Troy bats quieted in 2-1 loss
Published 8:50 pm Monday, July 22, 2013
Two days removed from a 13-hit, 18-run performance in the opening round of the Dixie O-Zone Alabama State Tournament, Troy found hits and scoring chances hard to come by.
Troy fell to rival Enterprise 2-1 in the second round of the tournament Monday afternoon at the Troy Sportsplex. Enterprise scored a run in the first, and picked up an RBI single from Ryan Page in the bottom of the fifth, scoring Chris Sanders.
Troy’s lone run came in the top of the second. Tyrell Jones scorched a double down the right field line, allowing Noah Lowery to score.
Troy head coach Chris Huner told his players not to hang their heads following the loss, because he felt that if a few bounces had gone differently, the outcome might have been different.
“Sometimes ball games are blowouts, and sometimes they are close, one-run games,” Huner said. “One or two plays here or there and the game could be different. They put the ball in play there in the fifth inning, and we made one or two little boo-boos and they were able to get that run in.”
Both pitchers, Enterprise’s Ryan Page and Troy’s Noah Lowery, handcuffed opposing batters to just nine hits total in the ball game. Enterprise ended the day with five hits, and Troy picked up four base knocks.
“Both pitchers through the ball extremely well today,” Huner said. “Noah went six innings for us, and Ryan Page was great for them. Both of them battled all day, and kept both line-ups in check.”
With the loss, Troy falls in to the loser’s bracket of the tournament, and faces elimination in every game remaining. Despite the loss, Huner said that the team will not change how they approach the remainder of the tournament, feeling that being aggressive will pay off.
“We are going to keep being aggressive on the bases and at the plate,” Huner said. “We had a couple of missed signs today, but that wasn’t the reason we lost. There are 18 outs in the game, and sometimes being aggressive will work out for you, and sometimes it wont. But we will keep battling.”
Troy plays Hartselle in an elimination game Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Troy Sportsplex on Enzor Road.
Also on Tuesday, Enterprise will play Smiths Station, Saraland will battle Dothan National, Tuscumbia will meet AUM Gold, Taylorville American will play Opelika and Oxford plays Cherokee American.
Games will be played at 10 a.m., noon and 6 p.m.