Troy’s Season Comes to an End

Sunday, June 5

Nashville, TN

2:00 p.m.

Troy University

Belmont University

Photo by: Mike Strasinger

6/5/2011 10:05:20 PM | Baseball

By: Taylor Bryan

BOX SCORE :: PHOTO GALLERY :: QUOTES

NASHVILLE – Troy came up just short on Sunday afternoon against Belmont as the Trojans fell 5-2 to end the 2011 season and oust the squad from the NCAA Nashville Regional.

The 21st-ranked Trojans fell behind 3-0 in the second inning and battled back, but fell just a few runs short as they stranded 12 runners on the day. The loss caps Troy's season record at 43-19.

"Everybody wants to get to the College World Series and we were no different,” head coach Bobby Pierce said. “We have been a team that's gotten timely hits in the second half of the season. We couldn't really find that this weekend. We are really, really proud of our club and how far they have come. The bunch came together early on, was extremely hard-working and had great senior leadership. They got us to this point.”

Sophomore Ryan Sorce (L, 5-5) got the starting nod for Troy and was solid in the first striking out a pair, but ran into trouble in the second inning sandwiching a walk with a pair of singles to load the bases. Another single, this one by Judah Akers, drove in a run to give the Bruins an early lead.

Jared Breen followed up with a two-RBI single to push the Trojan deficit to 3-0 before new pitcher Thomas Austin got a double play to escape. Sorce made it through just one-plus inning and allowed three earned on three hits and walk.

The Men of Troy put some pressure on Belmont (38-25) in the fourth with two on with just two out, but Boone Shear was out on a fly ball to center. Logan Pierce walked to load the bases for Jacob Dixon, but the reserve back-stop grounded out to short to strand three with the Trojans still trailing 3-0.

Despite Troy threatening in both the fourth and fifth innings, Woods subdued the Trojans until the sixth. After a lead-off double, the two-way star for Belmont was chased and replaced by right-hander Blake Harvey.

Woods (7-5) got the win after allowing just one run on four hits in five innings.

The Trojans responded to the new pitcher with an RBI single by Todd McRae to close within a pair, but Hillyer, who was playing with a broken toe, couldn't beat out a double-play relay to end the sixth.

Austin tied his career high with five innings out of the bullpen. He surrendered a pair of hits to start the seventh inning to end his afternoon, but Tyson Workman used a sacrifice, then two ground outs to work out of the jam.

Tyler Hannah singled in Daniel Peterson to cut the Troy deficit to 3-2 with one out in the seventh. Adam Bryant followed up with another single to put two out for T.J. Rivera. Troy wasn't able to capitalze though, as Rivera lined out to center and Shear grounded out to second to strand two with the Trojans still trailing by a run.

Perhaps the best opportunity for the Trojans to tie or take a lead came in a bases loaded situation in the eighth, but Hannah's drive to deep left field was caught at the wall on a leaping grab by Belmont's Derek Hamblen.

Hannah led the way for the Trojans with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Workman added two hits.

The Bruins added some insurance on a wild pitch by Workman that allowed Tim Egerton to come home with two outs in the ninth. The run was Belmont's first since the second inning and the score combined with another that came home on a RBI-single by Zac Mitchell left the Trojans down three with just three outs left in their season.

Workman allowed two runs on a hit and two walks in three innings of work in the final game of the season.

The Trojans went down in order in the ninth to end their 2011 campaign.

Bryant had one hit in five trips in his final game in a Trojan uniform. He finished his career as the program's leader in games, hits, runs, at-bats, triples and total bases. The All-American finished one double shy of tying the program record. He also finished second all-time in RBI.

Sunday's game with Belmont marked the final game for Bryant, Rivera, McRae, Peterson and Dixon. Additionally, it was the final game for pitchers Nick Ward and Drew Hull.

"This team had a quieter confidence,” Pierce said. “Our '06 team was more outwardly confident than this club. But I really enjoyed this team. They're a real blue-collar bunch that just believed in themselves."