No. 18 Troy Scores Eight Unanswered Runs to Take Series from No. 16 Coastal Carolina

Sunday, March 23

Troy, Ala.

1 p.m.

Troy University

18-6, 4-2

Coastal Carolina

17-7, 4-2

Coastal Carolina

Troy

No. 18 Troy Scores Eight Unanswered Runs to Take Series from No. 16 Coastal Carolina

3/23/2025 6:20:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. - No. 18 Troy scored eight unanswered runs behind home runs from Gavin Schrader, Jimmy Janicki and Harrison Bowman to take the series from No. 16 Coastal Carolina in Sunday's 9-5 victory at Riddle-Pace Field.

The Trojans trailed 4-1 in the sixth inning, getting their lone run on a Brooks Bryan single in the first, but exploded for four runs against Coastal Carolina starter Riley Eikhoff in the frame to take the lead. Bryan began the two-out rally with a double down the left field line, and Bowman knocked him in on a single. Schrader went opposite field over the left-center wall to tie the game, and the freshman Janicki followed Schrader's at-bat with the first home run of his career on a laser to left field to put the Trojans up 5-4.

In the seventh, Steven Meier and Sean Darnell led off with a pair of HBPs against lefty Hayden Johnson before the Chanticleers turned to righty Matthew Potok. Blake Cavill dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the two into scoring position, which brought the Sun Belt RBI leader Bryan to the plate. Coastal opted to intentionally walk Bryan to set up the force out at all bases, but Harrison Bowman exploded on a slider, sending a grand slam 386 feet to left field to put Troy in the driver's seat.

On the mound, the Trojans issued zero walks for the second time this season. Coastal scored four runs against Drew Nelson in the third after a scoreless first and second inning, but the Troy bullpen was light out.

Grayson Stewart recorded the win, pitching 3.2 scoreless innings while holding Coastal to two hits and recording two strikeouts. Stewart escaped a crucial situation in the top of the sixth with runners on the corners and no outs, picking up a strikeout and getting a double play on a lineout to first base. Adam Falinski allowed one hit in 1.2 scoreless innings, picking up a strikeout, while the Chanticleers scored one run against Jay Dill in the ninth.

Troy moves to 18-6 on the season and 4-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans have won each of their first six weekend series to start the year and are 12-1 at Riddle-Pace Field.

Quick Hitters

Troy is 2-1 at Riddle-Pace Field this season.
Troy has won each of its first six weekend series to start the season. It's the first time the Trojans have won their first six weekend series since 2011. The Trojans went 49-13 that season and won their first eight weekend series.
Troy won the rubber match to take the series from Coastal Carolina. The Trojans are 2-0 in rubber matches this season.
The 2-1 series win was Troy's first series win over a ranked opponent since the Trojans took the series 2-1 from No. 18 Louisiana last season.
Troy committed zero errors. The Trojans are 8-2 when playing errorless defense.
Troy has hit 33 home runs this season. All 33 have come against a right-handed pitcher.
Steven Meier extended his on-base streak to 30 games dating back to last season, going 2-for-4 with an HBP.
Meier scored two runs, bringing his season total to 37 runs. He entered the day as the Sun Belt leader with 35 runs.
Meier stole two bases, bringing his season total to 15 stolen bases. He entered the day as the Sun Belt leader with 13 stolen bases.
Sean Darnell extended his on-base streak to 16 games, recording an HBP.
Blake Cavill extended his on-base streak to 31 games dating back to last season, recording a walk.
Cavill's walk was his 31st of the season. He entered the day ranked third in the country with 30 walks.
Brooks Bryan went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and an RBI. Bryan now has 37 RBIs this season. He entered the day as the Sun Belt leader with 36 RBIs.
Harrison Bowman extended his hitting streak and on-base streak to five games, going 2-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs.
Bowman's grand slam was his second career home run and first career grand slam. His five RBIs are a career-high.
Bowman recorded his fourth multi-hit and second multi-RBI game of the season.
Gavin Schrader extended his on-base streak to seven games, going 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.
Schrader's home run was his third of the season. His two RBIs give him his fourth multi-RBI game of the season.
Jimmy Janicki extended his hitting streak to five games and on-base streak to 16 games, going 3-for-4 with a home run and an RBI.
Janicki recorded his fourth multi-hit game and first three-hit game of the season.
Janicki's home run was the first of his career.
Jakob Wax extended his hitting streak to three games and on-base streak to six games, going 2-for-4.
The Troy pitching staff issued zero walks for the second time this season.
Grayson Stewart pitched a season-high 3.2 innings, earning the win while holding Coastal to two hits and recording two strikeouts.
Stewart's win was the 22nd of his career. He's now tied with Ricky Knotts, Ron Warren and Rob Batchler for the fifth-most wins in Troy history.
Stewart's two strikeouts bring his career total to 224. He's now tied with Erik Wikstrom for the sixth-most strikeouts in Troy history.

Quotables

Head Coach Skylar Meade on the rally…

"We told them in the dugout when it's 4-1 in the sixth inning - we were down 4-1 last year in the fifth inning on Friday night with Eikhoff on the mound. We got one, we got another to make it 4-3, and then we scored five in the eighth last year, capped off by Tremayne Cobb's home run to right-center and we end up winning 8-6."

"Today - stack, stack, stack. We got to the bullpen and Harry gives them the most impactful blow. But it started with Brooks' swing and then Harry up the middle, Schrader going big fly and Jimmy piggybacking off of it. You never know when those big moments are."

Meade on the sequence leading to Bowman's home run…

"That's kind of how we thought it was going to go when you're playing the inning out. Blake drops down the bunt and they go to the bullpen. Harry's bat has been flat in the zone. He's quick on the trigger and got the 2-1 slider that was up. When you get a ball in the air that way that's barrelled flush, it's going to go."

Harrison Bowman on his grand slam…

"I'm grateful that Brooks is such a great hitter and so feared in the league that it got to me. I took it a little bit personally, but I just stuck to my approach just trying to get my head on the ball."

Grayson Stewart on his approach in the middle innings…

"My approach is the same no matter when or where I pitch. It's to execute one pitch at a time. The nastiest pitch I can throw is when it's at the best location. When you get scattered and start worrying about different things like the inning, like the score, like the opponent, things kind of go awry."

Next Up
The Trojans have two midweek games against Wofford at home on Tuesday and at Florida A&M on Wednesday before returning to Sun Belt action at Riddle-Pace Field against Marshall Friday-Sunday.