Troy Plates Six in Middle Innings to Take Series Opener Over Arkansas State

Thursday, April 2

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

14-16, 5-5

Arkansas State

18-11, 5-5

Arkansas State

Troy

Troy Plates Six in Middle Innings to Take Series Opener Over Arkansas State

4/2/2026 10:27:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. - The Troy offense tacked on two runs apiece in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take Thursday night's series opener against Arkansas State at Riddle-Pace Field.

All six runs from the Trojans (13-16, 5-5 SBC) were charged to Red Wolves (18-11, 5-5) starter Chase Richter, who exited before recording an out in the fifth. Troy recorded six of its nine hits and three of its four walks against the A-State left-hander.

Troy strung together three hits in the third, highlighted by an RBI double off the right field wall by Aaron Piasecki and an RBI single by Josh Pyne. In the fourth, a Drew Nelson walk and Nolan Book single set up a sac fly for Sean Darnell and an RBI single for Jabe Boroff.

Pyne lasered a homer over the left field wall on the first pitch of the fifth inning before a walk to Blake Cavill, one of three on the day for the Troy first baseman, ended Richter's day. With right-hander Tyler Weimer in the ballgame, Nelson brought home Cavill on a triple that took a hard bounce off the turf and over A-State left fielder Cross Jumper's head.

On the mound for the Trojans, senior left-hander Benjamin Stubbs worked his sixth consecutive quality start, going six innings with three earned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six. Second baseman Lane Walton picked up an RBI single in the third after a walk and an HBP, while centerfielder Ashton Quiller hit a two-run homer in the fifth.

Troy turned to Cooper Ellingworth in the seventh, but he lasted just two batters after back-to-back walks. Zach Crotchfelt picked him up, getting three straight popups to allow just one of the inherited runners to score on a sac fly by Quiller. Crotchfelt rode that momentum into the eighth with a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless frame before Dylan Alonso picked up his fourth save of the season, fanning two in a scoreless ninth.

Notables

Benjamin Stubbs made a sixth-consecutive quality start (6+ IP, 3 or fewer ER). He's the first Trojan with six consecutive quality starts since Grayson Stewart in 2023.
Troy is 6-2 in Stubbs' starts this season.
Dylan Alonso recorded his team-high fourth save of the season.
The six earned runs Troy scored against Arkansas State starter Chase Richter were the most he's allowed in his career.
Troy is 5-3 when facing a left-handed starting pitcher.
Aaron Piasecki extended his hitting streak to a team-high five games.
Josh Pyne hit his third home run of the season to lead off the fifth inning. It traveled 388 feet with an exit velocity of 103 MPH.
Blake Cavill extended his reached base streak to a team-high 19 games.
Cavill's three walks were a season high and matched his career high. It was the seventh three-walk game of his career.
Steven Meier drew the 38th HBP of his Troy career, the third-most in program history.
Drew Nelson's RBI triple in the fifth inning was the first triple of his career.

Quotables
Head Coach Skylar Meade
"I just thought we did a good job of being disciplined. Even at times when we didn't walk, we saw pitches that were going to give us an opportunity to have a good at-bat. Our older guys were really good. We played heady baseball. We took some HBPs. We did the things we needed to be good. Played clean defense, and that's how you win in a Game One."

Josh Pyne
"We've prepared well. We've been working hard not necessarily to hit the ball better, but to work together better as an offense. I feel like we're really coming together, and I'm just up there trying to get us rolling."

Benjamin Stubbs
"My whole goal was just to attack the hitters. They said they were going to lift the ball, and I'm a sinker guy, so I'm going to keep getting them to pop up to Nelly [LF Drew Nelson] and keep getting outs."

Next Up
Game two between Troy and Arkansas State is slated for 6 p.m. Friday night at Riddle-Pace Field.