Troy won its fourth consecutive game on May 14 with a 6-4 victory over ULM in the opening game of their series in Monroe, Louisiana.
The win extends Troy’s record to 28-26 overall and 16-12 in Sun Belt Conference play. The Trojans scored five runs in the first two innings, capitalizing early against ULM starter Brandt Corley, who allowed all six runs during his outing.
After two quick outs to start the game, Troy’s offense produced four runs on five hits in the first inning. Steven Meier contributed an RBI single, Jabe Boroff was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring home another run, and Sean Darnell added a two-run single. Josh Pyne hit his seventh home run of the season in the second inning. Boroff was hit by another pitch with bases loaded again in the fifth inning for an additional run.
Left-handed pitcher Benjamin Stubbs started for Troy and went 5.2 innings, allowing three earned runs while striking out five batters. Zach Crotchfelt entered in relief during a crucial moment and limited further damage despite inheriting runners on base. In the eighth inning, right fielder Drew Nelson prevented another run from scoring by throwing out Micah Dean at home plate after nearly making a sliding catch.
Head Coach Skylar Meade said about his team’s offensive performance: “You came out and threw the first punch. We knew we needed to be good on Corley in the beginning, and we were, especially with two outs. It was all two-out magic. That’s a big thing. Sometimes runs can count as more from a momentum perspective when they’re with two outs, and I thought our guys did an excellent job of that. Jabe taking the HBPs to get RBIs, which exudes a lot of toughness. Darnell had the good swing. We’re going to need a lot more of that tomorrow.” Third baseman Josh Pyne also commented: “Two quick outs in the first inning, and the offense just kept grinding and scratching runs across. It’s a great way to start a game. It gets the vibes up.”
With this win streak tied for their longest this season so far, Troy now holds fourth place alone in Sun Belt standings with only two games remaining before postseason play begins.
Game two between Troy and ULM is scheduled for Friday evening at Lou St. Amant Field.