Troy wins conference series against Arkansas State
Published 10:33 am Monday, April 10, 2023
- Enterprise native Parker Sessions earned the game-winning RBI against Arkansas State on April 6. (Photo courtesy of Troy University Athletics)
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The Troy Trojans (22-11, 6-6) picked up a Sun Belt Conference baseball series win over the Arkansas State Red Wolves on the road this weekend, taking two of three games.
The win moves Troy into seventh place in the Sun Belt behind Louisiana, Coastal Carolina, Old Dominion, Southern Miss, Appalachian State and James Madison.
Enterprise native Parker Sessions lifted Troy to a 6-5 series-opening win on April 6. With the score tied 5-5 in the top of the ninth inning, Sessions entered the lineup as a pinch hitter and proceeded to drill a line drive single into center field to send Caleb Bartolero home for the go-ahead run to put Troy up 6-5. In the bottom of the ninth, Troy needed just four batters to earn the three outs needed to secure the win. After walking the first batter, Troy pitcher Ben Thompson struck out two straight batters and then the third grounded out as Troy celebrated another conference win.
At the plate, William Sullivan went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and a run for the Trojans, while Tremayne Cobb Jr. also earned a homer and Ethan Kavanagh had a triple. Cobb, Shane Lewis, Kyle Mock, Kavanagh and Kole Myers scored one run each.
Brady Fuller pitched six innings and struck out seven batters, while giving up eight hits and four earned runs, while Thompson earned the win with four strikeouts along with giving up no hits and no runs in one and 2/3 innings on the mound.
Troy secured the series win with a 10-1 victory over Arkansas State on April 7. Troy had a big day both at the plate and on the mound. Offensively, the Trojans earned 10 hits and six walks as a team. Sullivan went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs, while Donovan Whibbs went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a home run, three RBIs and a run. Myers also belted a homer, while Mock hit a double and Cobb earned a triple.
On the mound, Zach Fruit picked up the win with nine strikeouts, while giving up just three hits and one earned run in four and 2/3 innings pitched. Logan Ross also pitched three and 1/3 innings and retired five batters, while giving up three hits and no runs.
Troy had a chance to earn its second conference series sweep of the season on Sunday but a massive eighth inning from the Red Wolves kept the brooms away. Troy led 7-6 going into the bottom of the eighth inning when ASU exploded to score 11 runs to pick up a 17-7 win.
The Sun Belt’s home run king, Shane Lewis, hit his 15th homer of the season in the loss. Lewis is now tied for fourth place in the country in homers.
Ozark native Brooks Bryan went 2-for-4 at the plate for Troy with an RBI, while Myers went 2-for-5 with an RBI, a double and a run. Bartolero also earned a home run. A total of seven pitchers toed the rubber for Troy. Krsitian Asbury took the loss on the mound, giving up two hits and two earned runs in 1/3 of an inning. Grayson Stewart pitched five innings and fanned six batters, while giving up five hits and two earned runs. Thompson struck out three batters and gave up one hit and two earned runs in one and 2/3 innings pitched.
Troy is back at home on April 11 for a non-conference game with in-state opponent Samford before hitting the road again for a conference series at Louisiana April 14-16.