Troy Takes Down No. 5 Auburn

Tuesday, April 25

Auburn, Ala.

6 PM

Troy University

23-17

Auburn

30-13

Troy

Auburn

4/25/2017 9:46:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

By: Jace Sanders

Box Score

AUBURN, Alabama – Jackson Cofer's three-run homer in the fifth proved to be enough to boost Troy past No. 5 Auburn, 5-2, for the highest ranked victory in the Trojans' Division-I history Tuesday at Plainsman Park.

With two on in the fifth inning, Cofer jumped on the first pitch he saw and blasted a homer over the right field wall to extend Troy's (23-17) lead to 4-0.

In the bottom of the frame, No. 5 Auburn (30-13) cut the lead in half on a two-RBI single off the bat of Jay Estes – who finished the game 2-for-4.

The Trojans responded with a Trevor Davis RBI single in the sixth to push the score to 5-2 where it would stand. Davis drove in two in the game and reached safely all five times he batted – going 4-for-4 with a HBP.

Matt Sanders and Brandon Lockridge also turned in multi-hit nights – Sanders went 3-for-6 with a double and Lockridge finished 2-for-5 with a double.

Max Newton (2-0) won his second game in as many career starts on the mound for Troy. Newton allowed only two runs on five hits without walking anyone in five innings of work.

Cory Gill and Marc Skinner combined to shut the Tigers down in the final four innings – scattering only two hits and striking out a collective seven batters. Skinner earned his 10^th save of the season – 18^th career save – while making his 102^nd career appearance for the Trojans. He is now tied for first in school history for career saves and career appearances.

Christian Camacho (2-2) was saddled with the loss for Auburn after allowing four runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings of work.

QUOTABLE
"Hopefully this five-game win streak will give us momentum through this tough road coming up," Troy head coach Mark Smartt said. "I really like where our team is right now and I know we'll accept the challenge."

"I knew I would have to have command of all three pitches and I just let my defense work," winning pitcher Max Newton said. "It was really special to get the win over the fifth-ranked team in the country in front of my family and high school teammates."

"I was just trying to get out in front and I did; it went a long way," Jackson Cofer said about his first career homer. "It felt great and it was just a great team win."

SOUND "SMARTT" WITH YOUR FRIENDS
• Troy struck for a run in the first to take an early lead. The Trojans have scored in the first inning in eight of their last nine games – 6-2 in those eight.

• Matt Sanders doubled in the first while singling in the third and the sixth to record his team-leading 44^th career multi-hit game – 15^th of the season.

• In only his third collegiate start, Jackson Cofer blasted his first career homer with a three-run jack in the fifth to give the Trojans a 4-0 lead.

• Trevor Davis hit safely four times in a game for the first time in his career – first Trojan to do so this season – and drove in two in the game for his eighth multi-RBI game of the season.

• Cory Gill struck out six of the 12 batters he faced in innings of relief – overall, he has fanned 13 of the last 22 he has seen.

• Marc Skinner tied Nate Hill for the most career appearances for the Trojans (102) and tied Josh Storm for the most career saves in school history (18).

• Tuesday's win was Troy's highest-ranked win in Division-I history – the Trojans defeated No. 6 Arkansas, 13-8, in 2007. It also marked the first time in school history that Troy swept both season series with Alabama and Auburn.

WHAT'S UP NEXT?
Troy will take their five-game win streak to Conway, S.C., to face off with the defending national champion Coastal Carolina this weekend. First pitch for the Sun Belt series opener is set for 6 p.m. Friday.