Troy Baseball Knocks off No. 8 Georgia in Extras

Wednesday, February 25

Athens, Ga.

2 p.m.

Troy University

4-4

Georgia

6-2

Troy

Georgia

Troy Baseball Knocks off No. 8 Georgia in Extras

2/25/2026 8:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

ATHENS, Ga. - Troy freshman Matt Dill escaped multiple late-inning jams to help lead Troy to its first top-ten win in program history with a 6-5 win over No. 8 Georgia in 12 innings at Foley Field.

Making his second appearance of the season, the right-hander entered with a pair of runners on in the bottom of the tenth, getting a flyout and a weak tapper to the catcher to strand them. The Dayton, Tenn., native got out of a bases-loaded jam in the 11th with an inning-ending strikeout to Ty Peeples in the 11th and went back out with the lead in the 12th, putting the Bulldogs down 1-2-3.

The Trojans threatened in both the ninth and 11th innings but couldn't break through until the 12th. With two outs and down to their final strike as Jabe Boroff fell behind 0–2 at the plate, Houston Markham - who had entered as a pinch runner for Blake Cavill - raced home on a spiked breaking ball from Teddy Brennan, scoring the go-ahead run.

Troy outhit Georgia 12-10, and got a strong start from lefty Brock Tapper, who held Georgia scoreless across his first three innings as the Trojans turned inning-ending double plays in the first and second. Georgia starter Justin Byrd was also scoreless through three, and surrendered the game's first run on a solo homer by Trojan first baseman Blake Cavill in the fourth.

Georgia scored two runs against Tapper in the bottom, the first coming on a passed ball and the second one a bases-loaded walk by Kolby Branch after Cooper Elllingworth came into the ballgame as Troy's first reliever.

Drew Nelson got that run back in the top of the fifth, hitting the first homer of his career off Tyler Ellisen, who was the first of seven Georgia relievers on the night. Troy used six relievers, with Ellingworth holding UGA scoreless in the fifth and freshman left-hander Jackson Lucas throwing up a zero in the sixth.

Dylan Alonso retired the first two Bulldog hitters of the seventh, but catcher Daniel Jackson homered over the batter's eye to put Georgia ahead 3-2. Troy responded in the top of the eighth, as shortstop Nolan Book ripped a two-out bases-clearing triple down the third base line to put the Trojans ahead 5-3.

Georgia tied it in the bottom, collecting a walk and three hits against Alonso and Zach Crotchfelt to push a pair of runs across. The Bulldogs were unable to walk it off in the ninth, as Dylan King forced them into an inning-ending double play after inheriting two runners with one out.

Notables

Troy's win over Georgia was its first against a Top 10 opponent. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 8 by Baseball America.
Troy's last win over an SEC team came exactly one year ago on February 25, 2025, in a 6-5 win at No. 15 Mississippi State.
Troy's pitching staff struck out double-digit hitters for the fifth time in eight games this season.
Troy outhit Georgia 12-10. The Trojans are 3-0 when outhitting their opponent.
Troy hit two home runs. The Trojans are 4-0 in games they've homered and 3-0 in games they've hit multiple homers.
Troy is 4-0 in games they score first.
Troy played errorless defense. The Trojans are 2-0 when they don't commit an error.
Senior LHP Brock Tapper made his first career start on the mound. He pitched 3.1 innings with two hits, two earned runs, three walks and two strikeouts.
Freshman Matt Dill tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts, which were both season highs. Dill also earned his first career win.
Aaron Piasecki played right field for the first time this season. He had started the first seven games of the season at shortstop.
Piasecki went 1-for-5 with a walk, extending his hit streak to ten games dating back to last season. He reached base safely multiple times for the eighth straight game to open the 2026 season.
Blake Cavill crushed a solo home run in the fourth inning, his second of the season.
Cavill homered for the second consecutive game. He's the first Trojan to homer in back-to-back games since Brooks Bryan May 10-11 last season.
Drew Nelson extended his reached base streak to 12 games dating back to last season.
Nelson tied the game in the fifth inning on a solo home run to left field, the first homer of his career.
Nolan Book made his first start as a Trojan, playing shortstop and batting seventh.

Quotables
Head Coach Skylar Meade on the team's toughness…
"I'm just proud of the toughness. There were certainly a lot of things we had to overcome. It takes toughness. We were talking about it in front of the dugout - that you're going to have to take the game. It will not be given to you. It's not going to be easy. Everything is going to be stacked against you in these atmospheres."

Shortstop Nolan Book on his three-run double…
"I knew I was going to get some sliders. I had some funky swings on sliders early in the game. Coach Ben told me to hit the slider and that's what I did."

Brock Tapper on his start…
"Coach Skylar always talks about getting ahead early and letting my defense work. I'm fully trusting our defense, so I'm putting the ball in there hands and just going out there and doing the best that I can."

Next Up
The Trojans head to Greenville, N.C., for the Keith LeClair Classic, hosted by East Carolina. Troy will face Western Carolina on Friday, ECU on Saturday and Rutgers on Sunday.