The No. 25-ranked Troy Trojans (15-5, 2-1) hit the road this weekend and won 2-of-3 games against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (9-12, 1-2) as Sun Belt Conference play began. 

Troy dropped to No. 25 in the D1Baseball rankings this week after losing three of its last five contests coming into the weekend but bounced back to take the first conference series of the season. 

Troy opened the weekend with a 4-3 win over Louisiana on Friday. The Trojans led 4-3 heading into the sixth inning and held the Cajuns runless in the final four innings. Bryan Brooks led Troy at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, three RBIs and a run, while Gavin Schrader went 2-for-4 with a double. Sean Darnell also hit a home run. 

Garrett Gainous pitched five innings and struck out five batters, while giving up three hits and one earned run. Gainous now sits at 3-0 as a starter on the season. Blake Cavill earned nine putouts and one assist on defense with no errors, while Bryan tallied nine putouts, three assists and a double play with no errors. 

Troy clinched the series win with an 8-5 victory over Louisiana on Saturday. Schrader went 2-for-4 at the plate for Troy with a homer, two RBIs and two runs, while Jakob Wax went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and a run. Houston Markham also went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs. 

Grayson Stewart earned his second win of the season on the mound, striking out one and giving up one hit and one earned run in two and 1/3 innings pitched. Noah Edders also pitched three and 2/3 innings and struck out four batters, while giving up six hits and four earned runs. Cavill totaled 13 putouts and one assist. 

“Guys who got opportunities took advantage of it,” Troy Coach Skylar Meade said after clinching the series win. “Of course, Schrader and Markham. Wax has been in and out a little bit, but he made a pivotal play in the seventh on a ground ball to the left side. The runner went, and he whipped it over there to Peyton [Watts] for a tag, and we end up getting out of that inning. Of course, he hit the game-separating home run to take it from 6-4 to 8-4.”

Troy looked to close out the series with a sweep on Sunday but dropped a high-scoring affair 18-14 to Louisiana. Troy hit home runs in the loss, while Louisiana hit three. For Troy, Steven Meier went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, three RBIs and two runs, while Schrader went 2-for-4 with a homer, a double, three RBIs and two runs. Cavill and Jimmy Janicki also hit home runs. 

Troy native Drew Nelson pitched three innings and struck out a pair of batters, while giving up four hits and five earned runs. Dylan King struck out two in one and 2/3 innings on the mound. Cavill tallied nine putouts and no errors on defense. 

Troy is back on the road for a non-conference game against the UAB Blazers at legendary Rickwood Field in Birmingham at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Troy defeated UAB 7-4 at home earlier this season.