TROY, Ala. | Troy posted back-to-back big innings in the fifth and sixth to pull away from Alabama State for a 11-1 victory at Riddle-Pace Field in non-conference action on Tuesday night. The loss ended a three-game winning streak for Alabama State and extended the Troy winning streak to nine.
Kevin Matos (San Juan, PR) got the start for the Hornets and went 4.0 innings allowing four runs (all earned) off four hits. Matos (0-2) also walked four and struck out one in the outing after retiring five consecutive batters to start the game. The freshman was one of five pitchers used on the night for the Hornets in the loss, including
Payton Harris (Hattiesburg, Miss.) and
Luis Rodriguez (Canovanas, PR) with scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Alabama State had chances in the contest including when they loaded the bases in the fifth inning on a pair of walks and a single with just one out, however, a ground ball to third turned into an inning-ending double play with the Hornets trailing 2-1. They followed up that with getting a pair of runners on in the sixth before the Trojans were able to get out of the inning and open things up in the bottom half of the frame.
How It Happened
- T1 | Ian Matos (Toa Alta, PR) reached on an infield single before scoring on a Chris Lewis (Alabaster, Ala.) triple down the right field line (1-0, Alabama State).
- B3 | Troy used a double by Brandon Schrepf with two outs in the inning to push across a pair of runs to give the Trojans the lead (2-1, Troy).
- B5 | The Trojans loaded the bases with no one out in the inning and got on the board on a two-run single by Cameron Gray that scored Jesse Hall and Schrepf, before the Trojans added another run on a squeeze by Clay Stearns to score Seth Johnson. Troy used another squeeze with one out in the inning off the bat of Hudson Hartsfield to score another run (6-1, Troy).
- B6 | Gray was hit by a pitch – the third of the inning – with the bases loaded to push home Hall, followed by a bases clearing double by Stearns (10-1, Troy).
- B8 | After a one-out triple by Seth Johnson, he came in on an RBI single by Gray (11-1, Troy).
Up Next
Alabama State hits the road for their first Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series against Bethune-Cookman beginning Friday. The series will continue Saturday before concluding on Sunday in Daytona Beach (Fla.).
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