Troy kicked off the weekend with a 9-5 win over Hartford at Riddle-Pace Field on Friday.

The Trojans (9-3) used Hartford’s inconsistent pitching and timely hitting to down the Hawks (0-9).

Hartford walked seven batters and hit four more in the loss.

Tanner Hicks got the start on the mound for Troy and went six innings allowing three earned runs on four hits; he walked one and struck out five.

Hartford handed Troy its first run in the bottom of the first inning when Trae Santos grounded a ball to short. Danny Collins was erased at second but the throw to first was wide allowing Tyler Vaughn to score.

Hartford tied the game in the second with a solo home run from Ryan Lukach.

Troy struck for three runs in the third. Trae Santos singled home Vaughn, but Logan Pierce was thrown out at home attempted to add to the lead. The Trojans would get the run back when Kyle Brown singled to plate Collins. Peyton Fuller gave Troy its third consecutive single and a 4-1 lead.

The Hawks got two runs back in the fourth but the Trojans answered in the bottom half with two of their own.

Danny Collins put the game out of reach in the sixth with a two-run home run, his fifth of the season, to make the score 8-3.

Troy would tack on a run in the seventh on a bases loaded walk by Pierce.

Thomas Austin and Matthew Howard tossed perfect seventh and eighth innings respectively.

Nate Hill allowed a two-run homer in the ninth but escaped further damage to close out the game.

Vaughn would finished the game 2-for-2 and scored four runs. Pierce was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs while Kyle Brown was 2-for-5 in his first action of the season.

Collins, Santos and Fuller all finished with a hit a piece.

Hicks picked up the win on the mound for Troy.

The Trojans will face Hartford at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The Hawks will see Troy right-hander Will Starling.

Hartford will play Southeastern Louisiana at 1 p.m. at Riddle-Pace Field to start the day.

Troy will play Southeastern Louisiana to conclude the weekend at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Shane McCain is expected to start that game on the mound for the Trojans.