. Schrepf (0-1) came on to start the sixth inning but was tagged for three runs picking up his first loss of the season.
The Trojans changed the game in the bottom of the fourth, scoring five runs to take the lead after trailing 5-2. Tremayne Cobb Jr. and Whibbs connected for back-to-back singles to start the inning, and Brooks Bryan walked to load the bases with nobody out.
On his senior day, Stearns singled on the second pitch of his at-bat to bring in the first run and keep the line moving. The game was changed when Kole Myers, in a 0-2 count, hit a grand slam over Doubles Alley for his 11th home run of the season to make it a 7-5 game.
Whibbs recorded the sixth three-hit game of his career, while Myers had his first four-RBI day as a Trojan. Bryan scored twice, and Ethan Kavanagh recorded his 17th multi-hit game of the season.
Jackson Steensma (3-0) was the last Mountaineer pitcher to see action but ended up going the longest and getting the win in the process. Steensma went 4.1 innings striking out eight while only allowing one run on three hits.
Appalachian State quickly got out to a four-run lead in the top of the first after two walks and a double loaded the bases for Golston Gillespie. Then, Gillespie connected for a grand slam to create the early deficit.
The Mountaineers added another in the second with two outs after a passed ball moved a runner to third and would score after a single to make it 5-0.
Troy got on the board thanks to Bryan's third home run of the season. A 404 ft shot over the right field wall in the bottom half of the second. The ball continued to fly out of the ballpark as Bartolero sent one out in the final home game of his Trojan career to score the Trojans' second run of the afternoon.
It was Bartolero's 27th home run of his career, giving him 79 career extra-base hits.
The back-and-forth contest continued in the top of the sixth as the Mountaineers used four runs, three coming from a home run, to regain the lead and retain it the rest of the way. Two more runs came in the top of the seventh as the Trojans were unable to come back from another four-run deficit.
With the regular season concluded, the Trojans will now turn their focus to Montgomery and the Sun Belt Conference Tournament next week. Troy is expected to be the three seed in the tournament and play on Wednesday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jackson Steensma (3-0)
L: Schrepf, Brandon (0-1)
Batting:
2B: CJ Boyd 1 ; Luke Drumheller 1
3B: Dylan Rogers 1
HR: Luke Drumheller 1 ; Golston Gillespie 1 ; Braxton Church 1
RBI: CJ Boyd 1 ; Xavier Moronta 1 ; Luke Drumheller 3 ; Golston Gillespie 4 ; Dylan Rogers 1 ; Braxton Church 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CJ Boyd 1 ; Xavier Moronta 1 ; Luke Drumheller 2 ; Hayden Cross 2 ; Golston Gillespie 1 ; Braxton Church 1 ; Austin St. Laurent 2 ; Andrew Terrell 2
SB: Grey LaSpaluto 1 ; Andrew Terrell 1
Batting:
2B: Lewis, Shane 1 ; Whibbs, Donovan 1
HR: Myers, Kole 1 ; Bartolero, Caleb 1 ; Bryan, Brooks 1
RBI: Myers, Kole 4 ; Bartolero, Caleb 1 ; Lewis, Shane 1 ; Bryan, Brooks 1 ; Stearns, Clay 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Myers, Kole 1 ; Sullivan, William 1 ; Bartolero, Caleb 1 ; Cobb Jr., Tremayne 1 ; Whibbs, Donovan 1 ; Bryan, Brooks 2 ; Stearns, Clay 1
HBP: Myers, Kole 1 ; Sullivan, William 1
