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  • No. 18 Troy Baseball Dropped A Tough Mid-Week Contest On The Road To No. 25 Virginia Tech

No. 18 Troy Baseball Dropped A Tough Mid-Week Contest On The Road To No. 25 Virginia Tech

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Baseball

No. 18 Troy dropped a hard-fought battle on the road at No. 25 Virginia Tech 3-1 at English Field on Wednesday.

The Troy offense recorded just five hits on the evening, but a strong performance on the mound kept them in the ballgame, holding the Hokies to seven hits. Six of Virginia Tech's hits came in the first two innings, as the Hokies jumped out to a 3-0 lead against Troy left-hander Drew Nelson, scoring one run in the first and two in the second with two of the runs coming with two outs. 

The Troy bullpen was as dominant as they've been all season, as the trio of Grayson Stewart, Noah Thigpen and Luke Lyon held Virginia Tech to one hit across six innings. Stewart pitched a 1-2-3 third inning and stranded the bases loaded in the fourth on a grounder to third base after issuing an HBP, a single and a walk with two outs.

Thigpen, a freshman from Lake Park, Ga., put together his strongest performance of the season, allowing just one base runner on a walk in his season-high 3.0 innings pitched. The right-hander recorded a season-high four strikeouts, including three strikeouts looking. Lyon followed with a 1-2-3 eighth inning, rolling three ground balls. 

Virginia Tech left-hander Chase Swift struck out six in 3.0 shutout innings, surrendering one hit and two walks. The Trojans scored their only run against lefty reliever Josh Berzonki on an RBI double by Gavin Schrader in the fourth inning, but Troy would strand runners on second and third in the frame.

Berzonski went 2.1 innings with three hits, three strikeouts and one run, earning the win. The back end of the Virginia Tech bullpen in Preston Crowl, Brendan Yagesh, Mathieu Curtis and Grant Manning held the Trojans to one hit in the final 3.2 innings. 

Troy moves to 24-10 on the season and returns to Sun Belt action this weekend at James Madison with a three-game series Friday-Sunday.
 

Quick Hitters

  • Troy's offense struck out 17 times, their second most this season. The Trojans struck out a school-record 20 times in the 6-5 win at Mississippi State on Feb. 25. 

  • Steven Meier extended his on-base streak to 40 games dating back to last season, drawing a walk. 

  • Blake Cavill extended his hitting streak to six games and his on-base streak to 39 games dating back to last season, going 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. 

  • Sean Darnell extended his hitting streak and on-base streak to five games, going 1-for-4.

  • Gavin Schrader extended his on-base streak to eight games, going 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and an RBI.

  • Freshman Peryn Bland started at shortstop for the first time in his career. He had made six appearances at third base this season. 

  • Troy's bullpen of Grayson Stewart, Noah Thigpen and Luke Lyon pitched 6.0 scoreless innings, combining to allow just one hit. 

  • Grayson Stewart made the 74th pitching appearance of his career, which is tied for the eighth most in Troy history. Stewart pitched 2.0 shutout innings with one hit, one walk and one HBP.

  • Freshman Noah Thigpen pitched a season-high 3.0 innings, surrendering just one base runner on a walk. 

  • Thigpen struck out a season-high four hitters. 

  • Luke Lyon recorded his second consecutive scoreless appearance, pitching a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

"It's unfortunate; two of their three runs came with two outs. 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."

Head Coach Skylar Meade

Next Up
The Trojans wrap up their road trip with a three-game series at James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va., Friday-Sunday.