The No. 19-ranked Troy Trojans (24-10) lost a midweek Top 25 clash with the No. 25-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies (23-10) on the road on Wednesday, April 9. 

Troy struggled at the plate, earning just five hits and four walks for the game, while the Troy pitching staff and defensive effort kept the Trojans in the game. After falling behind 3-0 in the first two innings, Troy got on the scoreboard with an RBI double from Gavin Schrader in the fourth inning but that was the lone run of the day for the Trojans. Sean Darnell scored Troy’s only run. 

Troy native Drew Nelson (3-1) got the start on the mound for the Trojans and suffered his first loss of the season, giving up six hits and three earned runs in two innings pitched. Grayson Stewart also pitched two innings and gave up one hit and no runs with one strikeout. Noah Thigpen struck out four and gave up no hits and no runs in three innings. Blake Cavill tallied 11 putouts with no fielding errors. 

“It’s unfortunate; two of their three runs came with two outs,” Troy Coach Skylar Meade said. “We want us to be finishers with two outs. We talk a lot about two outs, two strikes – those scenarios. Certainly, the guys in the bullpen were really good. Stew, Thigpen and Luke – all three of those guys were tremendous. I think the story of the night was that we just weren’t very good offensively.”

For Virginia Tech, Ben Watson went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI. Josh Berzonski (2-0) got the win on the mound, striking out three batters and giving up three hits and one earned run in two and 1/3 innings pitched. Chase Swift pitched three innings and fanned six batters, while giving up one hit and no runs. 

Troy remains on the road in Virginia this weekend for a Sun Belt Conference matchup against James Madison April 11-13.