Troy baseball fights off MTSU to win in ninth
Published 10:35 pm Friday, March 29, 2013
Troy left fielder Josh McDorman appeared to have a track on a deep fly ball off the bat of Middle Tennessee State’s Johnny Thomas. The ball bounced out of McDorman’s glove, who was in full-stride, for a double allowing Ryan Stephens to score tying the game, 2-2, in the ninth inning.
McDorman got the last laugh, however, as he laced a single into right field to plate Clay Holcomb, who entered the game as pinch runner once Trae Santos led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk, from third.
“They had they’re closer in there so I was just looking to get something into the outfield.” McDorman said. “I swung at bad pitch to start the at bat but assumed he would come back with the slider again. Luckily, I cashed in.”
Middle Tennessee took the lead in the second inning after a Troy error gave the Blue Raiders runners at the corners. Hank LaRue hit a laser off the chest of Troy starting pitcher Tanner Hicks that ricocheted into center field allowing a run to score.
Troy tied the game in the bottom half of the second and Danny Collins put them ahead with a solo home run in the third, his sixth of the season.
“It was a well-pitched game on both sides,” Troy head coach Bobby Pierce said. “It was a great college baseball game and a great win for the Trojans.”
After blowing the save, Nate Hill picked up the win for the Trojans. Hicks pitched 5.1 innings allowing one unearned run on six hits. He struck out six MTSU batters.
Troy will go for the series win today as the teams square off at Riddle-Pace Field at 6 p.m.