Baseball takes road series against Texas State

Troy baseball secured its third conference series win of the season in a weekend matchup against the Texas State Bobcats. The Trojans lost 8-5 before storming back with 15-2 and 12-11 wins to clinch the series. 

The Trojans dropped the Friday opener after the Bobcats had an explosive sixth and ninth inning. 

Troy gained a 3-1 lead early in the game before a 2:45 rain delay in the bottom of the third halted its momentum. The Bobcats came back with a three-run homer by Jaquae Stewart in the sixth to take the lead 4-3, but the Trojans didn’t back down as a sacrifice bunt by Steven Meier brought home Josh Pyne.  

The Bobcats struck again in the ninth with an RBI single and another three-run homer secured the win for the Bobcats, 8-5 

"That's a maddening finish,” said head coach Skylar Meade. “Obviously, Coop [Ellingworth] got put in a tough spot. 

“Once again, In the midst of the pain it happens like that - it's all with two outs.” 

The Trojans then moved to a doubleheader on Saturday, as game three was moved to the afternoon due to impending inclement weather. 

Game two saw the Trojan offense take revenge as they run-ruled the Bobcats, 15-2. The game was on the back of a seven-inning complete game by Tommy Egan, with eight strikeouts and two earned runs. Caden Reeves kickstarted the rally with a two-run home run in the third, and Nolan Book’s single in the fourth brought in Blake Cavill to get a 3-1 lead.  

The Bobcats managed one run in the bottom of the fourth frame but would fall behind in the top of the fifth as the Trojans tacked on seven. With two outs, the Trojans were walked, singled and walked by Bobcat Jesus Tovar before Drew Nelson was walked to bring Cavill in.  

Book was then hit –by a –pitch, and Sean Darnell doubled before Texas State put in Alex Yearwood for Tovar. Caden Reeves swung at a 1-0 pitch and slammed a three-run home run to left field to put the Trojans up 10-1. 

The Bobcats remained scoreless through the eighth, and Troy came up with five runs in the top of the ninth to make it 15-1. With two outs, Pyne brought in two on a single, and Cavill added to the six home runs of the day for Troy with a three-run bomb to center. 

Game three was a slugfest, as the starting pitchers for both teams were knocked out in the first inning. Aaron Piasecki opened the scoring with a home run and Janicki closed out the top of the frame with a two-run bomb down the infield line.  

"I think the way our bullpen pitched was great, especially those last five and two-thirds,” said associate head coach Ben Wolgamot. “The offense is obviously going to get the recognition because it's12 runs, 19 hits.  

“Guys came up with big hits when it mattered, and Drew and Hayden made pitches." 

The Bobcats responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning and would keep the Trojans scoreless in the top of the second before coming back with five in the bottom of the second, featuring a grand slam from Jaquae Stewart to take a 7-3 lead.  

Both teams tallied four runs over four innings, but the Trojans would keep offensive momentum going and tied the game by the end of the ninth, sending the game to extra innings. Nelson was brought to the mound from left field for the Trojans in extras, where he put the Bobcats down one-two-three in the tenth and punched out two before a groundout against a pinch hitter to seal the win.  

The winning run came one a Pyne home run in the top of the eleventh to make the final score 12-11 and secure the Trojans’ third conference series win.  

After the Trojans fell in extra innings to the New Orleans Privateers on Tuesday, the Trojans will face Louisiana at Riddle-Pace Field in another weekend series.