Troy Drops Midweek Game to Samford

Tuesday, March 24

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

10-14

Samford

10-13

Samford

Troy

3/24/2026 9:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. - Troy baseball dropped its first home midweek game of the season on Tuesday, falling 7-2 to Samford at Riddle-Pace Field.

The Trojans (10-14) recorded nine hits to ten for the Bulldogs (10-13), though four of them came in the ninth inning as Troy scored its only runs on a pinch-hit, two-run double by freshman Caden Reeves.

On the mound, Matt Dill was clean through his first two innings of work, striking out two, but Samford put two across in the third. An errant throw from the outfield on a Jackson Harris single scored Parker McDonald from second. Harris took second on that throw and scored on a single by Gus Gandy.

Noah Thigpen took over in the fourth, striking out four in three innings. The sophomore righty held Samford scoreless through his first two frames, but Gandy sent an opposite-field fly ball over the Trojan wall in right for a two-run homer in the sixth.

Hayden Smith followed with two runs on two hits and three walks across 1.2 innings, while Nate Criswell, who stranded three inherited runners in the eighth, allowed one across in the ninth on a walk, a wild pitch, and a base hit.

For the Bulldogs, starter Noah Berry struck out three in 3.1 scoreless innings with three hits and two walks. Lefty Palmer O'Beirne fanned four in 2.2 shutout innings, allowing two hits and one walk. Southpaw John finished the ballgame with six strikeouts across three innings, allowing Troy's only two runs with two outs in the ninth.

Notables

Jimmy Janicki extended his hitting streak to eight games. He's hitting .429 during that stretch.
Drew Nelson and Aaron Piasecki each recorded three hits. It was Nelson's third three-hit game of the season and Piasecki's second three-plus hit game.
Freshman Caden Reeves' pinch-hit, two-run double in the ninth inning was the first hit of his collegiate career.
Sean Darnell started at third base for the first time in his Troy career.
Nate Criswell made his first appearance on the mound as a Trojan. He pitched 1.1 innings with one hit, one earned run, one walk and one strikeout.

Quotable
Head Coach Skylar Meade
"We took poor swings when it was money time, when it's winning time."

Next Up
Troy heads down to Tallahassee to face Florida A&M on Wednesday before returning to Sun Belt action at Georgia Southern Friday through Sunday.