Pitching Pushes No. 15 Troy Past South Alabama in Series Opener

Friday, May 2

Mobile, Ala.

5 p.m.

Troy University

33-13, 15-7

South Alabama

18-25, 7-15

Troy

South Alabama

Pitching Pushes No. 15 Troy Past South Alabama in Series Opener

5/2/2025 9:52:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

MOBILE, Ala. - A dominant performance from the Troy pitching staff led the No. 15 Trojans to a 5-2 win over South Alabama in Friday's series opener at Stanky Field.

The Trojan pitchers tied their season high with 13 strikeouts on the night, getting a career high five from freshman Noah Thigpen in his 5.0 innings of work. Making his third start of the season, the righty from Lake Park, Ga., totaled six hits, two runs, two earned runs, one walk and five strikeouts while picking up his second win.

Senior Colby Frieda gave the Trojans 2.0 scoreless innings in relief with three strikeouts, while Jay Dill pitched the final 2.0 innings and picked up his sixth save of the season. Dill relieved Frieda after a leadoff single in the eighth and struck out the side before fanning the first hitter of the ninth inning. After an HBP and a single, South Alabama had the tying run at the plate but Dill stranded both base runners on a weak ground ball back to the mound and his fifth strikeout of the ballgame.

The Troy offense scored all five of its runs against South Alabama lefty Jaxon Shineflew in his 5.0 innings. A trio of doubles from Steven Meier, Dillon Kuehl and Peyton Watts gave the Trojans two runs in the third. In the fourth Blake Cavill drew an HBP before walks by Sean Darnell and Brooks Bryan to set up a two-run single for Gavin Schrader. Kuehl gave the Trojans another run in the fifth on a sac fly.

Game Two between Troy and South Alabama is slated for 7 p.m. at Stanky Field. Junior right-hander Noah Edders gets the start for the Trojans while the Jaguars will send senior righty Mitchell Heer out to the mound.

Quick Hitters

Troy is 10-2 in series openers this season.
Troy was outhit 9-8. The Trojans are 9-6 when getting outhit.
Troy is 10-6 against left-handed starting pitchers.
Troy is 42-1 under Skylar Meade when holding its opponent to two or fewer runs and 10-0 this season.
Houston Markham extended his hitting streak to a team-high 13 games and his on-base streak 14 games, going 1-for-5.
Blake Cavill extended his on-base streak to 51 games dating back to last season, going 1-for-4 with an HBP.
Jimmy Janicki extended his on-base streak to 15 games, drawing a walk.
Sean Darnell was on base three times, drawing a walk and two HBPs.
Steven Meier extended his on-base streak to 50 games dating back to last season, going 1-for-5 with a double.
Gavin Schrader recorded his ninth multi-hit and tenth multi-RBI game of the season, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Dillon Kuehl recorded his sixth multi-RBI game of the season, going 1-for-2 with a double, an HBP, a sac fly and two RBIs.
Peyton Watts extended his on-base streak to five games, going 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Troy's pitching staff tied its season high with 13 strikeouts. The Trojans also struck out 13 in a 7-3 win over Bellarmine on February 15.
Troy's 13 strikeouts were its most in a Sun Belt game since striking out 13 in a 10-8 loss to South Alabama last season (3/23/24)
Freshman Noah Thigpen matched his career high in innings pitched (5.0) and set a new career high in strikeouts (5).
Colby Frieda pitched 2.0 innings in relief with three strikeouts.
Jay Dill earned his sixth save of the season, which ties him for fourth in the Sun Belt with Georgia Southern's Jake Crews.
Dill struck out five in 2.0 scoreless innings, including the first four hitters he faced.

Quotables
Head Coach Skylar Meade on the pitching…
"They did a good job getting leadoff outs. The stuff was really, really good - it doesn't take a trained eye to see that. Noah composed himself well. Frieda was really good again. JD got nasty when we needed him to get nasty."

Noah Thigpen on moving into the weekend rotation…
"It feels great. It's been a little while - since high school since I've started. It's a lot different than coming out of the pen. You've got to control many more things than just coming out of the pen and trying to throw as hard as you can.