Troy Powers Past Central Michigan Behind Pair of Big Innings

Saturday, February 18

Troy, Ala.

11:00 a.m.

Troy University

Central Michigan

Photo by: Mike Strasinger

Troy Powers Past Central Michigan Behind Pair of Big Innings

2/19/2012 1:08:00 PM | Baseball

By: Adam Prendergast

BOX SCORE

TROY, Ala. – Troy pounded out 14 hits and hit a pair of home runs in a 12-10 victory over Central Michigan in game two of the season-opening series at Riddle-Pace Field. The teams finished the game Sunday morning after it was suspended Saturday due to heavy rain.

The Trojans (2-0) scored all of their runs in two innings and five pitchers combined to strikeout 16 Chippewa (0-2) batters. Troy pitchers have struck out 29 batters through the first two games of the series. The 16 strikeouts is one shy of the school record set against Huntingdon in 1961 and Kansas State in 2003.

Danny Collins led the Trojan offensive attack as he went 4-for-5 at the plate, scored a pair of runs and drove in a run. Logan Pierce added three hits, while Boone Shear was 2-for-5 with four RBIs and Jo-El Bennett was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored.

Shear gave the Trojans an 8-7 lead as he led off the fifth with his first home run of the season. Pierce and Collins followed with back-to-back singles and Bennett drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Before Jakob Nixon could step in the batter's box, the umpires pulled the teams off the field and following a 40-miunte delay the decision was made to suspend the game.

After a delay of over 22 hours, Nixon drew a walk to push the lead out to 9-7 and Josh McDorman followed one batter later with a three-run triple to right field.

Joe Hernandez (1-0) was credited with the win for the Trojans after entering the game in relief of starter Jimmy Hodgskin in the fifth inning. Hernandez struck out two, allowed three runs – one earned – and three hits over two innings of work. Thomas Austin, Nate Hill and Tyson Workman tossed the final 2.2 innings to close out the game – the save for Workman was his second in as many games. Hill and Workman each struck out the side in their inning of work.

William Arnold hit his second home run of the weekend to pull Central Michigan within four, 12-8, to lead off the seventh. The Chippewas added a pair of unearned runs later in the inning to close the gap to the final 12-10 margin.

Shear put Troy on the board with a three-run double down the line in left field with two outs in the third inning. Pierce returned the favor with a single to left to plate Shear and Collins doubled to right-center to score Pierce all the way from first. Blake Martz capped the seven-run inning – all unearned runs – with a two-run home run to left-center field.

The Chippewas answered back with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth and a five spot in the fifth to tie the game at 7-all. Sam Russell delivered the big blow for Central Michigan with a three-run homer over the wall in right field.

Both teams dipped into their bullpens before the rain came on Saturday. Hodgskin was charged with seven runs – five earned – on five hits over 4.1 innings of work; he struck out seven and walked three. CMU starter Jon Weaver (0-1) was charged with the loss after he allowed 10 runs – three earned – on 10 hits over four innings of work.

The teams are completing their weekend series with a nine-inning contest that is scheduled to begin at 12:35 p.m.

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