Troy baseball beats rain, Xenia to improve to 6-0

Monday Baseball Roundup

Weekend Baseball Roundup

Troy baseball ‘walks off’ with win over Greenville

Troy baseball returns talented, experienced group to diamond

Start 2022 Season

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End 2021 Season

Tuesday Baseball Roundup

Monday Baseball Roundup

Weekend Baseball Roundup

Wednesday Baseball Roundup

 

ST. PARIS — The Troy baseball team improved to 12-7 with two wins over the weekend.

On Friday, the Trojans defeated Stebbins 13-7. 

Zach Prouty was 2-for-4 with three runs scored, Caleb Fogarty was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs and Andrew Helman had three RBIs.  Brian Allen and Nick Garber struck out 10 and walked five.

 

On Saturday, Troy topped Graham 13-3.

Fogarty was 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs and Eli Smith was 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. Connor Hutchinson was 2-for-4 with three RBIs. 

 

Trayce Mercer pitched the first six innings. He allowed eight hits and struck out three.  Hutchinson pitched the seventh inning, striking out one and walking one.

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Monday Baseball Roundup

 

TIPP CITY — It didn’t take Troy baseball long to bounce back from a loss to Tecumseh Sunday night.

The Trojans handed Tippecanoe its first loss of the season Monday night 11-9.

Troy is now 10-6 overall and 10-3 in the MVL. Tippecanoe is 14-1 overall and 11-1 in the MVL and shares the lead with Butler, who is 12-1.

Troy scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning to go up 11-6 and held on for the win.

For Troy, Zach Prouty was 3-for-5 with a double and four RBIs, while Caleb Fogarty was 2-for-4. 

Eli Smith was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Trayce Mercer had two RBIs.

Connor Hutchinson was 3-for-4 and Baylee Shepherd was 2-for-4 with a double.

For Tippecanoe, Brayden Bottles had two RBIs and Jonny Baileys was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. 

Matt Salmon was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Troy Taylor was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Jacob Bowerman was 2-for-4.

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Troy basebaall loses to Tecumseh at Day Air Ballpark

DAYTON — It may have not been the outcome the Troy baseball team hoped for.

But, the Trojans were thankful as always for the opportunity to play a game Sunday night at Day Air Ballpark — home of the Dayton Dragons.

Troy couldn’t hold a 2-1 lead early and lost 7-2.

“And I think all six of our seniors got to play the whole game,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “We always look forward to this. We are not happy with the outcome, but is always a great experience for the kids playing down here.”

Troy had taken a 1-0 lead in the first when Ryder Kirtley opened the game with a triple and scored on Zac Prouty’s fielder’s choice.

After Tecumseh used two walks and a hit batter to tied the game in the second, Troy again took the lead in the home second.

Connor Hutchinson reached on an error and came around to score on Eli Otten’s ground out.

But, from there Troy could not score again and Tecumseh used two more walks and hit a batter to score three runs in the third and take a 4-2 lead.

“I know they only outhit us 6-4, but you can’t give a team that many free passes,” Welker said. “I feel like the game was lost in the first three innings. It put pressure on our defense and our hitters. We had to deviate from our game plan at the plate.”

A bright spot was Ethan Rekow who entered the game in the third innings with the bases loaded an no out and the game tied 2-2.

He got a double play on the first batter that scored a run and Tecumseh added another run on a single by Cy Baisden.

Rekow went the rest of the way, allowing just five hits in his five innings and keeping the Arrows off the board until late, when they scored one run in the sixth and two in the seventh, one of which was unearned.

“Ethan (Rekow) did a great job,” Welker said. “That was probably twice the amount of innings he is used to pitching. He kept us in there.”

While Caleb Fogarty and Hutchinson would both double, Troy would hit a lot of balls in the air and Tecumseh centerfielder Seth Hale had a couple of web gems.

With two out and two on in the first inning, Owen Harlamert hit a ball that appeared to be ticketed for extra bases and Hale made the catch in right-center field after a long.

In the third, he came in to make a diving catch on a ball hit by Fogarty.

“In this park with all the space, when you hit a ball in the air it is going to get caught,” Welker said. “Especially, with a centerfielder like Tecumseh had.”

Tecumseh pitcher Tyler Dysinger hurled a four-hitter, striking out three.

Now, Troy must turn around things quickly.

Troy, 9-6, was scheduled to play at Tippecanoe Monday and host the Red Devils Tuesday.

 

Tippecanoe is 14-0.

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Weekend Baseball Roundup

SIDNEY — The Troy baseball team picked up a 7-1 win over Sidney Friday in MVL action to complete a sweep of the Yellow Jackets. Ryder Kirtley was 2-for-4 with a double, while Caleb Fogarty was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Trayce Mercer was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Owen Harlamert was 2-for-2 with a homer. 

Andrew Helman and Brian Allen combined on a one-hitter, striking out seven and walking three.

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Troy rallies for win over Vandalia-Butler on diamond

VANDALIA — It was an exciting night at Vandalia Friday night for Troy baseball pulling off a thrilling come from behind win.

After opening the season 6-0 in the MVL, Troy came into Butler 6-4 overall and 6-2 following losses to Fairborn and West Carrollton.

The Trojans rebounded by dropping state-ranked Butler to 10-2 overall and 8-1 in the MVL with a 7-6 stunner.

“I would like to think it would have happened anyway,” Troy coach baseball coach Ty Welker said. “But, after those two losses, we had a long talk. I just felt like that wasn’t who we were. I just felt like we didn’t compete as well as those teams did. We had long talk. We talked about giving ourselves and opportunity to win the game and we that’s what we did.”

The Trojans were still trailing 5-2 after four innings, before Caleb Fogarty’s bat changed everything.

“I think everything happened after two were out,” Welker said. “We had somebody get on, then they had an error when Andrew (Helman) stole second. He ended up at third and things just continued from there.”

With two outs and two on and Troy trailing 5-3, senior third baseman Caleb Fogarty launched a shot to right-center field to give Troy a 6-5 lead.

“It was an Oppo (opposite-field) shot,” Welker said. “It was just to the left of their big wall out there. It was pretty nice. That was definitely an eye-opener.”

Vandalia would tied the game 6-6 before Troy would score the winning run in the seventh inning.

After singles by Baylee Shepherd and Ryder Kirtley, it was Fogarty again.

This time, it was a RBI single for the winning run.

Zach Prouty was 2-for-3 with a double and Kirtley was 2-for-3.

Helman and Connor Hutchinson combined on an eight-hitter, striking out six and walking seven.

“Andrew (Helman) faced one tough situation after another and just get battling,” Welker said. “And Connor Hutchinson did a great job finishing up. And we beat two great pitchers.”

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Thursday Baseball Roundup

WEST CARROLLTON — The Troy baseball team dropped to 6-4 overall and 6-2 in the MVL with a 4-2 loss at West Carrollton Thursday. Ryder Kirtley was 2-for-4 for the Trojans and Caleb Fogarty was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Nick Garber went the distance on the mound, hurling a six-hitter while striking out four and walking four.

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Tuesday Baseball Roundup

FAIRBORN — The Troy baseball team escaped with a 4-3 win over Fairborn Tuesday to remain unbeaten in MVL play. The Trojans were scheduled to host Fairborn on Wednesday. Ryder Kirtley went 2-for-3 for the Trojans in the game.

Andrew Helman scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning to break a 3-3 tie and provide the winning run. Brian Allen, Tim Malott and Connor Hutchinson combined on a four-hitter, striking out eight and walking four.

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Weekend Baseball Roundup

DAYTON — The Troy baseball team fell behind 3-0 after one inning and never recovered, losing 7-2 to Chaminade-Julienne.

Caleb Fogarty was 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and Connor Hutchinson was 2-for-3.

Andrew Helman, Tim Malott and Eli Smith combined on the pitching effort, allowing seven hits and striking out eight and walking four.

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Tuesday Baseball Roundup

By Robbin Kiser - March 31, 2021

Miami Valley Today

GREENVILLE — Trayce Mercer had a big day as the Troy baseball team improved to 2-0 with a 10-5 win over Greenville Tuesday.

Mercer pitched the first six innings to get the win, allowing eight hits and striking out five and helped himself at the plate
Caleb Fogarty was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs and Tim Malott was 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

Connor Hutchinson pitched an inning of scoreless relief, allowing one hit, striking out two and walking one.

 

 

 

 

 

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SEASON CANCELED 

 

 

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End 2019 Season

Troy cruises past Wayne

Trojans win 11-1, set up rematch with Aviators 

May 16, 2019

By Josh Brown

Troy Daily News

TROY — There’s full circle, and then there’s where the Troy baseball team finds itself now.

The Trojans took on Wayne — the team that the season opened with way back on March 27 — in the second round of the Division I sectional tournament Thursday at Market Street Field, and though both teams have played a full schedule since that first meeting the end result was largely the same as fifth-seeded Troy run-ruled the No. 13 Warriors again, this time 11-1 in six innings.

And though Troy (19-6) defeated Wayne 13-0 in its season opener, the Trojans knew to expect a completely different team on Thursday — especially considering the Warriors (10-14) defeated No. 7 Xenia — a team that beat Troy during the regular season — 6-3 in a first-round game to earn the rematch against the Trojans.

“They have improved since the first game. I really believe that,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “They’re a better team, and they play better. I watched them against Xenia, and they’re scrappy. I knew they’d be better.

And now Troy will get a rematch of its own, taking on No. 4 Butler in Tuesday’s sectional final at Centerville High School. The division rival Aviators, who beat No. 14 Northmont 3-2 on Thursday to advance, swept a two-game series against Troy in the regular season.

“That was our goal, to play them again in that game,” Welker said. “We know what they have, we know they’re a good baseball team and we know we have to be at our best to compete with them. And we feel like we’re that kind of team. We didn’t play that way against them the first two times, but we feel like … we’re a team that’s 19-6. That’s a good baseball team. And we beat a lot of really good baseball teams this year.”

And even though they got off to a slow start, the Trojans beat another one Thursday.

After both teams went down in order in the first, Troy’s Braeden Snider led off the bottom of the second with a double, and Cole Brogan blasted a double over the center fielder’s head to score Snider and give Troy the early lead. Brogan then stole third and scored on a wild pitch, and the Trojans were up 2-0.

Troy added another run in the third as Jacob Adams drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on another RBI double by Brogan, this time pulled just inside the third-base line. And in the fourth, the Trojans tacked on two more runs. Matt Bigley and Weston Smith singled to kick off the inning and Caleb Fogarty bunted them both into scoring position. Austin Kendall blooped in an RBI single and Snider added a two-out RBI single to put Troy on top, 5-0.

“We did have a lot of good at-bats,” Welker said. “We don’t want to be too selective. At this point, we want to swing. I felt like we were too tight at times, but we did the things we needed to do.

“We scored in every inning except the first. If we can get one or two runs every inning, that makes us pretty good. We feel like our pitching and defense is good enough that if we can score like that, we’re sitting pretty good.”

That was plenty of support for Brogan on the mound. Coming off of a five-inning no-hitter on Senior Day Saturday, the senior only hit a couple of speedbumps in Thursday’s game, allowing one run on on four hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

“They hit a couple balls here and there — again, they’re scrappy at the plate,” Welker said. “Cole didn’t really have a lot of strikeouts, but you know they’re going to be scrappy — and he battled. I thought he did a great job, and he got a lot of ground ball outs. And the infield did their job, that’s for sure.”

And in the bottom of the fifth, Troy’s offense put the game away for good with a big two-out rally.

Ethan West walked and Bigley was hit by a pitch, but Wayne reliever Connor Fiegly got a flyout to center for the second out. Fogarty reached on an error to load the bases, though, and Kendall promptly cleared them by yanking a three-run triple to the fence in right. Adams then drove him in with an RBI double before another flyout kept the game alive for one more inning with Troy up only 9-0.

Wayne got its run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Riley Duchesne, but the Trojans finished things off with another rally in the bottom of the inning. After two quick outs, West and Bigley ripped back-to-back singles and Smith drew a walk to load the bases for Fogarty, who hammered a walkoff double off the left-center fence to score two runs and seal the win.

“I don’t feel like the final score is indicative of the game, especially the early parts,” Welker said. “Wayne is better than they were. I felt we played a little tight around the plate, and we only hit one ground ball in the game. I feel like you have to make that team play defense — but we had a lot of nice hits, as well.”

Offensively for Troy, Kendall was 2 for 4 with a triple and four RBIs, Brogan was 2 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs, Snider was 2 for 4 with a double and one RBI, Fogarty doubled and had two RBIs and Bigley was 2 for 2, was hit by pitches twice and scored three runs.

Now the Trojans will take on another familiar opponent Tuesday, this time with a trip to the district final on the line.

“We feel like we don’t have to do anything but be ourselves,” Welker said. “If we can do that, play like we can play, we’re going to be okay.”

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Butler tops Troy, clinches outright North title

 Monday Round-up

May 7, 2019

By Josh Brown, Troy Daily News and Rob Kiser

Piqua Daily Call

TROY — Entering Monday, the Troy baseball team still mathematically had hope that it could claim a share of the Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division title.

But a series of early errors against unbeaten division leader Butler changed that.

The Aviators scored four unearned runs in the first two innings to put the Trojans in an early hole, and Troy never recovered in a 10-4 loss in the first of a two-game series Monday at Market Street Field.

Troy (15-5, 9-4 GWOC American North) needed to sweep the two-game set and hope that Trotwood could knock off Butler (19-4, 13-0 GWOC American North) later this week. Instead, the Aviators clinched the division title outright with one game left in the series on Tuesday in Vandalia.

The Trojans pitched their ace, Cole Brogan, but five errors on defense proved to much even for him to overcome in the game. He allowed seven runs — only three earned — on 10 hits and one walk with three strikeouts in five innings of work, leaving the game with Butler leading 7-0. The Trojans put together a four-run rally in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to three and get back into the game, but Butler scored three more in the top of the seventh to put the game away.

Troy was outhit 13-4 in the game. Weston Smith was 1 for 2 with a double and two RBIs and Caleb Fogarty was 1 for 3 with an RBI.

After Tuesday’s game at Butler, Troy travels to Preble Shawnee Thursday and Beavercreek Friday before finishing the regular season at home Saturday against Oakwood.

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Trojans top T-Bolts, 9-5

 Troy’s early lead holds up vs. Northmont

May 3, 2019

By Ron Nunnari - Brookville Star

CLAYTON — Troy jumped out to a 3-0 first inning lead Thursday and added more runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to post a 9-5 victory over Northmont.

Leadoff hitter Weston Smith reached base on an error, Austin Kendall singled and Jacob Adams drew a walk to load the bases. Smith scored on a fly ball to center and Braeden Snider belted a two-out, two run double to give the Trojans an early three run advantage.

Northmont got one run back in the bottom of the first when Keaton Kesling (2-for-3) doubled, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on an error.

Troy added two runs in the fourth. Kendall hit a triple and scored on a double by Adams and Cole Brogan singled to bring Adams home. The Trojans got another run in the fifth on a single by Jakob Libecap and a double by Matt Bigley.

Northmont got two runs in the home half of the fifth and seventh innings but the Trojans tacked on three runs in the top of the sixth that proved too much for the Thunderbolts to overcome.

Libecap picked up the victory for Troy. He surrendered three runs on five hits over five innings, striking out two and walking one.

“It was nice coming out and getting runs early,” said Troy coach Ty Welker. “More importantly for us, sometimes we’ve done that in the past and then we’ve stopped; kind of took our foot off the gas, so I really liked the way we chipped away and got runs in multiple innings. That was big. They got a run and then we would come back and score a couple, so that was one of the more impressive games I have seen from us. We have jumped on teams, but haven’t put them away later. That surely helped in the last inning having those runs late in the game.”

Kendall, Bigley, and Brogan each had multiple hits for Troy. Kendall, Bigley and Brogan each went 2-for-3.

With the victory Troy extended its win streak to five games and improved to 15-4 overall. Northmont fell to 5-16 on its way to its first losing season since 1984.

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Cashing in second chances

 Snider’s clutch hit lifts Troy past Piqua, 3-1

April 30, 2019

By Josh Brown

Troy Daily News

TROY — Watching the batter before him seemingly ground out on a routine play to end the third inning, Troy’s Braeden Snider knew he would still get his chance.

“I was standing at home plate where the home plate umpire was, and as soon as I saw him (the Piqua first baseman) pull his foot off the bag — me playing first base, too, I knew he pulled his foot,” Snider said. “When coach called the appeal, I knew it was going to get reversed and I was going to get my chance to bat.”

And Snider made good on that opportunity, too.

Troy’s senior first baseman ripped a line drive that found its way between first and second base for a clutch two-out, two-run single, and Cole Brogan followed that with an RBI single of his own, the only runs the Trojans would score on the day — but Brogan made them stand up on the mound, limiting the Indians to only two hits in a 3-1 Troy victory over Piqua Tuesday at Market Street Field to complete a two-game sweep of the division series.

Coupled with Monday’s 10-1 win at Piqua, the sweep makes Troy 14-4 overall and 9-3 in the Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division, good enough for sole possession of second place in the standings, while the Indians fell to 9-10 and 6-8 in the division.

And Tuesday’s win all hinged on one play.

Caleb Fogarty beat out an infield single with one out in the bottom of the third and stole second, and a flyout brought up Jacob Adams with two outs. Adams hit what seemed like a routine groundout to short, but as the Indians were coming off the field, an appeal was made to the home plate umpire on whether or not Piqua’s first baseman kept his foot on the bag — and the out was overturned, putting runners on the corners with two outs and keeping the inning going for Snider.

“I think the guy pulled his foot. I don’t think there was a question about that,” Welker said. “I did like the way we responded after that, though. We didn’t spoil the chance there. We managed to get a couple of runs, we hit the ball — and we hit some line drives. It’s amazing what can happen when you put the ball in play on a line.”

“All I’ll say is we blame only ourselves for the things that happen, and we move forward with the ballgame,” Piqua’s Brad Lavey said. “I told my kids that this game’s about the present and the future — you can’t control what’s happened to you in the past.”

Adams stole second to put two runners in scoring position for Snider, who yanked a 2-1 pitch between the first and second baseman to bring home both runs and put Troy up 2-0.

“I really wanted to, too. I really wanted to get up that inning,” Snider said. “I’m just more confident in big situations like that. I feel like I do better in those situations because I understand that there’s a job that has to be done.

“It’s happened a couple times this year. It feels pretty good.”

Brogan was up next, and after Snider stole second base to get into scoring position, he dropped a blooper into right field to bring home another insurance run to make the score 3-0.

That was the only opportunity that Piqua starter Iverson Ventura gave the Trojans in the game, though. He limited Troy to only six hits on the day — four of them in that one inning — and walked three while striking out one.

“Our offense struggles against guys that throw like that,” Welker said. “We just didn’t have really good at-bats today. I just think that we definitely swung at more of his pitches than our pitches.”

And Piqua got a run back in the top of the fourth on some heads-up baserunning by Mick Karn. Karn reached on an error to lead off the inning and stole second, then on a routine groundout to third, Karn broke on contact and didn’t stop, scoring all the way from second on the play to cut the lead to 3-1.

“We competed the way we’re supposed to compete all the way around tonight,” Lavey said. “Iverson threw well and kept people off balance, challenged hitters and used the defense behind him. We didn’t get enough done at the plate today, but we were facing an excellent young man and an excellent Troy defense, and against them you’ve got to hit the ball hard and run the bags a little bit. And we didn’t quite get it done tonight.

“There’s no second place, though. You win or you lose. I don’t teach these kids much about consolation prizes. But it’s something to build off of, and we know what we need to work on.”

That’s where things remained the rest of the way, though, as Brogan shut down the Indians’ bats, pitching a two-hitter, walking one and striking out six, improving to 6-0 on the season in seven starts. All of the runs scored by both teams on the day were unearned.

“He grinded it out today,” Welker said of Brogan. “He didn’t feel like he had his best stuff, and we usually give him a bit more support. But he held them to two hits and one run, and you can’t ask for more out of your pitcher than that.”

Offensively, no one had multiple hits for either team. Adams doubled for Troy, Snider was 1 for 3 with two RBIs, Brogan was 1 for 2 with an RBI, Ethan West and Sam Shaneyfelt were both 1 for 3 and Fogarty was 1 for 2. Owen Toopes and Cameron Deal both went 1 for 3 for Piqua.

Next up for Piqua is a GWOC American League crossover matchup at Fairborn on Wednesday, while Troy travels to Northmont Thursday and Trotwood Friday to tune up for next week’s two-game series against unbeaten division leader Butler.

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Troy tops West Carrollton

 

April 26, 2019

By Josh Brown

Troy Daily News

Last year, when the Troy baseball team shared the Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division title with Tippecanoe, a 3-2 upset loss to West Carrollton cost them the outright title.

Friday, the Trojans got the chance for payback.

And while things didn’t begin well, with the team falling behind 3-1 after three and 5-2 in the middle of the fourth, Troy (12-4, 7-3 GWOC American North) rallied with seven runs over the course of the fifth and sixth innings to claim a 10-5 victory Friday at Market Street Field.

After West Carrollton put up two runs in the top of the first inning, Jacob Adams got Troy on the board with a solo homer. The Pirates made it a two-run game in the top of the second, but an RBI single by Adams in the third kept Troy close before a two-run inside-the-park home run put West Carrollton up 5-2 in the middle of the fourth.

That was the last run the Pirates would get, though, as Troy reliever Jakob Libecap settled in and shut them down the rest of the way. Troy then got a run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Sam Shaneyfelt, then the Trojans got a run on an error and two more on passed balls in the fifth to take their first lead of the day. And in the sixth, Caleb Fogarty hit an RBI double, Cole Brogan a two-run single and Libecap an RBI groundout to seal the win.

Libecap got the win in relief of Braeden Snider on the mound, pitching 5 2-3 innings and allowing two runs on two hits and a walk with four strikeouts. And offensively, Adams was 2 for 2 with a home run, two RBIs and three runs scored, Brogan was 1 for 1 with two RBIs and three runs scored, Fogarty doubled and had an RBI and Libecap and Shaneyfelt each drove in a run.

Troy travels to Piqua Monday to begin a must-win two-game GWOC American North Division rivalry series.

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Tipp routs Troy, 11-0

 Red Devils kick off series with big win

April 22, 2019

By Josh Brown

Troy Daily News

TROY — The Tippecanoe baseball team may have been excited after run-ruling division rival Troy Monday.

But coach Bruce Cahill was quick to bring his players back down to earth.

“I just got done telling them that it’s one game. It only counts as one game. And they run-ruled us at our place last year after we beat them here,” Cahill said. “You don’t get two wins for a run rule. You’d better come back tomorrow.”

“They’ve beat us on our field the last couple years, in fact,” Cahill said. “We’ve just got to come back tomorrow and put together a solid effort again, like we did today.”

The Red Devils — the lowest-scoring team of the three teams battling for the Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division title entering the day — certainly put together a solid game on Monday, jumping out to a seven-run lead after two innings and giving starting pitcher Kenten Egbert plenty of support to finish off an 11-0 shutout of the Trojans in five innings at Market Street Field to kick off a critical two-game division series.

Tippecanoe (11-5, 9-1 GWOC American North) had been averaging only 5.8 runs per game coming in and had only hit double digits three times on the season, while Troy (10-4, 5-3 GWOC American North) had given up the least amount of runs — 3.2 per game — between themselves, the Devils and division-leading Butler and had not given up double-digit runs in a game to that point.

But the Devils came out on fire Monday and never let up.

A leadoff walk and a single by Ian Yunker put two runners on for Cade Beam, who blasted an RBI double off the left-center fence to give Tippecanoe the lead. C.J. Miller followed that with an RBI groundout, and the Devils led 2-0 after the top of the first.

“Throwing four straight balls to the first batter mentally set the pace for us today as a team,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “That put our backs to the wall early, and they (Tippecanoe) swung the bats. We got behind in counts, they’re sitting fastball in fastball counts, and they did what you’re supposed to do with it.”

The Devils piled on in the second inning, adding five more to take a 7-0 lead. Matt Salmon reach on an error to lead off, Eli Hadden doubled and Andrew Baileys singled in a run. Jonny Baileys drew his second walk of the game to load the bases, Yunker drove in a run on an RBI groundout and Beam yanked an RBI single to left to make the score 5-0. A hit-batter reloaded the bases, and Nolan Mader hit a two-out, two-run single the other way to give the Devils a seven-run lead.

“I don’t know, honestly,” Cahill said when asked what led to the outburst. “We’ve seen a couple pitchers like (Troy’s Ethan) West this season. Maybe they understand the importance of where we are at this time of the year. The only way we can win the league is to win — Butler doesn’t have any league losses right now. If we lose today, we have two, Troy has two and Butler is sitting pretty with none still.”

West settled in and retired the Devils in order in the third, but after an RBI single by Egbert made it 8-0, the Trojans brought in Nathan Henderson. Mader followed with an RBI single, a run scored on a wild pitch and Hadden capped things off with an RBI double to make the score 11-0 Tippecanoe after the top of the fourth.

And that was more support than Egbert needed to finish things off on the defensive side.

Egbert — who led teammate Yunker 50-47 in the GWOC’s strikeouts race — scattered five hits, two walks and a hit-batter to finish off the shutout in five innings, adding only six more Ks to his totals.

“He’s a good pitcher,” Welker said. “We know we have to compete with a guy throwing strikes like that with that velocity. And I think our defensive side carried on to our offensive side. We found ourselves behind in counts because we didn’t swing at fastballs early — and that kid’s good.”

In the bottom of the first, Egbert got into a jam with runners on second and third with one out, but he got a pair of strikeouts to get out of it. And in the second, with Troy runners on first and second with no outs, he made a big play on defense on an attempted sacrifice bunt by Matt Bigley, getting off the mound fast enough to throw out the lead runner at third to keep — and then striking out the next two batters to again preserve the shutout.

“Troy’s a better hitting team than a lot of the teams he’s faced so far this year, so they put the ball in play,” Cahill said. “(The bunt) was a big play. If he doesn’t get that runner, they’ve got the bases loaded and it just takes a little break — you never know.”

Egbert got some help from his defense, as well. In the third, catcher Beam threw out a runner attempting to steal to end the inning. And in the fourth, Troy’s Weston Smith singled up the middle with runners on first and second with two outs — only to have center fielder Jonny Baileys throw out a runner at the plate to end the inning.

“Cade threw the kid out stealing to end one inning, then Jonny threw the kid out at the plate to end another. That’s what you’ve got to do at this time of the year,” Cahill said. “This is an inexperienced team, but now they’ve played 16 games. So they’re not so young anymore. They’re starting to get a little better presence.”

For Troy, Caleb Fogarty was 2 for 3, the only Trojan with multiple hits. West went 3 1-3 innings on the mound, allowing 10 runs on eight hits, three walks and a hit-batter while striking out two, and Henderson pitched the final 1 2-3 innings, allowing one run on three hits with one walk and one strikeout.

Beam was 3 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, Mader was 2 for 4 with three RBIs and Hadden was 2 for 3 with two doubles and an RBI to lead the Devils, with Andrew Baileys, Egbert and Yunker each also driving in one run.

The win sets up a crucial rematch Tuesday to finish off the series at Tippecanoe.

The past two seasons, the Devils have began the series with a win at Troy, only to lose at home the next day. Two years ago, Tippecanoe also run-ruled Troy 11-0 at Troy, only to lose 3-1 at home the next day. And last year, the Trojans run-ruled the Devils 11-0 on the road to split the series — and Tuesday’s game will feature a pitching rematch from that game, as well, with Troy’s Cole Brogan facing Tippecanoe’s Yunker.

“It’s just one day at a time, and we know who we’re facing tomorrow,” Cahill said. “Brogan shut us out last year, so we’ve got to have a totally different mindset when we come out tomorrow.”

“We’re not happy about the loss today by any stretch of the imagination,” Welker said. “In baseball, you’ve got to have a short memory. In this series, we’ve been lucky enough to do that the last couple years — and we’ll be ready to go out and compete tomorrow.”

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Troy’s West shuts down East

 Trojans snap skid, top Vikings 4-1

April 15, 2019

By Josh Brown

Troy Daily News

CASSTOWN — After two straight narrow defeats, the Troy baseball team needed to get back track.

Miami East wasn’t about to make it easy, though.

Still, thanks to another solid outing by starting pitcher Ethan West and an explosive day at the plate by Cole Brogan, the Trojans snapped a two-game losing streak, topping the host Vikings 4-1 Monday at Miami East High School in non-league action.

“First of all, hats off to (Miami East). Those guys came out and played a great game,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “Those guys came out to compete, and they did that.”

And while the Trojans improved to 8-3 on the season, Miami East — which split a doubleheader against a quality Madison team on Saturday and entered the game having won four of its last five games — fell to 7-8 on the year.

“We just came off beating the No. 4 team in the state (Madison), and we’re playing real well,” Miami East coach Dean Denlinger said. “Troy is playing real well right now, too, though. We’re playing a pretty tough schedule — I think we’re playing seven teams ranked in the state, and we have a solid conference, too.”

In the end, though, Troy’s West turned in yet another solid Monday outing — only this time he got credit for it. Two weeks ago, he had to watch the bullpen be unable to hold a lead in a 4-3 loss at Greenville, and last Monday he left the game before the Trojans rallied in the seventh to claim a 4-3 win at Sidney.

“Ethan has thrown a great game the last two Mondays, as well — he just hasn’t gotten the victory for them,” Welker said. “He finally got the win for it. He’s done a nice job. He’s pitched with confidence, and he wants the ball. All of the things we needed to see out of him this year, he’s done. What a great performance by him today.”

Monday, West was on his game yet again, pitching six innings and allowing only one run on three hits, three walks and a hit-batter while striking out nine. Matt Bigley pitched a one-two-three seventh, striking out two to earn a save.

“Ethan West pitched a good game,” Denlinger said. “He had good control, and we stranded nine runners, so that didn’t help. We haven’t struck out more than six times in a game all season, but we did 11 times today. Ethan just had good control and kept us off balance.”

And this time, West got run support from the start, too.

In the top of the first, Brogan ripped a one-out double to the deepest part of the field in center and moved to third on an infield single by Jacob Adams. Braeden Snider then hit an RBI sac fly to center, putting Troy on top 1-0. And in the second, Sam Shaneyfelt reached on an error to lead off, Nathan Henderson walked, both runners moved up on a wild pitch and Grant Gariety drove in a run with an RBI groundout to make it a 2-0 game.

Brogan finished the game 3 for 4 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI, driving in pinch hitter Luke Severt with a two-out single for an insurance run in the sixth inning that gave the Trojans a 3-1 lead at the time. And the Trojans cashed in a leadoff double by Snider in the top of the seventh, with Bigley ripping a two-out RBI double down the third-base line that made the score 4-1.

“Cole’s been swinging better,” Welker said. “We moved him up in the lineup, and he’s been hitting the ball on a line more and less in the air.”

Still, it wasn’t a great day for the Trojans at the plate, as they left a total of 11 runners on base — nine of those in scoring position — and left the bases loaded twice. Adams was the only other Trojan with multiple hits, going 2 for 4.

“We had four productive at-bats with guys in scoring position … out of 17,” Welker said. “We expect more out of ourselves. Strikeouts looking, strikeouts swinging, ground balls to the pull side — too many at-bats, 13 out of 17, that were not productive. That’s not a sign of a good team. We have to change that. But we keep working. These guys are smart, they know what they’ve got to do and we’ve just got to execute.”

Miami East got its run in the second inning. Gage Butz drew a walk to lead off, and a hit-and-run single by Hunter Gross put runners on the corners with no one out. Jonah Wolf hit an RBI groundout to cut Troy’s lead in half to 2-1 at the time, but West buckled down and got out of the jam — and a few more on the day, too. Of the nine runners the Vikings left stranded, six were in scoring position, and West worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning with no damage done.

Alex Hayes had the Vikings’ lone extra-base hit, a double, an none of the Vikings had multiple hits on the day. Starting pitcher Ian Gengler pitched well, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits and two walks while striking out six in four innings, Hayes pitched two innings and allowed one run on two hits and three walks with one strikeout and Garrett Lemaster allowed one run on two hits and a walk with one strikeout in the seventh inning.

“We had a couple of squeeze opportunities that we didn’t perform on, a couple times we weren’t focused. But the kids have been working hard, and they’re getting better every day,” Denlinger said.

Troy returns home to host Centerville in another non-league game Tuesday, while Miami East travels to Covington for a Cross County Conference matchup Tuesday.

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Xenia holds off Troy baseball in crossover matchup

 

April 12, 2019

By Josh Brown

Troy Daily News

TROY — The Troy baseball team’s second straight loss was a tough one.

The Trojans gave up six first-inning runs to visiting Xenia and couldn’t recover, falling 7-5 in what could prove to be a critical Greater Western Ohio Conference American League crossover defeat Friday at Market Street Field.

With the loss, Troy fell to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the GWOC American North Division, now two games behind division leader Butler and one behind second-place Tippecanoe. Xenia, meanwhile, continues to lead the GWOC American South Division with a 4-1 record and is 12-2 overall, having won its sixth straight.

Jakob Libecap took the loss for Troy, giving up six runs on seven hits and one walk in one inning of work. Luke Severt pitched four innings of no-hit ball to give the Trojans a chance to catch up, striking out five and walking none, and Ethan West worked two innings, giving up one run on two hits and no walks while striking out three.

Severt also led the Trojans at the plate, going 1 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. Austin Kendall doubled and scored two runs, Cole Brogan scored two runs, Weston Smith tripled and Jacob Adams and Matt Bigley each had an RBI. But with the potential tying runs on second and third in the bottom of the seventh, a called third strike put an end to the game.

Troy travels to Miami East Monday.

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Monster inning propels Trojans

 16-run 1st leads Troy to sweep of Sidney

April 9, 2019

By Josh Brown

Troy Daily News

TROY — The Troy baseball team dealt with enough drama in Monday’s series opener at Sidney.

So the Trojans made sure there was none on Tuesday.

After a stressful and narrow 4-3 victory on Monday to begin the Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division series, Troy sent 21 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first alone Tuesday against Sidney, scoring 13 runs before the second out had even been recorded and finishing with 16 runs before the Yellow Jackets’ second chance at the plate in a 17-2 victory at Market Street Field to complete the two-game sweep.

With the win — Troy’s fifth straight — the Trojans improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the GWOC American North, while Sidney fell to 3-7 and 1-5 in the division with its third consecutive loss.

“Yeah, I’d say that (there was less drama today than the day before),” Troy coach Ty Welker said.

There was plenty of drama Monday as Sidney battled back to tie the score at 3-3 with a three-run bottom of the sixth, only to have Troy retake the lead in the top of the seventh and close it out in the bottom of the inning with the potential tying run on third base.

Braeden Snider was 2 for 4 with a double and three RBIs to lead the Trojans — including the RBI double in the top of the seventh that scored Jacob Adams with the eventual winning run — and Austin Kendall was 1 for 3 with two runs scored as Troy only outhit Sidney 6-4 in the game.

Matt Bigley pitched the seventh to earn a save, walking one — Trey Werntz, who stole both second and third base before a lineout ended the game. Ethan West started the game and pitched five innings of one-hit ball, striking out nine and walking four. Luke Severt pitched 2-3 of an inning and Nate Henderson got the final out of the sixth inning and was credited with the win in relief.

For Sidney, Werntz was 2 for 3 in the game and Collin Jones had two RBIs. Darius Boeke took the loss in relief, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out one.

On Tuesday, there was no doubt from the beginning.

Troy’s offense was on fire from the start, with Austin Kendall singling to lead off and Caleb Fogarty walking, followed by an RBI single the other way by Jacob Adams. After a double steal put runners on second and third, Braeden Snider hit an RBI groundout that made it a 2-0 game.

It would be a long time before the Jackets recorded another out.

Brogan walked and then Ethan West ripped an RBI single to left, then another double steal and a hit-batter loaded the bases. A wild pitch scored another run, and another walk sent Sidney making a call to the bullpen with the bases still loaded. Weston Smith was hit by a pitch to bring in one run and Kendall walked to bring in another, then Fogarty drove a two-run double over the center fielder’s head to make it an 8-0 game. Adams followed with a two-run single to make it 10-0 and advanced all the way to third base on the play to the plate, then Snider hit an RBI single to bring home Adams, and a walk and another hit-batter reloaded the bases, forcing Sidney to call on the bullpen again — still only with one out.

Sam Shaneyfelt promptly greeted the new pitcher with a two-run double to center, then two straight walks brought home another run before Kendall hit an RBI sac fly to left for the second out in the inning. Fogarty hit one more RBI single to make it a 16-0 game before Sidney finally got out of the inning.

“I liked our approach coming out offensively in that first inning,” Welker said. “We put the ball in play, we didn’t swing at balls out of the strike zone — we did all the things you want to do against anybody. And they only had one error in that inning, too, so we really scored all those runs on walks and hits.”

The first inning took 45 minutes to play, with the rest of the game taking 45 minutes to complete. And after all of that offense, Troy’s defense was a little shaky in the second inning.

“The tough thing is to stay focused,” Welker said. “We don’t want to disrespect the game. We told the kids to go up and have good at-bats, but we did stop running a bit. You try to keep competing, and the guys did. We lost a bit of focus in the next inning, but it’s tough.”

Ben Spangler reached on an error to lead off, Lathan Jones singled and Trey Werntz reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. Brogan got a pair of called third strikes and looked like he would get out of the inning with no damage, but Mitch Larger hit a two-out, two-run single to get Sidney on the board, trailing 16-2 after two.

“It’s tough for any kid, let alone high school kids,” Welker said. “I know Brogan’s probably a little disappointed in himself, and we made a couple errors behind him that didn’t help. He takes pride in what he does, and I think he felt like he let his guard down a little bit, and we also did defensively. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a lesson learned to stay focused.”

Fogarty added an RBI double in the bottom of the third to make it 17-2, and Brogan did the rest. The senior retired the final 10 batters he faced, striking out 10 — six straight at one point — and allowing no earned runs on two hits and one walk.

Fogarty finished the game 3 for 3 with two doubles and four RBIs, Adams was 2 for 4 with three RBIs, Shaneyfelt was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, Smith had two RBIs, Kendall and Snider were both 1 for 2 with two RBIs and West was 1 for 2 with an RBI. Overall, Troy outhit Sidney 10-2 and took advantage of a total of nine walks and four hit-batters.

Overall, the series was similar to Troy’s first division series against Greenville last week. After another close Monday game — a disappointing 4-3 loss — the Trojans, behind Brogan’s pitching, run-ruled the Green Wave 15-0 the next day.

“We have a different confidence when Brogan is on the mound,” Welker said. “I don’t know why, because West has thrown two great games these last two Mondays. But once we get a run or two in a game like today, we feel relaxed because we know Brogan’s not going to give up any. That’s a nice comfort, but we’ve got to get over that, because we’re going to have to play some big game’s where he’s not on the mound.”

 

The Trojans will get a tough test on the road Thursday at Springboro before taking on GWOC American South Division leader Xenia at home Friday.

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Troy baseball routs Fairborn and Tops Grosse Pointe South, MI

 

April 6, 2019

By Troy Daily News and Rob Kiser Piqua Daily Call

 

Troy Daily News

FAIRBORN/OXFORD — One blowout and one hard-fought win.

After a disappointing division loss to start the week, the Troy baseball team finished strong, routing Fairborn 17-3 Friday in Greater Western Ohio Conference American League crossover play and then holding off Gross Pointe South (Mi.) 2-1 Saturday at Miami University.

The two wins gave Troy three in a row and made the Trojans 5-1 overall, 2-1 in the GWOC American North, heading into a division series against Sidney Monday and Tuesday.

Against Fairborn Friday, the Trojans held a slim 4-3 lead after four innings before pulling away for good, scoring four in the fifth, three in the sixth and then six in the seventh inning to seal it.

Cole Brogan led the offensive, going 4 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs, Braeden Snider was 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs, Matt Bigley was 1 for 3 with a double and three RBIs, Jacob Adams was 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBIs, Ethan West was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI, Sam Shaneyfelt was 1 for 1 with two RBIs, Austin Kendall was 3 for 4 with four runs scores, Caleb Fogarty was 2 for 4 and Jakob Libecap and Luke Severt each had an RBI.

Snider also got the win on the mound, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks while striking out four in 4 1-3 innings of work. Severt finished off the game, pitching 2 2-3 innings of relief, striking out one and only allowing one hit.

Things were a little more dramatic on Saturday against Gross Pointe South. After falling behind 1-0 after the first inning, Troy didn’t answer until the top of the fifth, plating two runs to take the lead and allowing the defense and pitching to do the rest.

Libecap got the win, pitching six innings and allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out five and walking none. Brogan worked the seventh to record a save, striking out one, hitting two batters and recording the final out with the potential go-ahead runs in scoring position.

Jacob Adams was 2 for 3 with a triple and a run scored, Brogan was 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run and Bigley had an RBI, getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in the eventual game-winner.

Troy travels to Sidney Monday to kick off the two-day series.

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Troy baseball splits with Greenville

Brogan’s big day leads Trojans to 15-0 win, split with Wave

April 2, 2019

By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

Troy Daily News

TROY — When asked which felt better — the one-hit shutout he threw on the mound or his exclamation point of a grand slam to seal a run-rule victory — Troy’s Cole Brogan had the only correct answer.

“The win. The win feels better than anything,” he said.

Particularly after the previous night’s game.

After falling on the road at Greenville in its Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division opener on Monday, the Troy baseball team bounced back in a big way Tuesday at Market Street Field, piling up seven runs in the first three innings and then stringing together an eight-run rally all with two outs in the fourth — punctuated by Brogan’s slam — and the senior did the rest on the hill to lead the Trojans to a dominant 15-0 run-rule victory in five innings.

Brogan struck out nine, walked none and allowed only two baserunners — an infield single by Warren Hartzell in the second inning and an error in the fifth — in a masterful performance, then he went 2 for 4 at the plate with a double, a home run and a total of five RBIs on Tuesday to help Troy improve to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the GWOC American North. But that one loss is likely to sting the team for a while.

“The win was definitely the best thing today,” Brogan said. “After last night, we all had a bad taste in our mouth. After that, we needed to come out here and play like we can, and I think we did that. The win feels better than anything right now. We needed to get back on track.”

That’s because Monday, the Trojans fell victim to a two-run walkoff single by Greenville’s Hartzell in a 4-3 loss at Greenville to start the series.

Troy starter Ethan West put Troy in position to win, going 5 1-3 innings and allowing two runs on four hits while striking out nine, walking two and hitting two, leaving the game with a 3-2 lead. Jakob Libecap came on in relief and pitched 1 1-3 innings, striking out one, hitting a batter and allowing two hits — one of which was Hartzell’s two-run game-winner with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Offensively, West had two RBIs and Braeden Snider was 1 for 3 with an RBI as Troy plated three runs in the fourth inning to take a 3-0 lead — which was where things stood until the Green Wave finally got on the board with two in the sixth and then scored two more in the seventh.

Tuesday’s 15-run blowout didn’t do much to take the edge off, either.

“It doesn’t make last night feel any better, I’ll tell you that,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “It actually probably makes us a little more upset, because we feel like that’s a game we should have had last night, as well. We expect a better offensive performance than we had last night.

“And we did. I thought we executed better today and adjusted. Guys put the ball in play, we took walks when they gave them to us. That’s the team we feel like we’re always going to be and expect to be.”

Troy jumped out in front Tuesday thanks to some timely hitting early. A leadoff double by Austin Kendall, a walk by Caleb Fogarty and a wild pitch led to a two-run single by Jacob Adams to start things off fast, then Adams scored on an RBI double by Brogan to make it 3-0 after one. In the second, Kendall led off again by reaching on an error, stealing second and taking third on a wild pitch, then Fogarty walked again and Kendall scored on a wild pitch that allowed Fogarty to move up two bases to third. Braeden Snider then capped off the inning with an RBI single to make the score 5-0 Troy. And in the third, Weston Smith doubled and Kendall walked, then Smith scored on a throwing error and Kendall was driven in on an RBI groundout by Adams that gave the Trojans a seven-run lead.

Greenville (2-3, 1-1 GWOC American North) appeared to slow Troy’s momentum in the bottom of the fourth, recording the first two outs, but then the Trojans put together a lengthy rally to put the game away. Grant Gariety doubled, Matt Bigley was hit by a pitch and Smith walked to load the bases, then Kendall and Fogarty drew back-to-back RBI walks to make it 9-0. Two runs then scored on an error off the bat of Adams to make it 11-0, and Snider walked to load the bases for Brogan — who promptly emptied them with a blast over the left-field fence.

“I’ve been struggling at the plate,” Brogan said. “I was just trying to help my team win, working on stuff and trying to get back in the groove. And the way things fell? Can’t complain about that.”

And Brogan finished things off in the top of the fifth, punching out two and not allowing a one-out error to amount to anything to record his second win of the year.

“It’s hard to say that you expect that every time out, but we expect him to do his job, and he did a nice job tonight,” Welker said. “He’s been working on his swing, too, so it was nice for him to get some positive offensive contributions, too.”

On the day, Kendall was 1 for 2 with a double and four runs scored in the leadoff spot, Fogarty had three walks and scored three runs, Adams was 1 for 4 with three RBIs, Snider was 1 for 3 with an RBI, Gariety doubled and scored a run and Smith doubled and scored two runs.

Still, as the Trojans go into Friday’s GWOC American League crossover matchup at Fairborn, the team knows that splitting with Greenville complicates things moving forward.

“We’re going to have to stay focused every night,” Welker said. “We feel like we’re one of the best teams in the division. To win that title, we always play one game at a time and have our fate in our own hands. Because you’ve got to go and try to beat Tippecanoe twice and Butler twice — does that mean we can split with those guys and still have a chance? Sure. Anything can happen. This just leaves less room for error now.

“Not to put too much pressure on us, but our goal is to always try to win the league, and to do that, we feel like we’ve got to win every game.”

But Tuesday, the Trojans seemed to figure out what it takes to be on that track.

“It feels great for us,” Brogan said. “We came together as a team tonight, didn’t have any letdowns, and through five complete innings, we played like we can — we played as a team.”

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Troy baseball tops CJ 

Trojans knock off defending D-II state champ

March 29, 2019

By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

Troy Daily News

TROY — With the defending Division II state champion coming to town Thursday, the Troy baseball team focused on taking care of its own business.

And take care of it the Trojans did.

Jacob Adams hit a three-run home run in the first inning to give control to Troy, the Trojans strung together a couple more runs and Cole Brogan did the rest on the mound, holding off a late rally by Chaminade Julienne in a 5-4 victory Thursday at Market Street Field.

The win improved Troy to 2-0 on the season, while the Eagles fell to 2-1.

“We don’t care about who is in the other dugout. We just focus on playing our game, and if we do that, we feel like we can compete with anyone out there,” Troy coach Ty Welker said.

Troy’s game involved longball early on, as Adams’ homer put the Trojans up 3-0 after one. Troy manufactured runs in the second and fourth innings to take a 5-1 lead, but the Eagles fought back in the final two innings, trailing 5-2 after six and scoring a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. But Brogan — who went the distance to get the win — recorded all three seventh-inning outs on strikeouts, including the final one with the potential tying run on second base.

“Jacob’s home run helped a lot, got us rolling,” Welker said. Then we manufactured a couple runs on a sac fly by Nathan Henderson, and the other on a single, a stolen base and scoring on a ball that didn’t even get out of the infield. That’s just the kind of team we are, and we don’t try to be anything we’re not. We find ways to produce runs.

“Cole took care of things on the mound. It got close late, but he struck out the final batter with the tying run on second. He struck out the side in the seventh against some really good hitters.”

Brogan finished with six strikeouts and a walk, giving up four runs — three earned — on seven hits. Troy was outhit 7-5 in the game, with no Trojans tallying multiple hits. Adams had the home run and three RBIs, while Henderson and Weston Smith each had an RBI.

Troy travels to Graham for its first road game Saturday, weather permitting.

“This was a good day. That’s a very good baseball team we just played,” Welker said.

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Troy’s West shuts out Wayne

Trojans walk away with 13-0 win in opener

March 27, 2019

By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

TROY — When Troy needed to be aggressive, it was aggressive.

When the situation called for patience — which it often did — the Trojans were patient.

The only thing the Troy baseball team didn’t need to, thanks to Ethan West’s performance on the mound? Worry.

West pitched a four-hit shutout Wednesday in Troy’s season opener at Market Street Field against Wayne, striking out eight Warriors — five of them looking — and only walking one, while the Trojans benefited from 13 walks and two hit-batters by the Wayne pitching staff in a 13-0 victory.

West, a senior, never gave Wayne (0-1) a chance from the start, striking out the side in the top of the first on three called third strikes. And after a leadoff single by Wayne in the second led to a runner being on third with only one out, West buckled down and got a strikeout and a flyout to escape the jam.

Wayne then got the first two runners on in the top of the third and advanced them to second and third on a sacrifice bunt, but West got a swinging strikeout and another called third strike to keep the Warriors off the scoreboard. And in the fourth, second baseman Austin Kendall and shortstop Cole Brogan turned a double play to erase another leadoff single and keep the shutout going after four.

And after an eight-run fourth inning by the Troy offense that kept him waiting for a half hour to get back on the mound, West finished things off in the fifth to record the shutout.

“What can you say about Ethan West? He came out and threw a nice game,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “He had eight strikeouts, only walked one — he threw well. He did what we asked him to do and threw a complete-game shutout.

“Ethan stayed focused,” Welker said. “He had guys on third with less than two outs a couple times, and he worked out of it.”

It could be an important performance for West, too, given the Trojans (1-0) are still looking for a No. 2 starter to back up ace Brogan once the home-and-away Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division series begin next week.

“We’re still looking for that No. 2 guy, that Monday-Tuesday guy, and Ethan had a nice outing today,” Welker said. “We need two guys (for division series). West had a nice outing tonight, and we believe Braeden Snider and Jakob Libecap can compete for that spot, too. I feel like we’ve got to have that second guy, and West did a nice job tonight.

“Last year, we had Derek McDonagh and Cole Brogan. Two years ago, it was Hayden Kotwica and Brogan. This year will be an opportunity for somebody to step up — and what a great start for West to be able to do that.”

Troy’s offense, meanwhile, made sure that the defense never had to stress out, either.

The Trojans took the lead for good with a two-out rally in the bottom of the first. Jacob Adams reached on an error and quickly stole second, then West drew a walk and both runner moved up on a wild pitch. Adams scored on another wild pitch, then Caleb Fogarty sent an RBI single back up the middle to give Troy a 2-0 lead early. Troy then added onto that lead in the second with a bases-loaded RBI walk by Brogan with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts put an end to that threat and kept it a three-run game.

Fogarty then beat out an infield single to lead off the third, and Snider followed that by ripping an RBI triple the other way to the fence in left. Libecap then drove Snider in with an RBI groundout, and the lead was 5-0 after four.

“All spring and in our scrimmages, we’ve scored runs without seeming to do a whole lot offensively, but we do,” Welker said. “We don’t swing at stuff out of the zone, we’re very patient at the plate, we run the bases very well, we put the ball in play when we need to. All those things that we have to do to score runs, our guys do what it takes.

“We had good at-bats. There were a couple situations where we had guys in scoring position and didn’t execute, so that was one thing. We sat on too many fastballs then. But … it’s day one, the first time seeing competitive pitching, and I thought we were patient.”

And that patience certainly paid off in the bottom of the fourth.

Wayne’s pitchers issued eight walks and hit two batters in that half-inning alone, with Fogarty and Matt Bigley each driving in a run on a bases-loaded walk and Adams scoring on a wild pitch for the second time in the game. Libecap added a two-run single — the only hit in the inning — and Adams drove in a run on an RBI groundout as Troy put the game away with a lengthy, slow and methodical inning.

“We always talk about how we have to worry about us and not the other team,” Welker said. “I think we executed today. We only gave up two free passes, we had 22 quality at-bats — we hit our goals on all of those things. We feel real positive about today.”

For the day, Fogarty was 2 for 2 with two RBIs, Libecap was 1 for 3 with three RBIs, Snider tripled and had an RBI and Brogan, Adams and Bigley each had one RBI.

Troy remains at home Wednesday, hosting Chaminade Julienne — the defending Division II state champion — before going on the road Saturday to Graham. The Trojans open division play Monday at Greenville to kick off a two-game series.

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Troy to rely heavily on experience

 

Trojan baseball returns 11 seniors this season

 

March 21, 2019

By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

This year, the Troy baseball coach is hoping that spark ignites a full-fledged conflagration.

“The interesting thing about this senior group is that we knew when they were freshmen they were going to be a pretty strong group,” Welker said. “And they’ve been that way all the way through the program. This is a group we anticipated good things from when they were young, so we kind of set it up to be the way it is this year — we got them up (to varsity) early and got them experience early.”

A senior-laden squad — 11 of the 14 players on the varsity roster — will be graduating later this spring. Of those 11, seven are returning letterwinners from last season. Welker said the Trojans will hope to lean heavily upon that experience as they defend the Greater Western Ohio Conference American League North Division co-championship they shared with Tippecanoe last season.

Anchoring the pitching staff will be three-year starter Cole Brogan. Last year, Brogan went 6-1 with a 1.27 earned run average and 34 strikeouts in 44 innings pitched. Joining him in the starting rotation will be seniors Ethan West, Braeden Snider and Jakob Liebcap. Senior Matt Bigley also will pitch in a relief role.

“Brogan is a three-year starter who has been our No. 1 or No. 2 guy for couple of years now,” Welker said. “You could say he’s the ace of our staff. He’ll be pitching in a lot of big games for us this year. Ethan West has had a nice spring. Braeden Snider and Jakob Liebcap will be out there fighting for innings, as well. Matt Bigley is a kid who will pitch relief, but will still get some important innings in big games. We feel pretty good about this staff.”

Behind the plate for the Trojans will be senior Grant Gariety and junior Quenton Shepard.

“That’s a fight for the starting spot right now,” Welker said. “They are really pushing each other right now. They’ve both got some big shoes to fill with Keiran Williams graduating. They are both working hard; the one who is hitting is probably going to be the one who is in the lineup.”

Snider will make the move from right field to first base for the Trojans. West and Liebcap also could see time at first base. With all three in the pitching rotation, who is playing first likely will depend upon who is on the mound that day.

At second base will be senior Austin Kendall. Last season, Kendall hit .348 with 14 runs batted in and four stolen bases. At shortstop will be Brogan on days he isn’t pitching. Also seeing time at shortstop will be senior Jacob Adams and sophomore Caleb Fogarty. Last season, an arm injury forced Adams into strictly a designated hitter role. He was brilliant at DH, hitting .383 with 19 RBI, five doubles, two triples and 10 stolen bases. Now fully healthy, he’ll also get the chance to play in the field for the Trojans.

“We probably have four really nice middle infielders who could start for most teams,” Welker said. “Austin Kendall had a tremendous year last year. The unique thing about Adams is that he can play just about anywhere, which makes him a little more versatile.”

At third base will be Bigley, a three-year starter. Last year Bigley hit .273 with 10 RBI and three doubles. Should he be called on to pitch, both Adams and Fogarty are capable of playing third.

In the outfield, Adams likely will man center field, while junior Weston Smith could play center or left field. In right field will be some combination of West and seniors Luke Severt, Nate Henderson and Sam Shaneyfelt.

“Having Adams and Smith out there really shrinks the outfield with their speed,” Welker said. “They were both starting defensive backs on the football team. This is probably one of the most athletic outfields we’ve had here.”

With so many experienced pieces in place, Welker is hoping for another shot at a division title and a possible deep run into the postseason — but knows there’s still work to be done.

“These guys know the guys who came before them have built up the expectations for this program,” Welker said. “Surely we aren’t looking past anyone. These guys have all been around for awhile and have played in some big league games and tournament games. Our schedule is as tough as anybody’s. These guys know they are going to have to come ready to play every day, because all it takes is one letdown and you’re in trouble. We’re looking forward to the season to see what we can do.”

 

Start 2019 Season

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End 2018 Season

Trojans rout Bucs, 13-3

May 11, 2018

By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

TROY — To Troy’s Brandon Emery, it looked like a typical lazy fly ball.

But his sixth-inning shot turned into an exciting — and game-ending — play.

Emery’s deep fly ball to right field was misplayed by a Xenia defender, getting lost in the sun and then lost against the base of the fence for just long enough for Emery to race around the bases for a two-run walkoff inside-the-park home run, capping off the third-seeded Trojans’ 13-3 win in six innings over the No. 7 Buccaneers Thursday at Market Street Field in the second round of the Division I sectional baseball tournament.

The Trojans led 7-3 going into the bottom of the sixth inning but were able to string together a series of hits along with a Xenia error to bring go up 11-3 and bring Emery up as the potential winning run with a man on base and one out. He hit a fly ball to deep right field, but it seemed high enough off the bat that the defender would easily track it down.

That’s not what happened at all, as the outfielder lost it in the sun and held up his hands to defend himself, having no clue where it was coming down. It landed on the ground and rolled to the fence without being touched, giving Emery new life on the basepaths.

“At first I thought it was a routine fly ball, but it just kept carrying,” Emery said. “I looked at first base coach (Jake) Wells, and he was just like, ‘Go, go go!’ And I just kept going and didn’t stop.”

By the time the ball was finally scooped up and headed back to the infield, Matt McGillivary — who had an RBI single in the inning — had already scored from first and Emery was rounding third, easily scoring to give Troy a 10-run lead and end the game without allowing Xenia to hit in the seventh.

“I wasn’t going to stop,” Emery said. “I knew they didn’t have a chance. We knew coming into the game that we needed to be aggressive, and that’s what I tried to do for my team. We knew we needed to be loud and aggressive, because that’s what drives us.”

On the day, the Buccaneers committed four errors, two of those coming on dropped popups or fly balls, and lost three other balls in the air, both on the infield and in the outfield.

“First of all, they played the deepest I’ve ever seen anybody play,” Troy baseball coach Ty Welker said. “And we had a couple of hits taken away from us early on because of that. They played back, that was their philosophy, and I don’t know if they’ve dealt with a lot of sun before — it can be tough to pick the ball up coming out of that tree (behind home plate), but every ball in the air was an adventure.”

And after the adventure, the Trojans’ postseason quest continues.

Troy, which improved to 17-8 with the win, will take on fifth-seeded Northmont in the sectional championship game Thursday at Centerville High School. It will be the second straight sectional final appearance for the Trojans, who last won advanced to the district final in 2015.

Even with the Trojans leading wire to wire, scoring four in the bottom of the first and never seeing the deficit go below two runs, Welker knew the team couldn’t rest easy. During the regular season meeting between the teams, the Trojans went extra innings against the Buccaneers (20-9), winning 8-5 back on April 13.

“I’m telling you right now, that’s a good baseball team,” Welker said of Xenia. “They had 20 wins, and I don’t care what your schedule is, what league you’re in, if you win 20 baseball games … my hat’s off to those guys. After Tuesday’s game (between Xenia and Fairborn, an extra-inning Xenia win), we didn’t know who we wanted. We knew whoever it was was going to battle, and we knew Xenia was a scrappier team.

“Those guys compete and battle. Going into that last inning, I just knew what kind of team they are — they’re a scrappy team that’s not going to let us win, not going to roll over. Nothing was over until it’s over. We even had (Derek) McDonagh warmed up to come in and close the thing.”

It turned out Cole Brogan did enough to get the job done, though, limiting the Bucs to three runs, two earned, on six hits and one walk while striking out five in the six-inning complete game.

“I think Cole threw really well,” Welker said. “He’d be the first to say it probably wasn’t his best stuff, but it was the first home game he’s pitched all year. We had a couple of plays on defense that we took off, all in one inning, and that can’t be us. But he picked it back up, and we went out and put some more runs on the board.”

And one key play in the top of the fifth allowed Troy to get out of a jam with minimal damage. Logan Bilbrey and Kyle Lane both hit one-out singles and a wild pitch moved them up to second and third, and Aydan Evans drove an RBI single up the middle. Both runs should have scored, but the trailing runner slipped up while rounding third base and was forced to hold there — and the next batter hit a ground ball that allowed the Trojans to gun the runner out at the plate, keeping the score 7-3 after five and allowing Troy’s six-run sixth inning to end the game.

Offensively for the Trojans, Emery finished a double shy of the cycle, going 3 for 4 with a triple, a homer and two RBIs, Austin Kendall was 2 for 3 with three RBIs, Jake Daniel was 3 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, McGillivary was 3 for 5 with an RBI and Matt Bigley drove in a run.

For Xenia, Lane was 2 for 3 with an RBI and Evans drove in a run. Warren Maher took the loss on the mound, giving up six runs on seven hits and four walks with one strikeout in three-plus innings.

Troy will host a regular season game against Beavercreek Monday before Thursday’s sectional final against Northmont at Centerville.

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Troy, Tipp share title

 

May 8, 2018
By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

TROY — All the Troy baseball team needed to clinch its first share of a division championship since 2014 was to defeat Trotwood.

And the Trojans left little doubt on Friday, scoring 12 first-inning runs en route to a 16-1 title-clinching victory at Market Street Field.

With the win, Troy improved to 16-6 overall and 13-2 in the Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division, sharing the crown with Tippecanoe.

On Friday, Austin Kendall was 2 for 3 with three RBIs, Jake Daniel was 2 for 2 with a triple and two RBIs, Tomo Nakayama drove in two runs and Brandon Emery, Jacob Adams, Derek McDonagh and Cole Brogan each had one RBI.

Matt Bigley and Luke Severt combined for the win, with Bigley striking out four, walking one and giving up one unearned run in two innings and Severt striking out two and allowing one hit in three innings.

And on Saturday, the Trojans fell to 16-7 overall and saw a five-game winning streak come to an end in a 13-7 loss to Lakota West.

Daniel was 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI, Keiran Williams doubled and had two RBIs, Matt McGillivary was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI, Emery doubled, Chase Weaver was 3 for 3 and Adams and Bigley each had an RBI.

Troy finishes the regular season Monday at Centerville.

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Taking care of business

May 2, 2018
By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

PIQUA — The Troy baseball team went into Tuesday’s matchup against Piqua knowing that, whether or not it took care of its own business, it still needed help.

So the Trojans focused on their own end, what they could control, finishing off a sweep of the rival Indians with a 12-1 run-rule victory in five innings Tuesday at Hardman Field, and then, once the post-game speech was over, they got the good news — that Butler had upset Tippecanoe 3-2, knocking the Red Devils down into a tie for the Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division lead with Troy and setting up a chance for the Trojans to be co-division champions.

And after sitting through the normal, everyday speech and being surprised with that news, the Trojans celebrated accordingly — as in loudly.

“We told them at the end,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “We wanted to have our normal talk, so we told them at the end. Truly, no one even asked the question (during the game). The guys weren’t even thinking about it — or even expecting me to say something about it to them after. Geezy-petes.”

Troy improved to 14-6 overall and 12-2 in the GWOC American North with the win, while Tippecanoe fell to 12-2 in the division with the loss to Butler. Both teams have one American League crossover game remaining on Friday, with Troy hosting 1-13 Trotwood and Tippecanoe facing 3-13 Stebbins, practically guaranteeing that the two teams will share the North title.

But Welker isn’t letting those thoughts get in the way this time. Last week, the Trojans had been in the driver’s seat and controlled their own destiny after splitting a series with the Devils. But a shocking 3-2 loss at then 3-14 West Carrollton on April 27 forced Troy to depend on Butler to at least split with Tippecanoe — and after Tippecanoe beat Butler on Monday, Tuesday was the Trojans’ last chance to get a share of the title.

“Our focus was on us — it was always on us,” Welker said. “Even in our loss to West Carrollton on Friday, we were focused on us. We just had an off night then and faced a good pitcher.

“We took care of ourselves, our business, this week, and now we’ve got to play Trotwood Friday. We’re not looking past anybody.”

Troy knew it certainly couldn’t overlook Piqua (8-14, 6-9 GWOC American North), especially after the Trojans held on for a narrow 7-5 victory on Monday to begin the series. And the Indians took charge on Tuesday on their home turf, getting an RBI single by Austin Davis in the first inning to go up 1-0 — which was where the score remained until the top of the third as Piqua starter Iverson Ventura kept the Trojans off balance the first trip through the lineup.

“They (Piqua) battled, and that first guy was kind of tough to get a read on,” Welker said. “But then we started putting the ball in play, dropped down some bunts, started running well, and that put a little pressure on him. Those guys are tough for us to hit, and they did a nice job. But once the flood gates opened, we let the guys go. We know that once they start swinging, they stay hot and we just kind of stay out of their way.”

The Trojans tied the score in the top of the third. Matt McGillivary drew a walk to lead off, took second on a groundout and third on a sac fly with two outs, then Keiran Williams cashed him in with a clutch double to the left-center gap to even the game at 1-1.

But that was only the beginning.

After a strikeout to start the top of the fourth, Austin Kendall and Braeden Snider both drew walks to set up Austin Kloeker, who yanked a two-run triple up the hill in left field to put Troy up 3-1. A bunt single by McGillivary and a stolen base — the first of Troy’s six steals in the final two innings — put runners on second and third, Brandon Emery dropped down a bunt RBI single and then, after a Piqua pitching change, Jake Daniel planted a two-run double in the left-center gap to make it a 6-1 game before the second out of the inning was finally recorded. But Jacob Adams and Kendall both added an RBI single before it finally came to a close, and Troy led 8-1 after four.

The Trojans remained hot in the fifth to put the game away, as Daniel hit an RBI single, Williams followed with a two-run single and Cole Brogan hit an RBI double to make it a 12-1 game and put Piqua in a tough spot, needing to score two runs in the bottom of the inning just to keep the game going.

But with Brogan on the mound, that just wasn’t going to happen.

Brogan gave up only four hits and walked one — with the walk and two of those hits coming in Piqua’s first inning — striking out six in the game. And even though the Indians had runners in scoring position in four of the five innings, helped along by two Troy errors, Brogan and the defense found their way out of every jam, leaving seven Piqua runners stranded in the game.

“What can you say about Cole Brogan?” Welker said. “He does what he does, got a lot of ground balls, and I think we had a couple errors behind him. But he got out of some tough situations, and he battled. He did what he’s done for us all year.”

Piqua actually had two runners on in the bottom of the fifth when the Tippecanoe-Butler game went final, as Mick Karn singled just as reports came in from that game. But Brogan induced a groundout to Matt Bigley at third for the final out, ending the game and putting Troy into a first-place tie.

The Trojans will host Fairmont Thursday before Friday’s matchup with Trotwood, then Troy will finish the regular season by hosting Lakota West Saturday and traveling to Centerville on Monday.

“Nothing’s final yet league-wise,” Welker said. “We’ve still got to play Friday. We’ve got to stay focused, and we’ve got some other big games this week, too. We’ve got three home games in a row, and we’ll see what we can do.”

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Troy seniors celebrate with win

April 28, 2018
By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

TROY — After its biggest letdown of the season, the Troy baseball team desperately needed to rebuild some momentum heading into a huge series against rival Piqua.

The sixth inning of a Senior Day matchup against Miamisburg certainly helped.

Trailing 9-4 after giving up a four-run top of the sixth, the Trojans scored eight in the bottom of the inning with some big hits to cash in a series of Viking errors, then they fended off a rally in the top of the seventh to hold on for a 12-11 victory Saturday at Market Street Field.

The win made Troy 12-6 overall on the season, but it also came on the heels of a 3-2 loss at West Carrollton on Friday, a disappointing defeat to the 4-14 Pirates that had massive implications in the Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division. It left Troy 10-2 in the division — one game behind Tippecanoe in the standings.

“It was huge,” Troy coach Ty Welker said of the win. “That was a big loss last night. It was important. For us to score eight runs in an inning, and it was all pretty much hitting. We hit the crap out of the ball there, and the guys never hung their heads or gave up.”

Before Saturday’s game, Troy honored its 11 seniors — Trent Bell, Jake Daniel, Brandon Emery, Dakota Hamman, Logan Hubbard, Austin Kloeker, Derek McDonagh, Matt McGillivary, Tomo Nakayama, Chase Weaver and Keiran Williams — and they all had a role in the win, as well. Hamman, Weaver, Daniel and Emery all pitched in the game, with Daniel getting the victory and Emery earning a save by working out of trouble in the seventh.

Ad while Miamisburg (6-7) outhit Troy 10-9 on the day, the Vikings committed seven errors in the final two innings — including five during the Trojans’ eight-run sixth inning rally — and Troy’s defense survived after committing five errors in the final three innings.

“We knew it was Senior Day, and we got a lot of guys some playing time,” Welker said. “That was nice to do. Dakota pitched a few innings and did a nice job in his first outing of the year. I think we had three pitchers pitch their first outing of the year in Dakota, Jake and Brandon. And again, everybody did their parts. The seniors were part of everything. It was very exciting.

“Both coaches talked about the lack of arms at this point in the week, so we knew it was going to be an adventure there and it was likely to be a high scoring game. But we don’t need to have five errors in any game.”

After Miamisburg plated two runs in the top of the first, Troy responded as Emery launched a solo home run to right to cut the deficit to 2-1. After Hamman pitched a one-two-three second, the Trojans took advantage of two walks and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning, with Daniel hitting an RBI single and Williams drawing an RBI walk to give Troy a 3-2 lead.

The Vikings tied the score in the third and then took a 5-3 lead after the top of the fifth thanks to a pair of Troy errors, but then the Trojans got one back in the bottom of the fifth as Weaver reached on an error and scored on an RBI sac fly by Kloeker. Miamisburg seemed to put the game away in the top of the sixth, though, cashing in two walks to start the inning by stringing together three two-out hits, with another Troy error sandwiched in between, to take a 9-4 lead after five and a half.

But Troy — which also put together an eight-run inning in a big win over Tippecanoe earlier in the week — wasn’t done.

Daniel led off the bottom of the sixth with a double and scored on an error off the bat of Williams. Williams then scored on an RBI triple by pinch hitter Jacob Adams, then he was balked in to make the score 9-7. Weaver then reached on a dropped fly ball and scored by an error off the bat of Nakayama to cut the lead to one, then an errant throw on a bunt by Bell scored Nakayama all the way from first to even the score before the first out of the inning was even recorded.

McDonagh reached on another dropped fly ball, though, and Bell scored on an RBI single by Emery to give the lead back to the Trojans. That brought Daniel up again, and he ripped his second double of the inning to bring home two more runs and give Troy a 12-9 lead before the Vikings finally got out of the inning.

In the top of the seventh, Miamisburg had two outs and a runner on second that had reached on an error, but an RBI single and an RBI triple put the tying run on third base. Emery induced a grounder to Cole Brogan at short, though, and after a quick bobble he threw to first for the final out of the game.

“It was important for us going into Piqua, that’s for sure,” Welker said. “Because we know that those are going to be battles.”

And they’ll be battles for the GWOC American North title, too. The Trojans have the two games against Piqua early in the week and then an American League crossover game Friday at Trotwood remaining, while Tippecanoe has a two-game series against reigning champion Butler and a crossover game against Stebbins still to go, with the Trojans needing to win out and get at least one loss from the Red Devils to climb back into a first-place tie.

Troy begins the Piqua series at home Monday.

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Trojans respond vs. Devils                               Troy routs Tipp 11-0, earns series split

April 25, 2018
By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

TIPP CITY — After a disappointing loss on Tuesday that put them a game behind in the Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division standings, the Troy Trojans knew they had to respond.

And once they did, Tippecanoe simply couldn’t find an answer.

The first eight Trojans to the plate in the second inning scored before an out was even recorded to give the Troy baseball team an insurmountable lead, Jacob Adams hammered a three-run double in the next inning to make it an 11-run game and Cole Brogan and the Troy defense put it away on the other end in a three-hit shutout as the Trojans routed the Red Devils 11-0 in five innings Wednesday on the road to earn a split in the critical division series.

With the win, Troy improved to 10-5 overall and 9-1 in the GWOC American North, climbing back into a first-place tie with the Red Devils. Tippecanoe fell to 9-1 in division play and 16-2 overall, snapping a six-game winning streak by the Devils and giving Troy a win after back-to-back losses to the Devils and Fairfield.

“This was huge, man,” said Adams, who was 2 for 3 with two doubles and four RBIs in to lead the way offensively for the Trojans. “Even after Fairfield, our coaches challenged us and wanted to see what we were made out of. And they challenged us yesterday after that tough 5-1 loss — and we knew we had to come back and show what we were about.”

After that game on Tuesday where runs came at a premium and with Troy’s Cole Brogan and Tippecanoe’s Ian Yunker, two talented pitchers, starting, everything seemed set up for another battle. And while both pitchers threw solid first innings, a double play turned from Troy second baseman Tomo Takayama to shortstop Austin Kendall seemed to energize the Trojans — and it showed in the second inning.

“Tipp’s a really good team, but Cole really got us excited throwing that first inning,” Adams said. “We knew he was going to come out and throw strikes behind us, and we knew our defense was going to play, so we just decided to produce hitting.”

Adams started things off in the top of the second with a double, Brogan singled to put runners on the corners and Kendall beat out an RBI infield single to put Troy on top. Braeden Snider drew a walk to load the bases, and Matt McGillivary dropped down a bunt that stayed fair along the third-base line for an RBI single to make it 2-0.

But things were just getting started.

Tyler Brandenburg was hit by a pitch to score another run, then Brandon Emery hit a blooper that got past a diving left fielder for a two-run double to make it 5-0. Jake Daniel followed that up with a sharp two-run single, taking second on the throw home, and he advanced to third on an error as the first nine Troy batters up in the inning reached base safely. Adams then scored Daniel with an RBI groundout for the first out of the inning, and after another error reliever Troy Powers escaped the inning at last with Troy leading 8-0.

“There’s nothing you can say. I can’t explain it,” Tippecanoe coach Bruce Cahill said. “That happened the last time we lost, too — things just snowballed. And that’s what I’m most disappointed in, the fact that, okay, they get a couple hits and a run … but when it just keeps snowballing, we’re throwing to the wrong base, make a couple errors, you don’t help out your pitchers. You can come back when you’re down 5-0, but down eight and 11? It’s just not going to happen.”

The Trojans kept building that momentum in the third, too. Brandenburg drew a walk and Emery and Daniel both singled to load the bases with one out, and with two outs Adams blasted a ball that hit the fence in center on one hop, bringing all three runners home to make it an 11-0 Troy lead.

Tippecanoe began to fight back in the third, loading the bases with two outs on singles by Kenten Egbert and Miles McClurg and a hit-by-pitch by Cole Barhorst, but Brogan got a strikeout to get out of that jam. And after hitting another batter in the fourth, Kendall snared a hard line drive at short and fired to first to double off the runner, and the Devils didn’t threaten again.

“We’re just struggling hitting the ball one through nine in the order,” Cahill said. “We only scored three against Fairborn, three against Kenton Ridge, five last night, but an error made that happen, and nothing tonight. We’ve just got to put better at-bats together.”

Brogan gave up three hits, hit three batters and struck out five in the five-inning shutout.

“We know when he’s on the mound, he’s going to compete every time,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “He threw a lot of strikes, they put the ball in play and we made good defensive plays behind him. Also, this is Kendall’s second start at shortstop, Tomo got his first start of the year at second base, we’ve got a banged-up third baseman that can’t play so Emery, our normal second baseman, had to play some third. We were out of position, out of place, but with this team, it’s a ‘next man up’ mentality.”

Offensively in addition to Adams for Troy, Emery was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, Daniel was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and Keiran Williams doubled as the Trojans piled up 11 hits off of three Tippecanoe pitchers.

Yunker took the loss, striking out one, walking two, hitting a batter and giving up five hits and seven runs in one-plus innings. Troy Powers pitched 1 1-3 innings, walking one and giving up three hits and three runs and Mason McClurg finished off the game, giving up two hits, a walk and a hit batter and striking out two in 2 2-3 innings.

The win puts Troy in a good position to finish out the season, playing road GWOC American League crossover games at Stebbins Thursday and West Carrollton Friday to finish out the week, with a series against division rival Piqua looming early next week, as well as one other crossover game against Trotwood. Tippecanoe, meanwhile, travels to Xenia Thursday and Trotwood Friday and will take on reigning division champion Butler in a series to begin next week.

Welker wasn’t about to discuss the help they need to win the title outright, though.

“We’re not worried about that at all,” he said. “That seems easy, but we’ve got our own things to take care of. We aren’t taking any of our crossover games lightly, and Piqua can come out and play baseball. That’s what we’re worried about, and whatever else happens happens. People think we’ll be scoreboard watching, but we have to focus on our crossover games and on Piqua.”

“The good thing is we get to come back tomorrow, just like Ty said last night,” Cahill said. “We can’t worry about today. They’re definitely in control now, and we have to win out. We can’t have a hangover. We’ve got to go out and play.”

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Tipp outlasts Troy, 5-1

April 24, 2018
By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

TROY — Tippecanoe baseball coach Bruce Cahill almost second-guessed himself out of the move that swung the momentum in his Red Devils’ favor.

“The funny thing is we were going to put him in in that spot in the batting order, but (assistant) coach (Jim) Johnson said ‘he hasn’t even warmed up enough yet!’” Cahill said of putting Kenten Egbert in to pinch hit to lead off the top of the fifth before entering as a relief pitcher in the bottom of the inning. “He’d already thrown a little, but he hadn’t thrown enough. I’m just glad he didn’t talk me out of it.”

Egbert led off the top of the fifth with a game-tying pinch hit home run then worked three stellar innings of relief to shut the Troy Trojans down the rest of the way, and the Red Devils were able to use that momentum to cobble together a four-run top of the seventh to claim a 5-1 victory on a misty, rainy Tuesday at Market Street Field and strike first in a two-game series that will go a long way in deciding the Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division championship.

Troy (9-5, 8-1 GWOC American North) had taken the lead in the bottom of the third on a two-out RBI infield single by Jacob Adams. But Tippecanoe (16-1, 9-0 GWOC American North) — which had left runners stranded in scoring position in three of the first four innings — got a big jolt when Egbert stepped in and drove a 2-1 pitch over the fence in left-center to even the score at 1-1.

“How well did that work out? He needed to go warm up, so he hits a home run and has plenty of time to go warm up,” Cahill said.

Egbert then stepped in and limited the Trojans to only a sixth-inning double by Adams in three innings to get the win on the mound, striking out three and walking none in relief of starter Zach Losey, who, along with Troy starter Derek McDonagh and reliever Ethan West, struggled to keep the ball in the strike zone in the wet conditions, with those three pitchers combining to walk a total of 12 and hit two in the game.

“That’s what you hate. You sit there and go ‘will it be us or them?’” Cahill said of the conditions. “Losey struggled a bit, walked some guys and threw three wild pitches, and he normally doesn’t do that. The weather forces you to play in these games, because you don’t want to get backed up, and we already lost yesterday (Monday’s series opener was postponed to Wednesday due to the rain). It’s just unfortunate that you’ve got to play in these conditions.”

Troy coach Ty Welker wasn’t about to let the conditions be an excuse, though.

“That’s no excuse. They had the same balls we did,” he said of all the free passes. “It’s mentally draining (for the pitchers). And that’s two guys (Losey and McDonagh) that don’t walk guys. But whatever the conditions are, you have to be the toughest one. That’s something we can control. But I wasn’t disappointed in that.

“McDonagh threw a heck of a game. He got up in pitch count after six, and he threw one pitch he’d like to have back. But (Egbert) hit a nice ball. Derek did his job today, and we’re supposed to score runs for him.”

McDonagh gave up five hits and seven walks in six innings of work, yet he only gave up the one run on the homer as the Trojan defense was solid behind him and helped him get out of jams in each inning. He struck out four and left nine Tippecanoe runners stranded — as well as picking off one, having catcher Keiran Williams catch another trying to steal and having one erased in a rundown between second and third to keep it a 1-1 game.

“That’s the kind of team we are. We’re scrappy,” Welker said. “I felt confident all the way. We left a couple guys on in scoring position early in the game, though, and we just needed somebody to get a hit.”

In the end, though, nobody got a game-breaking hit, but Tippecanoe made plays in the top of the seventh to take control.

Cole Barhorst led off by ripping an infield single off reliever West’s glove, then West struck out the next batter for the first out. A hit batter and a walk loaded the bases, though, and Mason McClurg hit an RBI sac fly to left to put the Devils on top. Another hit batter reloaded the bases and Seth Clayton drew an RBI walk, then an error off the bat of Egbert allowed two more runs to score and make it a 5-1 game.

“We have to be the mentally tough team,” Welker said. “We know they’re tough, they’re battle-worn. We came out here and expected them to roll over — but we didn’t roll over, either. We played a heck of a game for six innings. It was a battle.”

Troy’s Adams was the only player with multiple hits in the game, going 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI as the Trojans left five runners combined on in the first three innings — four in scoring position — and six total in the game.

Egbert was 1 for 2 with a homer and an RBI and Mason McClurg was 0 for 1 with two sacrifices and an RBI for the Devils.

The two teams will meet again Wednesday at Tippecanoe with Troy needing a win to even up the division standings and Tippecanoe looking to take a seemingly-insurmountable two-game lead. The Trojans and Devils split the season series last year in Tippecanoe’s first season as a member of the GWOC American North, and as of Tuesday’s game the series has been split 6-6 since the 2006 season.

“This series has been split the last few years, so we’ve got to come back and go at it again tomorrow,” Cahill said. “We made more mistakes today than I care for. They gave us a lot of walks and hit batters, but we made some baserunning mistakes. We couldn’t get a bunt down a couple times — just a lot of things we didn’t do well. We’re just glad to get out of here with a win today.”

“That’s the good thing about baseball — we get to come back out here tomorrow,” Welker said. “We’re going to show up, I’m sure they’re going to show up, and it’s going to be another battle.”

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Troy sweeps Butler in doubleheader

April 19, 2018
By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

VANDALIA — Why settle for one nail-biting victory when you can have two?

The Troy baseball team got stellar pitching efforts from both Derek McDonagh and Cole Brogan, clutch defensive performances and timely hitting from everyone and yet another walkoff hit by Matt Bigley Wednesday night, sweeping a doubleheader at Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division rival Butler with a pair of 3-2 victories — the second of those in extra innings.

Derek McDonagh pitched a one-hitter in the first game, leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh by striking out the final two batters to seal the Trojans’ first victory over the Aviators since 2014 — the last time Troy won a division title. And in the second game — which also featured a rain delay — Brogan scattered eight hits and didn’t give up an earned run in nine innings of work, with Bigley beating out a two-out RBI infield single to seal Troy’s first season sweep of Butler since 2012 — another division championship season for the Trojans.

And after it was all over — 16 innings and more than five hours after it began — Troy sat atop the GWOC American North standings at 8-0 in division play, 9-3 overall, while Butler fell to 8-7 overall and 5-2 in the American North.

“That’s a lot of baseball. I’m tired,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “But it feels good. The guys battled all night and just didn’t quit.”

The opening game of the doubleheader turned into the toughest battle in division play yet for McDonagh, who had only given up a total of one hit in two previous North Division games, including a perfect game against Sidney.

The Trojans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Tyler Brandenburg singled to lead off the game and eventually scored on a two-out RBI single by Jacob Adams. But Butler tied the score in the bottom of the third as Evan McKinney struck out but reached base on a wild pitch, stole second and was driven in on the Aviators’ only hit of the game, a two-out RBI single by Boston Smith.

Troy retook the lead in the fifth, though, as Brandenburg was hit by a pitch and walks to Jake Daniel and Adams eventually loaded the bases with two outs. Brogan then yanked a two-run double over the left fielder’s head, bringing home two runs and putting the Trojans up 3-1.

Brogan finished the game 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs and Adams was 2 for 3 with an RBI.

“Brogan has been putting the ball in play, and he hit the ball hard there,” Welker said. “We put guys on all game, which put some pressure on Norman. He had to throw a lot of pitches under stress, he got up in pitch count, we extended some innings, and the whole team did a nice job offensively.”

But in the bottom of the seventh, McDonagh walked the first two Butler batters to put the tying runs on base, and an error on a bunt by Preston Tofstad cut Troy’s lead to one, still with no one out. A groundout put runners on second and third, and McDonagh issued an intentional walk to load the bases and set up a force everywhere with one out.

“I don’t know what was wrong. I just knew I had to battle and fight,” McDonagh said. “You’ve got to fight and have that one-pitch-at-a-time mentality. I just knew I had to put it in the zone — I wasn’t about to give them any free more free bases. I knew I couldn’t let that happen. I was just trying to throw strikes and let my dudes play for me.”

“That was probably a bit of uncharted territory for him,” Welker said. “I got a little nervous in that last inning when he put the leadoff hitter on. Butler’s a different team when they get the leadoff hitter on. But he did a nice job.”

McDonagh struck the next batter out swinging for the second out, and he got the final batter of the game looking on three pitches to seal the win.

The senior finished with seven strikeouts on the night, walking three and hitting one batter and allowing one hit and two runs, neither earned. Butler’s Braedon Norman took the loss, striking out four, walking four and hitting one and giving up five hits and three runs.

“He just did his job again,” Welker said of McDonagh. “He’s a competitor. He wants the ball. He did a great job, and he battled and finished the game.”

“We’re trying to win the North, and this team is very good this year. This win was huge for us,” McDonagh said.

And it was only the beginning.

After Brogan began the second game of the doubleheader with three scoreless innings, the Trojans — the home team for the nightcap — took a two-run lead in the bottom of the third. Austin Kendall led off with a sharp single and Ethan West drew a walk against Butler starter Ryan Qvick, and a sacrifice bunt by Bigley put runners on second and third with one out. Qvick got a called third strike for the second out, but Brandon Emery — who had turned a double play on defense in the second inning — ripped a two-run single to bring in both runners and put Troy up 2-0.

That was where things remained after four innings, but with Butler coming up in the top of the fifth — which would have made the game official — the tarps came out to protect the field from a light but constant rain, causing a half-hour delay. The Aviators took advantage of the delay once play resumed as Karter Peck led off with a single, and an error on a bunt put runners on second and third. Cameron Miller hit an RBI groundout and an error on another bunt tied the score at 2-2 before Troy catcher Keiran Williams caught a runner trying to steal and Brogan induced a groundout to get out of the inning.

Both teams had chances to win the game from there, with Troy loading the bases with one out in the sixth but not being able to score and Butler leaving four runners on bases the rest of the way and having three more picked off by Williams. In the top of the eighth, Williams — who had already picked a runner off first earlier in the game — picked a Butler runner straying too far off second base. Then twice — once in the eighth and again in the ninth — the Aviators botched squeeze bunt attempts, and Williams made the smart play both times to erase runners from third base and help preserve the tie.

And in the bottom of the ninth, the Trojans finally broke through.

Adams reached on an error with one out and took second on a wild pitch, then Kendall — who was 2 for 3 at the time — was intentionally walked with two outs. Chase Weaver was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for Bigley, who had the game-winning walkoff hit in the bottom of the seventh in Troy’s 9-8 win over Springboro just last week.

And Bigley did it again, pulling a hard grounder down the third-base line off of reliever Quinton Hall and beating it out for a walkoff RBI single to bring home Adams and complete the sweep.

“I just wanted it to be over,” Bigley said with a laugh after the lengthy game and night. “I just knew I had to get a hit right there. I saw it went down the line, and I just knew I had to beat it out.

“This was huge. Two big wins. It feels pretty good.”

“Bigley’s just a kid that puts the ball in play,” Welker said. “He makes things happen. I made some mistakes in the innings before that — I see the bats we have coming up, and I think somebody’s going to hit a ball hard through the infield. I’ll take the blame for those, but the guys battled. That was two big games.”

And two big wins that put Troy atop the GWOC American North standings at 8-0, with 13-1 Tippecanoe only a half-game back and the only other team unbeaten in league play at 7-0.

“It was nice,” Welker said of the sweep. “We’ve never played a doubleheader against Butler on a weeknight, I’ll tell you that. But I talked to the boys about it yesterday, and they were excited about it. Their mentality has been that way all year — they want to play baseball.

“We always have to worry about Vandalia. Every year, in the offseason, in the weight room, we think ‘Vandalia, Vandalia, Vandalia.’ That’s our motivation.”

Now the Trojans will need to shift their focus — after Thursday’s game at Wright State against Fairfield, the Trojans play a two-game series against those Red Devils, beginning with a matchup at Tippecanoe on Monday, that will go a long way in deciding the North Division championship.

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Welker keeps record in Trojan family

April 15, 2018
By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

TROY — When Ty Welker became the winningest coach in Troy High School baseball history last week, he could barely keep up with the congratulations he received from everyone with whom he’s come into contact during his career.

He received text messages. And Tweets. And emails.

One thing, however — quite possibly the one thing that would have meant the most to him — was missing.

“When I got my first coaching job, Fred (McMullen) was the first person to call me,” Welker said. “When I got the Troy coaching job, Fred was the first person to call me. I know he would have been the first person to call me for this, too. But I do know he was there with me.”

Last week, Welker picked up his 201st win as Troy baseball coach, breaking the record set by his friend and mentor, Fred McMullen. The legendary former Troy coach passed away in February 2006, a little more than a month before Welker coached his first varsity game at Troy.

Welker said even being mentioned in the same breath as the man who meant so much to his coaching career is an honor.

“Fred is the reason I’m a coach,” Welker said. “He gave me my first chance when I was in college. He called me and asked me if I would help coach his son’s Teener league team that summer. Of course I did because I loved being around Fred.”

It was a relationship that extended back to Welker’s own playing days at Troy High School. After being repeatedly cut from McMullen’s varsity teams, Welker got his chance to play for McMullen’s Trojans his senior year in 1989.

“I got cut my sophomore and junior years, but I asked him if I could just keep the book for the team my senior year,” Welker said. “I didn’t want to get in the way, and I wasn’t very good, but I just wanted to be a part of the team. Fred told me he wanted me to try out.

“But then Fred told me he wanted me to try out for the team. I didn’t think I would make it, but he put me on the team. I actually had plans to go on spring break with a couple of my buddies that I had to cancel because I didn’t think I was going to be on the team. I didn’t play a whole lot — I only got 16 at-bats the entire season — but I didn’t care. I was just happy to be on the team. Fred allowed me to be a part of his program.”

Welker would go on to graduate from Bowling Green State University before returning to teach at Troy. He would also serve as a junior varsity and assistant coach for the Trojans before taking his first varsity head coaching job at rival Piqua. He would return home in 2006, becoming Troy’s varsity coach.

His teams have been a model of consistency, averaging more than 16 wins per season, making district and regional tournament apperances and capturing Greater Western Ohio Conferene American North Division championships in 2012 and 2014.

“This isn’t my record; this is a program record,” Welker said. “I’ve been so lucky with all the great players and assistant coaches I’ve had over the years. My family — my wife Amy, our daughters Jessie and Maggie and our son Luke — have just been incredible supporting me all these years. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how much support I’ve gotten from the administration here in Troy, as well.”

Long-time assistant coach Heath Murray — who also played alongside Welker at Troy — said he couldn’t be happier for his friend and fellow coach.

“I think it’s awesome,” Murray said. “I know it means the world to him. I know it’s been his dream his entire life to be the Troy head baseball coach. To be able to do that, I know is a big deal to him, even if he would never say it. I couldn’t be happier for him because I know how much time he puts in all year, with the off-season conditioning and the fundraisers. It’s a lot more than what people see during the season. I didn’t know what he makes — or what any baseball coach makes — but I bet if you broke it down, it’s about a dime per hour.

“And I think it’s great that it if someone was going to pass Fred, it was going to be a Troy guy who understands Fred’s legacy and what he meant to this program and the history of Troy baseball. I couldn’t be happier for Ty. He’s done a great job with the kids and with this program.”

Welker said he hopes to remain a part of the program as head coach for years to come.

“I plan to be around for a few more years,” he said. “My son is in second grade, and it’s been a dream of mine to coach him someday, if that’s what he wants to do.”

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Troy Sweeps Sidney

April 10, 2018
By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

SIDNEY — The Troy baseball team’s pitchers shut down Sidney over the course of the two-game series, and even though the Yellow Jackets saw more success than in Monday’s series opener on Tuesday, the result was the same in an 11-0 Trojan run-rule win in six innings in Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division play.

After Troy’s Derek McDonagh threw a perfect game against Sidney on Monday, Cole Brogan was dominant, as well, striking out four and walking none in a three-hit shutout Tuesday.

Brogan was also 2 for 3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored at the plate. Tyler Brandenburg was 2 for 4 with an RBI, Jacob Adams drew three walks and scored all three times, Austin Kendall was 1 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs and Braeden Snider, Austin Kloeker, Matt Bigley and Tomo Nakayama each drove in a run.

Troy (4-3, 4-0 GWOC American North) hosted Fairborn Wednesday in a makeup game then hosts Springboro Thursday.

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Late error costs Troy

April 5, 2018
By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

EMERSON, Ga. — During the second game of its trip to Perfect Game at Lakepoint in Georgia, the Troy baseball team got the offensive punch it was lacking in the previous game.

This time, though, a lack of control cost the Trojans.

Three walks and an error in the top of the seventh allowed Archbishop Spalding (MD) to put together a four-run inning on only one hit, a rally that led to a 6-3 Troy defeat Thursday night that dropped the Trojans to 2-2 on the season.

Troy outhit the Cavaliers 5-2 on the night, taking a 3-2 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jake Daniel doubled to lead off and Keiran Williams singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. After pinch runner Derek McDonagh stole second, Jacob Adams followed with an RBI single to tie the score at 2-2. Tyler Brandenberg then hit a sac fly to center to bring home McDonagh and put the Trojans on top 3-2.

But the Cavaliers led off the top of the seventh with a walk, then a pair of one-out walks loaded the bases. Josh Moylan hit an RBI infield single to tie the score, then the two go-ahead runs scored on an error off the bat off Justin Pelletreau. A sac fly by Justin Caesar made it a three-run game, and the Trojans could only manage a two-out walk in the bottom of the inning.

The loss spoiled a solid combined effort by Troy pitchers Chase Weaver and Ethan West. Weaver went the first four innings, striking out three, walking three and allowing one hit and two earned runs. West pitched the final three, striking out one, walking four and allowing one hit and four runs — only one earned.

Braeden Snider had the Trojans’ other RBI on a second-inning single, while Daniel and Williams were both 2 for 3 with a double.

Troy completed its Georgia trip Thursday night against Allatoona (GA). The Trojans return to Ohio Saturday, traveling to Oakwood for a non-league matchup.

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Troy baseball falls, 2-0: Late

April 4, 2018
By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

EMERSON, Ga — The Troy baseball team continued to get stellar pitching in the first game of its trip to the Perfect Game facility in Georgia.

The Trojan offense struggled, though, as three Cartersville (GA) pitchers combined to strike out seven batters and allow only three hits as Troy (2-1) lost for the first time this season, 2-0.

Cartersville took the lead in the second inning. Garrett Shelton singled with one out and Ladarius Winburn was hit by a pitch, with a run scoring on an RBI single by Josh Mayo.

The Trojans got a runner to second in the top of the third after a Matt Bigley walk and a balk, but an inning-ending double play kept Troy off the scoreboard. Cartersville then loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning with only one out, but McDonagh induced a popout in foul territory for the second out and then a flyout to get out of the jam.

But Cartersville added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Josh Davis singled and Jake Gooch doubled to put runners on second and third, then McDonagh hit a batter to load the bases with no outs. The next batter struck out, but Winburn hit a sac fly to center to bring home a run and make it a 2-0 game.

Troy had maybe its best chance in the sixth inning. Bigley led off with a single and Matt McGillivary was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. But a pinch runner was picked off of second base, then the other runner was caught stealing at second to wipe out the threat, and a popout ended the inning.

The Trojans got out of another bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth to keep it a two-run game, but the offense couldn’t muster more than a two-out single by Cole Brogan in the top of the seventh.

McDonagh pitched five strong innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs while striking out six and walking two. Tomo Nakayama pitched the sixth, striking out one and walking two. Brandon Emery was the only other Trojan with a hit in the game as Troy was outhit 5-3.

The Trojans had another late game on Wednesday against Archbishop Spaulding (MD) that was not complete at time of press. Troy finishes its trip Thursday against Allatoona (GA) before returning to Ohio to play at Oakwood Saturday.

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Troy baseball sweeps Greenville: Saturday sports roundup

March 31, 2018
By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

GREENVILLE — Troy baseball coach Ty Welker wasn’t exactly thrilled with his team’s performance on offense Saturday at Greenville.

The result was a different story.

“It was nice to win a game that was tied going into the seventh, regardless of how it happened,” he said. “I was a little critical of the guys’ offensive approach, for sure, but in the end our goal was to be 2-0 in the league after the first two games — and we’re 2-0 in the league. No one cares how it happened.”

Troy’s Cole Brogan threw a complete game four-hitter, striking out 10 and walking none, but missed chances early allowed the Green Wave to hang around and tie the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth. But the Trojans (2-0, 2-0 Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division) got runs on a bases-loaded walk and hit batter in the top of the seventh, and Troy snuck away with a 3-1 division victory in a makeup game at Greenville.

The Trojans took the lead in the top of the first as Brandon Emery led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by Jake Daniel. But the game remained 1-0 despite the Trojans putting two runners on in each the second and third innings, being unable to get them home.

“We had some missed opportunities early that could have cost us,” Welker said. “Then (Kyle) Mills set us down one-two-three in the fourth, fifth and sixth. We had nine flyball outs and struck out eight times — which is way too many — with six looking. We passed up on some fastballs early in counts and were swinging at their pitches, not our pitches. It was not a very offensive offense today.”

But Brogan was solid, giving up only four singles over seven innings to keep Troy in the game.

“Cole Brogan threw a heck of a game,” Welker said. “We lean on our pitchers a little bit — we expect those guys to perform, and he did. He was very efficient and did his job. We made three errors behind him, but he went out and did what he’s supposed to do.”

And with the score tied in the top of the seventh, Troy caught the breaks it needed. Keiran Williams drew a leadoff walk, then Cole Brogan hit an infield single on a hit-and-run, and an error on the play put runners on second and third. Tyler Brandenberg walked to load the bases before a popup led to the second out — but Matt Bigley drew a walk to put Troy up by one and Matt McGillivary was hit by a pitch to score an insurance run, and Brogan did the rest in the bottom of the inning.

Troy travels to Cartersville, Georgia on Tuesday to begin a three-game trip to Perfect Game at Lakepoint, where it will face Archbishop Spaulding on Wednesday and Allatoona on Thursday.

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Trojans have plenty of talent returning

March 22, 2018
By David Fong
dfong@troydailynews.com

TROY — By his own admission, Ty Welker doesn’t have a roster loaded with future Division I college stars or Major League Baseball prospects.

 

He also wouldn’t trade it for any other team in the area.

 

“We are a blue collar kind of team,” the Troy baseball coach said. “When we win games, it’s going to be because we have a better team, not because we have better individuals. Would we love to have the horses that some of the other teams have? Sure. But we’ve also won some games that, if you look at talent alone, we probably had no business being in. We’ve got some great kids who work hard and are going to give it their best effort every game.”

 

The Trojans also return nearly their entire pitching staff and do return their entire infield from last season.

 

Troy only lost one starter from its pitching staff last season, although it was All-Greater Western Ohio Conference selection Hayden Kotwica. However, the Trojans do return plenty of talent, experience and depth.

 

Senior Derek McDonagh went 3-1 with a 1.65 earned run average and 47 strikeouts last season. Junior Cole Brogan went 4-3 with a 2.22 ERA. Senior Chase Weaver was 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA who will play at the University of Northwestern Ohio next year.

 

“Those three guys threw a lot of innings for us last year,” Welker said. “All three of them pitched in some big games. Those are probably our top three guys right now, but we’ve also got three more guys who are right on their heels.”

 

Welker said juniors Ethan West, Matt Bigley and Braeden Snider all will see time on the mound this season as well. Bigley went 1-1 with a 3.06 ERA last season. Snider is the only left-handed pitcher on the Trojans’ roster. Senior Tomo Nakayama is out for the team for the first time and could see plenty of time in a reliever role.

 

Behind the plate will be senior Keiran Williams. Backing him up at catcher will be senior Austin Kloeker.

 

“Keiran is the anchor of our defense,” Welker said. “He’s a vocal leader who has worked hard in the offseason.”

 

Every piece of the Trojans’ starting infield returns from last season.

 

At first base will be senior Jake Daniel, who led the Trojans in hitting last season, batting .356 with 20 RBI and nine doubles. He’s committed to play at Ohio Dominican next season. Senior Logan Hubbard will back him up at first. Brandon Emery — Troy’s second-leading returning hitter (.278) will start at second base when Brogan or Bigley aren’t on the mound, but also could shift to shortstop or third base, depending on who is pitching. He’ll play at the University of Findlay next year. Backing up Emery will be junior Austin Kendall.

 

Brogan and Bigley will play shortstop and third base, respectively, when they aren’t on the mound.

 

“Jake Daniel will be our three-hole hitter,” Welker said. “He’s a good first baseman and a great hitter. He’s also a leader. Brandon gives us a left-handed bat in the line-up and is a versatile player. Brogan earned the starting spot at shortstop when we moved Emery to second base. Bigley is one of the best third basemen I’ve had in my career here. He’s like a silent assassin — he just makes plays.”

 

While the pitching staff and infield are pretty much settled heading into the season, there are some questions in the outfield.

 

This much is certain — junior Tyler Brandenburg, an honorable mention All-GWOC North pick as a sophomore, will start in center field and bat leadoff for the Trojans. Senior Matt McGillivary, West, Kloeker, Dakota Hamman and Trent Bell, along with junior Luke Severt, all are battling it out for time at the other two outfield positions.

 

“Brandenburg is a tremendous athlete, so we are pretty set there,” Welker said. “At the corners, we have a lot of questions. McGillivary might have a lead at one spot because he is such a tremendous athlete. But we really don’t know for sure what we will be doing at the corners yet. There’s a lot of guys battling for spots out there.”

 

Junior Jacob Adams will be the team’s designated hitter as he battles back from a serious arm injury suffered last summer. The Trojans will need his bat in the line-up.

 

“We can pitch and we can play defense — the big question for us is going to be how well we can hit,” Welker said. “We only hit .241 as a team last year — although we did steal 69 bases, the most we’ve had in my career. I expect us to be able to run the bases. But we’ve got to hit better.”

 

If Troy can do that, Welker said, he likes his team’s chances.

“We want to compete for the North title,” he said. “We know Butler and Tippecanoe will be up there, too. They always are. It’s a tough division.”

 

 

Start 2018 Season

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End 2017 Season

 

 

 

Brogan shuts out Fairborn

Troy wins 1-0, advances to sectional final

May 11, 2017

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

FAIRBORN — As the ball flew off the bat and toward the left-field fence, Cole Brogan could only watch and hope.

If it stayed in the park, he knew his defense had his back.

“I just turned hoping (left fielder) Tyler (Brandenburg) could make the catch, honestly,” the Troy sophomore pitcher said. “There was a good chance it was going out — but if it didn’t, I knew Tyler was going to get it.”

And Brandenburg did just that, recording the final out of the game on the warning track to finish off Brogan’s masterpiece — a one-hit shutout on a mere 57 pitches to give the ninth-seeded Trojans a 1-0 upset victory at No. 5 Fairborn Thursday in the Division I sectional semifinal round, giving Troy seven straight wins and sending it to next week’s sectional championship game.

“I think the game came down to the fact that we were the underdog,” Troy’s Jake Daniel, who scored the game’s only run, said. “We weren’t supposed to win, and we really wanted to come out and pull off that ‘W.’ All year, we’ve talked about winning the games we’re not supposed to win. We did it against Tipp City, we did it against Miamisburg, and we came out here and did it again.”

And the Trojans (16-10) did it against a Skyhawk team that had already beaten them once this season, 2-1 back on April 7 to cap off a 2-7 stretch to begin the season. Since then, Troy has gone an impressive 14-3 and scored numerous solid wins along the way — none more so than Thursday’s.

“We feel like we’re a team like that (that can win the games we’re not supposed to), but we couldn’t say that before,” Troy baseball coach Ty Welker said. “We couldn’t say that before Tipp, but I feel like now we’re a team that understands what it takes to compete and battle.

“Early on in the year, we took our lumps. That wasn’t a surprise, but it was at times challenging, thinking did we make the right decision to schedule the schedule we did with the young guys we had. But I think that’s why we win that ballgame. We win that ballgame because of our growing pains early on, and these guys have grown. We are a different team now.”

Brogan’s growth has helped lead the way, too. He gave up only one hit — a third-inning single by Leighton Mohr — and walked one in the fourth, a runner that was promptly doubled off on an inning-ending double play by third baseman Matt Bigley. Brogan also struck out only two, getting 15 of the 21 outs in the game on ground balls.

He also threw five one-two-three innings in the game — including a three-pitch inning in the second, all on groundouts. Eight Fairborn batters were one-pitch outs in the game, and only twice was Brogan forced to throw five pitches to a hitter.

“That’s amazing,” Welker said. “I don’t know if I’ve had a guy that’s had that efficient an outing. But that’s what he does. It’s who he’s been all year, and we play great defense behind him. It’s a total team effort. He kept us in the game by throwing the pitches that he threw, and our guys played great defense behind him.”

“Mine and coach’s approach is just to throw strikes and try to get them to ground out,” Brogan said. “They were swinging … and hitting them right to our players.”

Jacob Webb — who pitched the victory over the Trojans earlier this year — threw another gem for Fairborn (18-10), as well, only allowing two hits himself while walking four, hitting one and striking out six. But when Troy did manage to get runners on, they went into motion as the Trojans stole three bases on the game and forced Webb to throw a whopping 114 pitches — exactly double Brogan’s total.

“Webb threw a heck of a game,” Welker said. “We like to put pressure on defenses, and I think we did tonight. I know we didn’t get the big hit when it mattered and we didn’t execute a couple things, but a lot of innings we got guys into scoring position — and those are high-stress pitches.”

And in the fourth, that stress produced the game’s only run.

Daniel led off the inning with a solid single, and cleanup hitter Keiran Williams laid down a sacrifice bunt attempt back to Webb. But Webb bobbled the ball when trying to pick it up and rushed his throw as a result — and it went sailing over the first baseman’s head and into the wide foul area along the fence in right.

Daniel may have been surprised when he saw Welker waving him home as he rounded third base — but he did not slow down at all, scoring all the way from first base on the error to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead.

“I was rounding second, looked over my shoulder and saw the first baseman jumping,” Daniel said. “I figured it was over, and I look at coach and he’s just waving me home. All I was thinking was go. Run. I was running as fast as I possibly could to score that run.”

Williams ended up on third with no outs on the play, but the Trojans couldn’t get the insurance run home. A sharp groundout to second and a shallow flyout to left prevented him from scoring, then a flyout to center ended the inning with no more damage.

Brandon Emery had Troy’s only other hit in the third inning and Brandenburg was hit by a pitch, but the Trojans left runners stranded on the corners. In the fifth, Bigley walked with one out and stole second with two outs but was left stranded. Then a series of three seventh-inning walks loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh, but Webb induced a flyout to shallow center, though, to keep Fairborn alive in the bottom of the inning.

Brogan recorded two quick outs before Will Coleman gave a 2-1 pitch a ride all the way to the warning track — but Brandenburg was right there to put it away and end the game.

“I knew it was deep, but I didn’t think it was out,” Welker said. “The only question was if Tyler was going to get back in time, and he did what he’s supposed to do. He took off running to the spot. He didn’t coast. Another sophomore doing well.

“As a group, everyone did well. Nine guys on the field, and a heck of a bench supporting them. This was a total team win.”

Troy advanced to the sectional championship game on May 18 at Beavercreek, where the Trojans will face another familiar team — Springboro. Troy lost 2-0 to the second-seeded Panthers in the third game of the season — a game that was actually Brogan’s first start of the year.

And he, along with the rest of the Trojans, showed just how far they’ve come since then on Thursday.

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Brogan shuts out Piqua

Trojan sophomore blanks Indians 3-0

May 1, 2017

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

PIQUA — Troy sophomore Cole Brogan has drawn some tough assignments on the mound this season, particularly the past two weeks.

Monday, he found his way back into a groove.

Facing rival Piqua, Troy’s Brogan pitched a complete-game five-hit shutout on the road, getting out of a pair of tough jams throughout the game and getting help from the defense behind him, and the Trojan baseball team was able to scratch together a few runs off of an equally effective Piqua starter, Blake Wright, to claim a 3-0 victory Monday at Hardman Field in Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division play.

Brogan only struck out four but walked none, allowing only three Piqua baserunners to reach scoring position in the entire game. The Indians’ biggest threat came in the third after a pair of two-out errors allowed baserunners to reach second and third, but Brogan induced a groundout to Brandon Emery at second base to get out of the jam.

“Cole goes out and does what he does,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “He induces ground balls, and we played great defense behind him. (Third baseman) Matt Bigley does his job and is a wall, (Jacob) Adams did a nice job in his first start at shortstop. And when Cole is on the mound, we’re a confident team. They want to play defense for him, and it’s kind of nice.

“He’d probably be the first to tell you that wasn’t his best game control-wise, but he doesn’t have to do it all. And that’s the message to all our pitchers — throws strikes, get ahead of hitters and let the defense play.”

Brogan has three losses this season, including two in the past two weeks to the top two teams in the GWOC American North, a narrow 3-0 loss to Butler and an 11-0 defeat against Tippecanoe in his last start — two teams with a combined 38-7 record.

“Not making excuses, but he found out at school that day that he was pitching (against Tippecanoe),” Welker said. “I think he’s a kid that needs to know and be prepared, and we made a change that day. When he knows he’s going to be on the mound, he prepares mentally, and he does a nice job. That’s a young kid out there throwing well. He doesn’t get a lot of strikeouts, but he throws strikes and we played good defense behind him.”

Wright was cruising along for Piqua (10-13, 7-7 GWOC American North) early in the game, too. All five of his strikeouts came in the first three innings as he allowed only a pair of walks during that time, keeping the score 0-0 going into the fourth.

“He surely was in control the first couple innings,” Welker said of Wright. “He threw a nice game. We were swinging at his pitches. I get disappointed a little with our offensive approach, and we did not have a good approach early today.”

In the fourth, though, Troy (12-10, 7-5 GWOC American North) finally broke through.

Jake Daniel hammered a leadoff triple to the gap in right-center, the Trojans’ first hit in the game, and cleanup hitter Keiran Williams quickly followed by drilling an RBI double up the hill in left-center field. Williams advanced to third on a groundout, a walk to Brogan put runners on the corners, and Brandon Emery drove an RBI sac fly to center field to give the Trojans a 2-0 lead.

Troy added an insurance run in the sixth, too. Williams drew a leadoff walk and was bunted to second by Adams. And with two outs, Emery knocked a clutch RBI single back up the middle and just out of reach of Wright on the mound, bringing home Williams to make it a three-run game.

“Jake hits the ball hard. He did a nice job, and that got us going,” Welker said. “And then we manufactured a couple of runs. Emery hit a sac fly, which was important, then Adams sacrifice bunted Keiran to second, and Emery got a hit to get that add-on run — which was a big deal. Going into that last inning only up two? That could’ve been a different ballgame.

“Brandon had a really nice game, as well. Two kind of quiet at-bats — a sac fly and a single up the middle with a guy on second that we just sacrificed over — but two big at-bats. And he’s had kind of a rough year, so to have him have a game like that is big for him.”

In the bottom of the inning, Piqua’s Dakota Iddings — who was 2 for 3 in the game — led off with a single, but Bigley and Emery erased that baserunner with a 5-4-3 double play. And in the seventh, Michael Ashcraft hit a two-out double and Logan Harris singled to put runners on the corners and bring the tying run to the plate, but Brogan got a soft lineout to Bigley at third to end the game.

Oh, and the third team that owns a victory over Brogan this season? Springboro, which earned the No. 2 seed in the upcoming sectional tournament with a 14-7 record — and happens to be a potential sectional final matchup for the ninth-seeded Trojans, who face No. 11 Tecumseh in the opening round on May 9.

“We surely can’t look past Tecumseh,” Welker said. “They’re a good baseball team. These guys have done a nice job, but they haven’t gotten ahead of themselves. These guys have prepared, and the mentality was correct tonight. They were prepared. They kept up the intensity all the way to the end, and they haven’t lost focus.”

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Trojan baseball ends Devils’ streak

Troy baseball knocks off Tipp, 3-1

April 26, 2017

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

TIPP CITY — The Troy baseball team’s breakthrough win couldn’t have come at a bigger time.

Hayden Kotwica pitched a four-hitter, shutting down a potent Tippecanoe offense that had won 11 straight games and routed the Trojans the day before, and Troy (10-10, 6-5 Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division) did all the little things necessary to hold off the Red Devils for a 3-1 victory Tuesday at Tippecanoe Middle School.

 

“This was the breakthrough we’ve need to have,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “Last year, we won 16 games, but we won all the games that we should’ve won. We didn’t beat anyone that, on paper, we shouldn’t have been able to beat. On paper, we shouldn’t have been able to beat Tipp — but we did. The kids needed to see that we could do this, needed to know that they could do it.”

 

Kotwica struck out five and held the Devils — who came into the game with a .400 team batting average after run-ruling Troy 11-0 the day before — in check. And the Trojans jumped out in front in the top of the first, loading the bases and getting an RBI fielder’s choice from Jacob Adams to take a 1-0 lead.

 

And in the second, Brandon Emery led off with a single and stole second, and Tyler Brandenburg and Hayden Kotwica each hit RBI singles to make it a 3-0 game.

“It started with Kotwica,” Welker said. “He’s the pace setter, and he led from the mound. He wasn’t overpowering, but he competed with every batter. We turned two double plays, caught a runner stealing, ended the game with a double play, Brandenburg made a diving catch in center to end an inning — we just made big outs. Everyone played well.

“We just did the little things right, and Kotwica set the pace for us. The guys kept the intensity up the whole game. We needed a win like that.”

Tippecanoe fell to 16-4 with the loss and dropped to second in the GWOC American North with a 10-1 record, one game behind 11-0 Butler — which the Devils play in a two-game series next week. Before that, Tippecanoe hosts Trotwood Friday and Northmont Saturday.

The Trojans, meanwhile, travel to Miamisburg Thursday and host West Carrollton Friday before a two-game series against Piqua to close division play next week.

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Troy gets back on track

McDonagh shuts down Arrows in win

April 20, 2017

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

TROY — Troy baseball coach knew what the challenge would be for his Trojans coming off of a two-game sweep at the hands of Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division leader Butler earlier this week.

“It’s hard, especially after the intensity of the Butler series, where every pitch matters and everybody is so intense,” he said. “The guys have to learn how to balance their emotions and stay focused. But these guys are in the right place right now.”

Thursday — despite even some attempted intervention by Mother Nature — the Trojans were able to get back on track.

Troy (8-9) scored five quick runs against visiting Tecumseh Thursday at Market Street Field, staking pitcher Derek McDonagh — who himself was coming off of pitching a no-hitter last week in a win over Xenia — out to a 5-0 lead after two innings, and the junior did the rest in another impressive complete-game effort, leading the Trojans to an 8-3 victory over the Arrows in non-league play.

After the start of the game was delayed a half hour by sudden afternoon storms, the Trojans wasted no time getting their offense back on track. After being outscored 12-2 by Butler in the two losses combined on Monday and Tuesday, Troy plated run in the top of the first and cashed in four more in the second to jump out to a 5-0 lead.

“I really thought we came out well,” Welker said. “We came out and had some good at-bats with guys in scoring position, which we haven’t had lately. We got hits when guys got to second and third, and the guys just did a real nice job.”

In the first, Hayden Kotwica drew a leadoff walk to start the game, took second after Tecumseh (7-10) botched a rundown on a pickoff play and took third on a wild pitch. Brandon Emery immediately singled him home, ripping a solid shot to right field to give Troy a 1-0 lead.

Four more walks in the second inning helped Troy take control for good. Cole Brogan drew a free pass to lead off the inning and Tyler Brandenburg beat out a one-out infield single, then Matt Bigley walked to load the bases for Kotwica. The senior promptly rifled a two-run single to center, and an error on the throw home allowed the runners to move up to second and third. Emery hit an RBI sac fly to make it a 4-0 game, then Jake Daniel and Keiran Williams both drew two-out walks to load the bases. Jacob Adams walked on four pitches to force in another run and make it 5-0 before the Arrows finally got out of the inning trailing 5-0.

That appeared to be plenty early on for McDonagh, who cruised through the first two innings without allowing a ball to leave the infield. But with one out in the third, No. 9 hitter Evan Maxwell knocked a single into right field to end McDonagh’s hitless innings streak, and an unearned run in the top of the fourth made the score 5-1 Troy.

“Derek always keeps us in the game,” Welker said. “All three runs were unearned. He just throws strikes, struck out seven in the game. He did what he’s supposed to do. And really, that first hit was probably my fault. I called a fastball that I thought the kid couldn’t handle, and the kid was sitting on it. So I take credit for that one. But Derek kept his focus.”

Troy bounced right back in the bottom of the fourth. Jake Daniel led off with a single and Keiran Williams reached on an error, then both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Jacob Adams hit an RBI groundout, Cole Brogan drew a walk and stole second to put runners back on second and third, and Chaz Copas ripped a two-run single back up the middle to make it an 8-1 game.

Tecumseh got two more unearned runs in the top of the fifth to close the gap back to five, and — after a brief but potent rain shower that did not halt play — McDonagh walked and hit the first two batters of the sixth inning. He got even stronger from there, though, striking out the rest of the side in that inning and pitching a one-two-three seventh, striking out the final batter of the game to end it.

McDonagh finished with seven strikeouts, one walk and two hit batters, scattering five hits and giving up no earned runs in the complete game.

“I thought he was going to lose his focus there in that sixth inning,” Welker said. “He walked the first guy, hit the next. But he buckled down and struck out the side — and picked up a little velocity, too.

“We lost a little focus, too, but we had some weird hops. One of their hits, we played the ball right, but it was just a tough play. We had some throwing errors, too. The guys just need to learn to balance their emotions. It’s hard after that intense Butler series. This was a good win for us.”

Kotwica finished the game 1 for 3 but had two RBIs and scored twice, Emery and Copas were each 1 for 3 with two RBIs and Adams was 0 for 3 but had two RBIs as Troy and Tecumseh both had five hits on the day and both committed three errors as teams.

Troy remains at home Friday, hosting Graham.

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Butler outlasts Troy in 9

Trojans’ 5-game winning streak ends

April 18, 2017

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

TROY — A Butler runner thrown out at home plate to end the first inning. An inning-ending 1-2-3 double play to get out of a bases-loaded jam and stay alive in extras. And a host of pickoffs, caught-stealings and double plays to erase other Aviator baserunners throughout the game.

After all the defensive plays the Troy baseball team made to stay in the game, one error in particular cost the Trojans.

With Troy clinging to a two-run lead from the first inning on, Butler was able to tie the score in the fifth inning on an error and eventually force extra innings. And though the Trojans made enough defensive plays to keep the score tied through eight innings, the Aviators finally broke the door open with a seven-run ninth inning to escape Market Street Field with a 9-2 victory Monday in Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division play.

“We made the most out of some tough situations for about eight innings,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “But you can only fight it off so long before the dam’s going to bust … and it did. I wish we could’ve capitalized on some things, found another run or made another out, something like that.

“The boys played hard enough to win it through seven and just couldn’t find a way to get another run across. And (Hayden) Kotwica surely pitched well enough to win it.”

The loss snapped Troy’s five-game winning streak, dropping the Trojans to 7-8 and 5-3 in the GWOC American North. And though the Trojans remained competitive against the division leader in Butler (14-1, 7-0 GWOC American North), it was little consolation for them.

“We don’t like moral victories,” Welker said. “We don’t work hard to lose in nine innings to a team like that. When we’re in position to come out on top in the game, we’re not happy with the loss.

“Yes, we competed. If you saw games earlier this year against some teams, we didn’t compete. But we made defensive plays, Kotwica battled on the mound and we had a much better approach at the plate for about eight innings, but unfortunately we rolled the dice one too many times, and it didn’t come out.”

Butler threatened in the top of the first with two outs. Tyler Burley singled and Matt Grossman hit a single to left-center that Troy center fielder Tyler Brandenburg had trouble fielding. Burley broke for the plate, but Brandenburg fired to shortstop Brandon Emery, who threw to catcher Keiran Williams to record the final out of the inning at the plate.

The Trojans kept riding that momentum in the bottom of the inning. Kotwica doubled to lead off, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Jake Daniel drove an RBI double off the fence in right. Williams followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0 and was eventually stranded on third base, but Troy still enjoyed a two-run lead after one.

The Aviators had baserunners in every inning and kept the pressure on most of the game, but Troy starter Kotwica and his defense kept finding ways to get out of trouble. In the second, back-to-back strikeouts left a runner stranded on third. In the third, Butler couldn’t do anything with a two-out hit, and in the fourth a leadoff double by Grossman led to nothing after he was erased by a pickoff throw from Williams.

Troy couldn’t keep it up forever, though.

A one-out single by Jack Mitchell and a wild pitch set up an RBI single by Damon Dues, but a called third strike served up by Kotwica put Troy on the verge of getting out of the inning with the lead intact. An error on a grounder that could have been the last out of the inning allowed the tying run to score, though, making it 2-2 in the middle of the fifth.

Meanwhile, the Trojans couldn’t put anything together offensively against Butler’s Braeden Norman. Chaz Copas was 2 for 3 and Jacob Adams 2 for 4, the only Troy players with multiple hits as Butler outhit the Trojans 19-8 in the game, with Norman striking out six and walking none. After the first inning, Troy only got four baserunners to second or third base in the rest of the game.

“We were facing one of the better pitchers in the area, but our approach was much better than when we faced him last year and had no approach at the plate and didn’t swing and looked at too any third strikes,” Welker said. “We only looked at strike three once tonight, and we battled at the plate. Our approach is 100 times better than it was earlier this year and surely better than against him last year.”

Butler threatened in the sixth, but Troy made two big plays to get out of it unscathed. Joe Jackson led off with a single, but Williams immediately threw him out trying to steal. Back-to-back singles followed, though, and a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third with two outs and Dues at the plate. Troy intentionally walked him, though, and Kotwica recorded his sixth and final strikeout of the game to end the inning, though.

And in the seventh, Burley led off with a single but was doubled off first on a line drive to Matt Bigley at third, and the game went into extra innings tied 2-2.

Bigley came on in relief of Kotwica in the top of the eighth, and Butler had two runners on and one out with Dues up — and the Trojans walked him intentionally again. The move paid, off, as the next batter hit a grounder back to Bigley on the mound who started a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning. Norman sat down the Trojans in order, though, and the game went on to the ninth.

Where everything went wrong for Troy.

Grossman hit an RBI double that cashed in a leadoff walk and immediately gave Butler the advantage — but the Aviators were far from done. Jackson hit an RBI sac fly, Mitchell later hit a two-run single, another run scored on a dropped fly ball, Dolen Fults hit an RBI groundout and Burley hit an RBI single. Six hits, a walk and two errors later, Butler held an insurmountable 9-2 lead.

Troy continued fighting, as Adams and Cole Brogan hit two-out singles in the bottom of the inning. But Norman induced a groundout to second to put away the game.

Now the Trojans will have to make sure that ninth inning doesn’t bleed over into Tuesday’s game — Troy finishes the series against Butler at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Wright State University.

“The only thing I worry about is does it give them a boost for tomorrow,” Welker said. “We kind of held them in check, and they were a little surprised by that. I think they were anticipating coming in and rolling a little bit, and we played a nice game. But again, we don’t like moral victories.”

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Trojans win 5th straight

April 15, 2017

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

TROY — When Troy baseball coach Ty Welker crafted this year’s schedule, front-loading it with some of the toughest teams in the area, he knew what he wanted his young team to work towards.

Now, with the Trojans playing their best, they’ll get to put it all to the test.

Troy won its fifth straight Saturday, scoring 11 runs in the first two innings and getting a solid outing on the mound from sophomore Jacob Adams in a 12-1 run-rule victory in five innings over visiting Springfield Shawnee on Senior Day at Market Street Field.

Troy, which lost six of its first seven games this season after running a gauntlet of the area’s best, improved to the .500 mark with the win at 7-7 heading into next week’s two-game series against Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division rival Butler.

“We’re playing well,” Welker said. “Again, we always knew we controlled our own fate … but we’re going to play a different quality team come Monday and Tuesday.”

And with Butler and Tippecanoe both unbeaten and tied for the division lead and Troy right behind at 5-2, Welker said it was definitely the kind of momentum they needed heading into the crucial North series.

“Oh, without a doubt,” he said. “There were probably times where I questioned myself with that schedule early on and what it would do to us mentally. I know we started off 1-6 and 2-7, and I was a little concerned about it. But these guys are who I believed they were going to be. They took that start and put things in perspective.”

Saturday, while honoring their all-senior outfield in Hayden Kotwica, Zion Taylor and Chaz Copas, the Trojans had everything working for them.

After Adams pitched a scoreless top of the first inning, Kotwica led off the bottom of the inning with a sharp single — and though it would prove to be the only hit for the Trojans in the inning, they would end up plating five runs.

Brandon Emery was hit by a pitch, and a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third for Troy’s leader in RBIs, Jake Daniel. But two more wild pitches scored both runs, and Daniel eventually drew a walk. Free passes to Keiran Williams and Adams loaded the bases and forced the Braves to yank their starter without him recording an out — but the reliever immediately walked Cole Brogan to bring in another run.

Tyler Brandenburg then hit an RBI fielder’s choice and reached on an errant throw on a double play attempt, bringing the fourth and fifth runs of the inning home as Troy batted around to take a 5-0 lead.

Troy first baseman Daniel and shortstop Emery turned a 3-6-3 double play to end the second inning, and the Trojan offense went right back to work with singles by Kotwica and Emery and a hit-by-pitch by Daniel quickly loading the bases. Williams hit an RBI groundout, and Adams followed by dropping a two-run triple into the gap in right-center. Adams then scored as Brogan reached on an error, then Brandenburg hit an RBI double to center and Taylor followed with a two-out bloop RBI single to make it an 11-0 game as Troy sent 19 batters to the plate in the first two innings.

“Jacob’s swinging the bat real well,” Welker said. “Brandenburg had a nice double down the line, too. Those young guys have just been swinging it. And Kotwica, no one’s been hotter than Hayden. He’s been hitting the ball pretty hard.”

After Shawnee finally broke through with a run on a two-out RBI single by Tanner Vanvelzor in the top of the third, Adams drove in another run on an RBI sac fly that scored Daniel in the bottom of the inning, and Emery and substitute second baseman Matt McGillivary turned an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play in the top of the fourth to keep the score at 12-1.

That closed the book on Adams, who struck out one and scattered three hits, two walks and a hit batter over four innings to get his first win of the year.

“Jacob threw a nice game,” Welker said. “He hadn’t started in a couple weeks, threw in the bullpen last week, so it was nice to get him a start. He threw well. Struggled a little early, but once he settled in and started getting ahead in counts, he did a nice job.”

Adams gave way to Chase Weaver in the top of the fifth, and with a runner on first, Kotwica made a great diving catch on a ball headed to the gap in left-center for the first out. After another flyout and a single and wild pitch, Weaver left Braves stranded on second and third by inducing a flyout to Taylor in left field to put an early end to the game.

The top of the lineup did its job setting the table in the game, as Kotwica was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, Emery was 1 for 2 with two runs and Daniel was 1 for 1 with three runs. Adams was 1 for 1 with a triple and three RBIs, Brandenburg was 1 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, Williams was 1 for 2 with an RBI, Taylor was 1 for 3 with an RBI and Brogan drove in a run.

Troy will host 13-1 Butler Monday, then the Trojans will complete the series against the Aviators at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Wright State University.

“We’ll see what we’re made of come Monday and Tuesday,” Welker said.

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Troy’s McDonagh pitches no-hitter, beats

Xenia 6-0

April 14, 2017

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

TROY — Troy baseball coach Ty Welker wasn’t sure when the last time a Trojan pitcher threw a complete-game, seven-inning no-hitter was.

“We may have had one somewhere, but I don’t think in my 11 years being at Troy we’ve had one,” he said. “We had one against Xenia in 2007 or 2008, but it was a combined no-hitter between a couple of pitchers.”

Derek McDonagh is now the answer to that question.

The Trojan junior struck out nine and carried a perfect game into the final inning, walking the leadoff hitter to lose the perfect game but still completing the no-hitter in a 6-0 Troy victory Friday in Greater Western Ohio Conference American League crossover play at Market Street Field.

“He threw strikes,” Welker said of McDonagh. “He got ahead in counts, had a good tempo, and we played nice defense behind him when they did put the ball in play. It was pretty exciting to watch Derek throw today. It was a great outing for him.”

Offensively, Hayden Kotwica put the game away with a two-run home run in the fourth inning, a blast coming with Troy (6-7, 5-2 GWOC American North Division) leading 3-0. Kotwica finished 2 for 4 with the homer and two RBIs, Jacob Adams was 2 for 4 with two RBIs, Tyler Brandenburg was 2 for 3 with an RBI and Jake Daniel hit an RBI double.

The Trojans host Springfield Shawnee at 11 a.m. Saturday in their Senior Day game.

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Troy wins 3rd straight

Trojans sweep division foe Sidney

April 11, 2017

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

TROY — Hayden Kotwica hit the first pitch the Trojans saw over the left field fence.

All three of Sidney’s seventh-inning pitchers hit the first pitches they saw into the dirt.

In the end, clutch hitting by the Trojans and an outstanding performance by starting pitcher Cole Brogan and the defense led the Troy baseball team to a 5-2 victory over the Yellow Jackets to complete a two-game sweep in Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division play Tuesday at Market Street Field.

The win, Troy’s third in a row after a 2-7 start to the season, makes the Trojans 5-7 on the season and 4-2 in GWOC American North play. Sidney, meanwhile, falls to 2-9 and 0-5 in division play.

“We just need these couple games to regroup,” said Kotwica, who was the winning pitcher in Monday’s 6-3 victory at Sidney. “We’ve been struggling at the plate, so it’s good to come out, be able to play back-to-back nights and keep getting cuts in and just keep improving.”

Kotwica finished the game 2 for 4 with the leadoff homer and a two-out RBI triple in the bottom of the sixth that gave the Trojans a little more insurance heading to the final inning. Jake Daniel was 2 for 3 with an RBI, Brogan had a two-out, two-run single in the first and Zion Taylor was 1 for 3 as Troy outhit Sidney 6-4 on the day.

“I think the kids have found ways to get things done over the last three games,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. The Trojans began their three-game winning streak with a 9-5 win over Anna on Saturday. “Early in the year, we didn’t execute. I think we have a little better approach at the plate. We’re not there yet — offensively, I feel like we should still be scoring some more runs, but I think we definitely have a better approach.”

Four of Troy’s five runs on the day came with two outs.

“We’ve been working on that in practice,” Kotwica said. “When it’s rained, we’re in the gym doing situational hitting in the cages. That’s what we’ve been working on. It feels good (to put it to use on the field).”

Brogan, a sophomore, made it all stand up, too, improving to 2-1 in his three starts and 2-0 at home. He struck out four, walked none and scattered four hits in the game — and retired 15 batters on ground balls.

“They (the defense) knows they’re going to get ground ball outs,” Welker said. “Cole gets ahead in counts, and Sidney is a first-pitch-swinging team. He gets ahead of batters and gets them to hit his pitch instead of the other way around. His ball has a lot of movement.”

After a one-two-three inning by Brogan to begin the game, Kotwica launched the first pitch that Sidney’s Caleb Harris threw over the fence in left to hand Troy a 1-0 lead. Brandon Emery then walked and Keiran Williams drew a one-out walk, then both runners moved to second and third on a wild pitch. And with two outs, Brogan rifled a grounder down the third-base line that stayed fair, bringing home both runs on a two-run single to make it 3-0 after one.

“He’s been big,” Welker said of Kotwica. “Yesterday, he did the same thing — he hit the first pitch off the fence. He’s not a typical leadoff hitter because he swings at first pitches, but he’s done his job. We’ve had some injuries, he had to fill in there, and he’s done a great job there. Even his outs are balls that are hit hard, just right at people.”

Sidney answered in the second after back-to-back singles by Cole Hoffman and Kaine Fischer and an RBI ground out by Kyle Noble, but the Trojans got that run back in the bottom of the inning by cashing in a leadoff walk to Chase Weaver with a two-out RBI single by Daniel. Hoffman hit a solo homer in the fourth for the Jackets, and that’s where things remained until the sixth.

Sidney threatened in the top of the inning, with Austin McLain reaching on an error and Harris singling to put two runners on with no outs — and Hoffman, who was 2 for 2 at that point, up. But Brogan got him to ground back to the mound and threw to third to get the lead runner for the first out. He then induced a grounder to Matt Bigley at third, who stepped on the bag and threw to first for an inning-ending double play to keep Troy up 4-2.

“I knew what (pitch) we were throwing, a two-seamer on the guy’s hands. I had a feeling he was going to roll it over, so I said ‘Bigley, this one’s coming to you,’” Welker said. “The next pitch, boom, right smack too him, and he was ready.”

And in the bottom of the inning, pinch hitter Tyler Brandenburg led off with a walk and was bunted to second, and with two outs Kotwica hammered a pitch over the center fielder for an RBI triple to make it a three-run game — which was more than Brogan needed. In the top of the seventh, Sidney hit three straight first pitches to Bigley at third for easy outs to end the game.

“A three-pitch inning. I haven’t seen one of those in a long time,” Welker said with a laugh. “All to the third baseman, too. Bigley’s been playing solid third base for us all year, and we’re just a confident team when Brogan is on the mound. He has a nice tempo, and we’re a better defensive team with him on the mound.”

Troy will look for its fourth in a row Friday when it hosts Xenia, then the Trojans host Springfield Shawnee on Saturday for Senior Day

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Troy baseball run-rules Greenville, 11-1

April 05, 2017

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

TROY — The Troy baseball team snapped its losing streak at five games.

And put itself right back in the thick of the Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division standings — though it’s still early in the season.

Sophomore Cole Brogan shut down Greenville Tuesday afternoon, and the Trojan offense exploded for its highest run total of the season as Troy salvaged s split of the two-game series with the Green Wave with an 11-1 victory at Market Street Field.

Brogan — who lost his first start 2-0 against Springboro, the first game of the Trojans’ skid — earned the victory, pitching five innings. And Jake Daniel provided the big hit with a home run and, following the game, is in a three-way tie for the GWOC American North lead in RBIs with 11 on the season.

Troy improved to 2-6 on the season — but 2-1 in the GWOC American North, in second behind Butler and Tippecanoe. The Trojans host St. Henry Thursday.

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Beavers blank young Trojans, 4-0

March 29th, 2017

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

TROY — Troy baseball coach Ty Welker knew the first week of the season was likely the toughest stretch his young team would see all season.

It was also designed that way intentionally.

And after the Trojans dropped a hard-fought 2-0 matchup at Springboro on Tuesday in a game that had originally been scheduled as a home game but had to be moved due to the weather, Troy returned home Wednesday to face an always-tough Beavercreek team. And though they played solid defensively again and had chances offensively throughout, the Trojans simply couldn’t find ways to get runs home in a 4-0 loss to the Beavers at Market Street Field.

“I think, I hope, that we put this schedule together for a reason — that these guys can handle it,” Welker said. “These guys have aspirations to be a great baseball team. We’re a little young, but that’s not an excuse — and we’ve seen some great baseball teams already.

“These, the Beavercreeks and Springboros, they’re the kind of teams we’d see in the sectional finals. If we can see them now, at the end of March we know. We’re not delusional about how good we are or aren’t. We know what good baseball looks like.”

And the Trojans (1-3) are quickly finding out that they’re capable of playing good baseball.

Against Springboro (2-1) on Tuesday, sophomore Cole Brogan threw a solid game. He struck out five and walked none, giving up only two fourth-inning runs in the 2-0 loss — which came on a suicide squeeze followed by an RBI double.

“Cole threw really, really well,” Welker said. “For a sophomore, and that team (Springboro) probably hits better than Beavercreek, and he shut them down. No walks, complete game, 89 pitches … very, very impressive. It was a real good game overall, and he pitched a dandy.”

Wednesday’s matchup against the Beavers (2-1) ended up being the same kind of game — solid pitching and defense, just with a lack of punch at the plate.

Beavercreek’s Brandon Dewitt, who the Trojans fast in a 10-0 loss to the Beavers last season, held Troy in check. He allowed three hits and walked two while striking out 10 — with six of those on called third strikes. Austin Nuessgen pitched the seventh and added two more strikeouts, with the final out of the game coming on a seventh called third strike for Troy on the day.

“He (Dewitt) threw against us last year and shut us out down there, as well,” Welker said. “We faced him last year. He works fast, is around the zone — and we took too many pitches with two strikes and too many fastballs early in the count. We certainly have to get a more aggressive approach and be more offensive. We weren’t very offensive today.”

Troy left a total of five baserunners on in the game — four in scoring position. After Beavercreek took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, Chaz Copas hit an infield single but was left stranded on second on a called third strike to end the inning. And in the fourth, trailing 4-0, Brandon Emery and Keiran Williams drew walks and advanced to second and third on a wild pitch, but another batter caught looking and a groundout to second ended the threat.

For the game, Troy was 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position with four strikeouts — all looking at the third strike.

“We don’t get the hit with guys in scoring position,” Welker said. “That goes back to taking fastballs — and in those situations, you should never take a fastball. If you’ve got a guy in scoring position, you’ve got to put a ball in play, and we didn’t do that enough. No contact with guys in scoring position really hurts. That’s just something we’ve got to grow and mature on.”

Sophomore Jacob Adams led the Trojans offensively, going 2 for 3, with Copas and Jake Daniel each also having a hit.

Beavercreek’s first run came in the second after a single by Dewitt, a sacrifice bunt, a steal attempt of third base and an errant throw on the play to bring him home. And in the third, Corey Jordison hit an RBI double and, after a balk moved runners up to second and third, Treyben Funderburg hit a two-run single to left to make it a 4-0 game.

It all spoiled a solid outing by a pair of sophomore pitchers. Starter Braeden Snider went the first three innings, giving up four runs — three earned — on four hits and two walks with one strikeout. Matt Bigley pitched the final four innings of relief, allowing only one hit and striking out one.

“We’re young,” Welker said. “We’re playing quite a few sophomores and juniors in key roles — and I’m thrilled to death with it (how Troy has played to start the season). Surely, I want us to grow and get better. I’d love to win baseball games — that’s the goal — but I think the lessons we’re learning are more valuable than anything at this point, win or loss. They’re not playoff games — they’re getting us ready for playoff games. They’re not league games — they’re getting us ready for league games.”

Troy has another tough matchup Thursday, hosting perennial powerhouse Centerville, and also hosts Waynesville Saturday before beginning Greater Western Ohio Conference American North Division play Monday and Tuesday with a series against Greenville.

Start 2017 Season

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End of 2016 Season 

Trojans Fall In Extra Innings

Fairmont Tops Troy 2-1 in 9 Innings

May 12th, 2016

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

KETTERING — Six days ago, a host of Trojan errors proved costly in a 7-3 regular season loss at Fairmont.

And while the fourth-seeded Firebirds capitalized on both of the Trojan errors Thursday, the ninth-seeded Troy baseball team stepped up and played a solid game in the second round of the Division I sectional tournament, missing its chances in a 2-1 loss in nine innings.

“We left 13 runners on base,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “We had a lot of hits, just none of them with runners in scoring position. We left the bases loaded in the first inning, did it again in the seventh and eighth. Left guys on third. We had our chances, but in the end we played a great game against a great team.”

Troy got its only run in the top of the first. Jared Bair drew a walk and Austin Barney and Alex Riedel hit back-to-back singles to load the bases. Hayden Kotwica then drew a bases-loaded walk to give Troy a 1-0 lead.

The Trojans held that lead until the bottom of the seventh. A leadoff error, a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch and a sac fly tied the score and forced extra innings. Then in the bottom of the ninth, another leadoff error started things off wrong and Fairmont had runners on second and third with the No. 3 hitter up. Troy elected to intentionally walk him, but then, on a full count, the next batter drew a walkoff walk to end the game.

“Jordan Peck threw a heck of a game,” Welker said. “He pitched all nine innings, only struck out a couple and walked a couple, and — other than our two errors — we played decent defense behind him. That bases-loaded walk was not a representation of Peck’s game. He kept their hitters off balance all night.”

Troy finished the season 16-12.

“They played a clean game defensively, and we did not in only a couple of situations,” Welker said. “Leadoff hitters reaching on errors changes the whole complexion of the game. But we definitely represented ourselves well today. We have nothing to be ashamed of.” 

Trojans hold off Wave

Troy tops Greenville 6-5 in sectional opener

May 11th, 2016 

Trojans fall in finale

KR tops Troy 5-3 to end regular season

May 7th, 2016 
By Josh Brown

Monday/Tuesday Baseball Roundup

May 3rd, 2016 

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

 

PIQUA — Monday, Jordan Peck threw a two-hit shutout.

Tuesday, Jared Bair pitched a four-hitter — and got a little more run support.

The Troy baseball team (14-9, 7-3 Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division) finished off a two-game sweep of the rival Piqua Indians, winning 2-0 at home on Monday and 8-1 in Piqua on Tuesday to claim sole possession of second place in the GWOC North Division this season behind 10-0 Butler.

“We’re glad. The goal is always to win the league, but we knew we had to at least split with Piqua to tie for second this year. And the guys weren’t content with that,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “Piqua is better than their record indicates, and we knew we’d have to play well. We played like a team these last two nights.”

On Monday, Peck struck out four and walked three, and the defense committed no errors behind him. Hayden Kotwica had the only RBI for the Trojans, who only hadfour hits in the game themselves, and they got an insurance run on an error.

“Peck threw really well, and we played nice defense,” Welker said. “He only struck out four guys and gave up two singles, so that means they put the ball in play 17 other times — and we didn’t have any errors.”

On Tuesday, Bair struck out eight, walked two and gave up four hits to get the complete game win.

Austin Barney was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, Alex Riedel was 2 for 4 with an RBI, Jake Daniel was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, Troy Moore was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI, Bair had a double and an RBI and Kotwica doubled.

“Bair threw well today, too. He had the bases loaded in the third and got out of it,” Welker said. “We played good defense behind him again. And offensively, we did the little things. We bunted guys over, fought and scrapped and found ways to score. And everyone contributed. Eight of our nine guys that started had a hit today.”

Troy hosts Northmont Thursday and travels to Fairmont Friday before finishing the regular season at home against Kenton Ridge Saturday.

Troy seniors clutch in win

Trojans celebrate rain-soaked victory over Wayne

April 30th, 2016 

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

TROY — Every time Troy’s seniors needed to, they were able to come through Saturday.

Which gave the Trojans exactly what they needed heading into next week’s final division series.

Jared Bair had a pair of doubles and four RBIs, the Trojans got some big two-out hits, senior starter Noah Roswell pitched five solid innings to get the win and all 12 seniors saw action as the Troy baseball team celebrated a rain-soaked Senior Day with a 10-7 victory over the Wayne Warriors Saturday at Market Street Field.

“We did. We hit the ball,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “We hit the ball much better today. I was pleased that oour seniors all got to play, and they took advantage of their opportunities.”

The game was actually called after the top of the sixthinning after Wayne (9-11) fought back to tie the score at 5-5 in the top of the fifth, only to see the Trojans (12-9) post five runs in the bottom of the inning to retake control. The Warriors tried to rally again in the sixth and even brought the potential tying run to the plate, but Troy reliever Troy Moore induced a groundout back to himself to end the threat — and the umpires, after play had been stopped three times to treat the mound thanks to the constant rain the game had been played through, finally ruled it official.

The Trojans, who went 3-2 this week with little mistakes and a lack of offense costing them in two losses to Fairborn, saw more small miscues cost them runs in the top of the first.

Bryce Haney led off with a bloop single and stole second, then Austin Mailer bunted for a hit after the Trojans were slow to cover first base, putting runners on the corners. A wild pitch brought in one run, then a dropped fly ball allowed another run to score, putting Troy down 2-0 before they even came to the plate.

The Trojans, however, responded.

Nick Matney drew a one-out walk and Jared Bair singled, then a groundout put runners on second and third with two outs. Jordan Peck cashed them both in with a two-out, two-run single, then he scored after a wild pitch and an error to give Troy a 3-2 lead.

Troy added to that lead in the second as Matney beat out a one-out infield single and stole second, then Bair drove him in with an RBI double. Bair moved to third on a sac fly and scored on a two-out error, making it 5-2 Trojans.

“I think we took advantage of our chances, and we swung the bats,” Welker said. “Their guy was around the plate all day, and on pitches that we probably normally would take, we were swinging today. We were more aggressive and offensive-minded.”

That appeared to be plenty for Roswell, who held the Warriors in check in the second, third and fourth innings, allowing only one baserunner during each. He finished the day with three strikeouts, a walk and a hit-batter, allowing seven hits and five runs — only two earned. Which was made all the more impressive by the constant drizzle the game was played through that increased in strength the farther along things went.

“Noah threw very consistently today,” Welker said. “He didn’t walk very many guys and pitched well. It was nice to see him have a good start, especially considering the conditions.”

The conditions were so bad, in fact, that it appeared that the game would be halted once it became official after the Wayne half of the fifth inning. But the Warriors didn’t cooperate, as James Harness hit a tw0-run double and later scored on a wild pitch to tie the score at 5-5.

Welker wasn’t concerned.

“We just couldn’t get an out,” Welker said. “No matter what we did, they hit a dink here or a dink there, and they tied it up. It made me a little nervous, but I felt like our bats were good enough where we’d come back and score some runs.”

In the bottom of the inning, the Trojans made good on that.

Joseph McGillivary led off with a double, but he got caught in a rundown on a ground ball with one out. The Wayne third baseman dropped the ball, though, giving the Trojans a shot with runners on second and third. Moore drew a walk, then Matney blooped in an RBI single to give Troy a 6-5 lead.

Despite the rain, the game was allowed to continue — so Bair put an exclamation point on it with a three-run double over the left fielder’s head. He later scored on a double steal with Peck, and the Trojans led 10-5.

Wayne got one last chance to hit despite what had turned into a driving, cold rain, with Haney and Harness both driving in runs. With runners on the corners and two outs, though, Moore got a grounder back to himself to end the inning, and the game was called official at last.

Bair finished the game 3 for 3 with two doubles, three runs scored and four RBIs, Matney was 2 for 3 with three runs and an RBI, Peck was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, Roswell was 2 for 4 and McGillivary doubled. Before the game, the Trojans honored those seniors, as well as Moore, Austin Barney, Tyler Lambert, Jacob Curcio, Drake McDonagh, Justin O’Neill and Alex Riedel.

After six games in as many days, the Trojans finally get a day off on Sunday. They then face Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division rival Piqua to finish division play, traveling to Piqua Monday and hosting the Indians Tuesday.

“We definitely needed that,” Welker said of the win over Wayne. “We know Piqua is going to be tough. But today was a good day to celebrate for our seniors.”

Late Tuesday/Wednesday Trojans Roundup

April 27th, 2016 

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

TROY — Both Tuesday and Wednesday, the Troy baseball team entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 4-2.

And though the Trojans rallied to win in walkoff fashion 5-4 against Sidney on Tuesday, they couldn’t put together a rally against the Skyhawks on Wednesday, falling to Fairborn 4-2 to drop to 10-8 on the season.

Against Sidney, Noah Roswell — who also got the win on the mound in relief — had an RBI single that kept the seventh-inning rally going, and Jake Daniel put an end to the game with a bases-loaded two-run double.

“Roswell had a big hit, then they intentionally walked (Austin) Barney to load the bases for Daniel,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “That was a really big hit for Daniel.”

Against Fairborn, though, the Trojans’ two errors proved costly.

Barney took the loss on the mound, giving up four runs — only two earned — in four innings of work, striking out four, walking three, hitting a batter and giving up only two hits.

“The first three innings were one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three,” Welker said. “Austin threw well for the first three innings, and Troy Moore came in for the last three and didn’t give up any runs.

“We left the bases loaded, left runners on base a number of innings. We also struck out 11 times tonight. Their pitcher was decent, but average pitchers end up throwing complete games against us. Mentally, our approach was not there.”

 

Troy was originally scheduled to face Springboro Wednesday, but that game was postponed. The Trojans still face Fairborn Friday on the road in an originally-scheduled game, but first they travel to Northridge Thursday

Tipp rallies, tops Troy

Devils win 10th straight, Trojans drop 4th in a row

April 23rd, 2016

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

TROY — Troy had been waiting three games to put crooked numbers on the scoreboard again.

But Tippecanoe baseball coach Bruce Cahill had been waiting three years to see what he saw out of Bradley Calhoun.

After the Trojans took a 4-1 lead after three innings, the Red Devils’ junior starter settled down, allowing only two baserunners from that point on and finishing off a complete game victory. The Tippecanoe offense did the rest, scoring seven runs over the fourth and fifth innings to pull ahead for an 8-4 victory Saturday at Troy — the Devils’ 10th straight win.

Cahill ended his post-game conversation with his team with “I’d been waiting three years to see that.”

“For Brad to pitch the way he did,” Cahill said when asked what he was referring to. “I don’t know if he’s had a seven-inning complete game in his career. It started in the first inning when he struck out their No. 2 and 3 hitters with a runner on second. If we don’t make a couple errors, misjudge a fly ball, I don’t think he gives up an earned run. He got first-pitch strikes all day, and that was big.

“He wanted the seventh inning today, and I don’t know if that would’ve always been the case. He’s a junior, but he’s been on varsity all three years — and he grew up today.”

The Trojans (8-4), meanwhile, had entered the game on a three-game skid — and a 21-inning scoreless streak, with all three of those losses being shutouts. And though they grabbed a 4-1 lead early on, the Devils were able to capitalize on all four Troy errors in the game for a total of six unearned runs.

“We’ve got some issues we’re working through right now,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “Six unearned runs — there’s just no excuse for that in a varsity baseball game. And a team like Tipp is going to take advantage of them.

“Until we can get out of our own way, we’re going to continue to struggle.”

Troy gave up one of those unearned runs in the top of the first as Aaron Hughes reached on a two-out error, stole second and was driven home on an RBI single by Justyn Eichbaum. But the Trojans answered with two of their own in the bottom of the second. Jake Daniel went to second base on a one-out error, then a Troy Moore infield single put runners on the corners. Alex Riedel took an RBI single the other way, then another run scored on an error on a high chopped that went through the second baseman’s legs, and Troy not only snapped a 22-inning scoreless streak but grabbed a 2-1 lead.

The Trojans added two more runs in the bottom of the third. Brandon Emery led off with a walk, and a Jared Bair double put runners on second and third with no outs. Austin Barney and Daniel hit back-to-back RBI sac flies, and Troy led 4-1 — a seemingly solid lead for Troy starter Hayden Kotwica, who only allowed two hits over the first three innings and struck out the side in the third.

“I thought we did a lot of things well offensively early,” Welker said. “We hit balls the other way, we hit sacrifice flies. We did all the little things. But then we got behind, and our whole approach changed. We gave him a six- or seven-pitch inning at one point. It was unbelievable.”

The Devils fought back in the top of the fourth. Brandon Gotthardt walked with one out, and a two-out error put runners on second and third. Another walk loaded the bases, then a wild pitch brought in the first run. Cole Barhorst hit an infield RBI single, and two more walks forced in the tying run, with Jacob Ambos getting the RBI, and the score was 4-4 with the Devils only getting one hit in the inning.

That changed in the fifth, though. Eichbaum led the inning off with his fourth home run of the season to give Tippecanoe the lead for good, then Gotthardt singled. An errant throw on a double play attempt put Calhoun on second with one out, and Trevor Staggs drove him in with an RBI single to knock Kotwica out of the game. But Josh Riebe and Barhorst hit back-to-back singles off of reliever Nick Matney to load the bases, and another errant throw on a double play attempt allowed to more runs to score, making it an 8-4 game.

“Eichbaum’s shot was big,” Cahill said. “That was his fourth of the year. It’s a great sign to see him hitting the way he is. We had 10 hits today, and out first and second guys didn’t have any. We hit from No. 4 on down, and that’s big for us. We had 17 hits on Thursday, so the kids are starting to feel good about the offense. Our at-bats have gotten a lot better.”

“We gave Kotwica a 4-1 lead, and then with two outs in an inning, we just faltered,” Welker said. “On a ground ball to shortstop, two runs score. That just can’t happen.”

Calhoun did the rest, allowing only a single by Drake McDonagh in the fourth and a double by Jordan Peck in the sixth. He threw a total of 33 pitches over the final three innings, including only seven in a one-two-three fifth, and he struck out two in the bottom of the seventh — including the final hitter of the game. Calhoun finished with seven strikeouts and one walk and allowed six hits.

Tippecanoe will look to extend its winning streak — and possibly the Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail Division lead — when it hosts Tecumseh Monday to begin a two-game series.

“We’ve got to make sure that we’re focused every day,” Cahill said. “We only have a one-game lead. We can’t worry about what Bellefontaine is doing. We’ve got to take care of our own business.”

Troy, meanwhile, travels to Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division rival Sidney on Monday looking to put an end to its skid.

“We’ve got to show up. We’ve got to get outs when they give them to us,” Welker said. “We’ve got to be aggressive at the plate, put the ball in play and put pressure on the other team — instead of the other way around. We’ve just got to fix some things and adjust.” 

Troy baseball bounces back with 6-4 win

April 14th, 2016

Greenville Beats Trojans

April 13th, 2016 

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

 

TROY — Greenville 4, Troy 1

TROY — On the heels of an 11-0 and 17-0 doubleheader sweep of Trotwood on Tuesday, the Troy baseball team had plenty of chances to finish the season sweep of visiting Greenville on Wednesday.

But the Trojans (6-3, 3-1 Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division) left seven runners stranded on base and only managed one first-inning run, while the Green Wave strung together a series of hits in the top of the seventh to plate three and held on to win 4-1.

“We had a couple base running errors, ran ourselves into outs. And we left guys stranded in scoring position in four of the innings,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “We had a lot of opportunities to score runs and just didn’t. We left them in the game, and they came through in the seventh.”

Jared Bair took the loss, going 6 1/3 innings, striking out five and allowing seven hits and three walks.

Jake Daniel doubled and drove in Troy’s only run and Troy Moore added a double.

The Trojans host Triad Thursday.

Braves 1-hit Trojans

April 2nd, 2016 

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

SPRINGFIELD — Troy may have only gotten one hit in the game, but it still had chances throughout.

That lack of offensive punch proved costly, though, as Springfield Shawnee shut out the Troy baseball team 3-0 Saturday in Springfield as the Trojans returned to Ohio after a week-long trip to Georgia.

Hayden Kotwica got the Trojans’ lone hit, leading off the game with a single. They had two runners on in the inning, but a double play cost them that opportunity. Despite being one-hit, Troy left seven runners on base — five in scoring position.

“They threw three guys at us, and their guys threw strikes,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “We hit too many pop ups, too many groundouts at the wrong time and just did not have enough timely hitting. We got guys on but never did anything about it. We just didn’t have a good approach mentally.”

Kotwica also pitched five strong innings as Shawnee only had four hits in the game — but made the most of its chances.

Troy (3-2) travels to Greenville Monday to kick off Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division play.

Late Tuesday/Wednesday roundup

Troy baseball falls to 3-1

March 30th, 2016

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

EMERSON, Ga. — When Troy got hits Tuesday, they came in bunches.

The Trojan baseball team had six consecutive second-inning hits against Woodland (Ga.) — five of those being RBI singles — scoring six in the inning, building a nine-run lead and holding on late for a 10-6 victory to start off its week-long Georgia trip Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday, however, the Trojans couldn’t get anything going at the plate, falling 7-1 to Ooltewah (Tenn.).

Jacob Curcio finished the game 4 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored, Brandon Emery was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs and Jared Bair was 2 for 2 with an RBI and a run as Troy lead 6-1 after the top of the second, then added four more in the top of the fifth to go up 10-1.

“In the second inning, we had a walk, an out, a walk and then six singles in a row with one out,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “We had five RBI singles in a row. It was pretty awesome. We ended up with 13 hits in the game — and all of them were singles. When we got them, we strung them together.”

Bair got the win, pitching 4 2-3 innings, striking out four, walking two and giving up five of Woodland’s seven hits. Most of those came in the bottom of the fifth, when Woodland plated three runs to stay alive after Troy left two runners on in the top of the fifth but missed a chance to end the game in a run-rule.

The Trojans also had a pair of assists from the outfield. Curcio doubled off a runner at second with the bases loaded on a fly ball. And in the fourth, center fielder Hayden Kotwica — who threw out a runner at third to end Saturday’s season-opening 1-0 win over Oakwood — gunned down a runner at the plate Tuesday to end the fourth inning.

Justin O’Neill pitched 1 2-3 innings of relief and gave way to Emery, who pitched 2-3 inning to earn a save.

“Jared threw really well, got a little tired in the fifth,” Welker said. “It was a good first outing for him. He threw the ball well.”

Troy took on Ooltewah (TN) Wednesday at the Perfect Game Complex in Emerson. The Trojans got a run in the top of the first, but it was all they could manage as they scattered six hits, all singles once again. Alex Riedel was 3 for 4 with an RBI in the game. Jordan Peck took the loss, giving up four runs in the bottom of the third. Ooltewah tacked on three more in the fifth to seal the Trojans’ first loss of the year.

Troy (3-1) faces North Paulding (Ga.) Thursday.

One way or another

Troy sweeps Oakwood, 1-0 and 11-8

March 26th, 2016  

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

 

TROY — A pitcher’s duel, complete with a stellar defensive play to end it.

Rallying from a five-run deficit to win late.

Whichever way is necessary to win, the Troy baseball team showed that it was capable of doing it.

The Trojans (2-0) opened the season with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Oakwood Saturday at Market Street Field, with Jordan Peck pitching a complete-game shutout — and getting help from a game-ending double play on an outfield assist from Hayden Kotwica — in a 1-0 victory in the opener. And in the second game, Troy fell behind 4-0 after the top of the first and trailed by as many as five before a three-run triple by Brandon Emery tied the score in the fifth and a homer by Austin Barney gave them lead in the sixth in an 11-8 come-from-behind win.

“We won two games two completely different ways today,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “Jordan Peck threw a really nice game to start us off, and we played pretty good defense behind him. And in the second game, we showed that we can get behind and still win. I’d rather not be in that situation, but we did get behind, and the guys didn’t hang their heads. They just kept chugging away, fought the whole game and came through in the end.”

Peck, a senior, only allowed three hits and a walk in the opener, striking out seven. He got all the run support he’d end up needing in the second inning as Alex Riedel — who had two of the Trojans’ five hits — scored on an RBI groundout by Tyler Lambert.

Oakwood (0-2) got the leadoff batter on in the top of the seventh, and he stole second on a strikeout to get into scoring position. But the next batter flew out to Kotwica in center — who fired it to Reidel at third. The Lumberjacks’ runner had gotten a late start attempting to tag up, and the throw beat him to the base for a game-ending double play.

“That was a nice way to end the first game,” Welker said. “In a close game like that, every single play matters. And that was a great play, a great throw by Kotwica. Something like that lets our pitchers know that they can trust the defense.”

One problem that carried over from the first game to the second, though, was leaving runners on base in run-scoring situations.

“We left a lot of guys in scoring position,” Welker said. “Sometimes even a ground ball somewhere can score you a run — like Lambert’s. No one got the big hit in that game, though, and we ended up leaving guys in scoring position a lot in both games.”

The Jacks jumped on top to start the second game, plating four runs in the top of the first against Troy starter Kotwica. After a leadoff hit-by-pitch, Alex Neff and Brock Gorman hit back-to-back RBI doubles, Jackson Jennings drove in another run with a two-out single and a fourth run came in on a passed ball.

The Trojans answered with two in the bottom of the inning thanks to an RBI single by Jared Bair and an RBI double off the base of the fence in left by Barney to cut the lead in half. But Troy stranded runners on second and third in the next inning and a runner on third in the third, and the Jacks held onto their 4-2 lead.

Oakwood made it a 6-2 game with a pair in the fourth as Neff and Gorman again brought in runs on back-to-back hits, but the Jacks gave one right back in the bottom of the inning on a two-out run-scoring error. A run-scoring error by Troy and an RBI double by Brian Erbe in the top of the fifth, though, gave the Jacks their biggest lead of the game at 8-3.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Trojans changed everything.

Riedel led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches, but Oakwood starter Nolan Hamilton recorded two straight outs and looked ready to get out of the inning. An RBI infield single by Kieran Williams kept the rally alive, though, then Jacob Adams reached on an error and Drake McDonagh drove in a run with a single up the middle to cut the lead to 8-5 and force a pitching change. Kotwica drew a walk to load the bases.

Brandon Emery fell behind in the count 0-2 — but the Oakwood catcher dropped a foul pop that could have ended the inning. Given new life, Emery worked the count full and then laced a bases-clearing triple down the line in right field to tie the score.

“It makes a difference,” Welker said of the at-bat. “They hung their heads a bit, and we jumped on it. We always talk about taking advantage of situations, like that dropped pop. That’s a big deal.”

Reliever Troy Moore, who entered the game in the fifth, got out of a jam and left runners stranded on second and third in the top of the sixth, and with one out in the bottom of the sixth Barney gave the Trojans their first lead of the game by yanking the first pitch he saw over the fence in left to make it 9-8.

“Austin’s a free swinger,” Welker said. “He likes those fastballs, and he’s not going to watch many of those go by.”

Three walks an a strikeout later, Kotwica dropped a two-out, two-run double on the line in left field to give the Trojans a bit of insurance, and Moore recovered from hitting the leadoff batter in the top of the seventh and struck out the final two batters of the game to wrap up the sweep.

“Kotwica struggled a bit early but threw well enough for us to stay in the game,” Welker said. “And Troy is able to throw strikes with his big curve early in the count and get ahead of hitters. We played pretty good defense today — we tell our pitchers to throw strikes, let them hit it and let our guys play defense.”

The Trojans will be on the road all week, taking a trip to Georgia for a series of games beginning Tuesday. They will return to Ohio Saturday and travel to Springfield Shawnee, and Troy’s next home game is not until April 8 against Greenville.

Contact Josh Brown at (937) 552-2132, or follow @TroyDailySports on Twitter.

Troy Tribune

Written by Jim Dabbelt

Start 2016 Season

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End of 2014 Season 

Troy falls in district final

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

 

5/23/15: Lebanon — The district title game was all about control.

Mason took it early, and Troy could never get it back.

The Comets — who the Trojans lost to in last year’s regional semifinal round — took charge with five runs in the top of the first inning, and that’s all starter Andy Marzheuser needed in a fairly dominant effort as Troy simply couldn’t ever get any momentum in a 10-2 loss in the Division I district championship game Saturday at Lebanon Junior High.

“Balls just bounced different ways, not ours,” Troy baseballcoach Ty Welker said. “We always tell the guys to control the things that are within our reach, to focus on those, and not to worry about the things we can’t control.”

Despite the final result, though, the Trojans finished off an impressive season. Troy went 21-7 on the year and won its third straight sectional championship along the way.

“We’ve got nothing to be ashamed of,” Welker said. “We won 22 games, won our third straight sectional. These guys have nothing to hang their heads about.”

The Trojans got a chance for payback against Mason, which ended their season 5-0 in last year’s regional semi, but it just wasn’t in the cards.

And that became clear early on.

Mason drew two straight walks to start the game, then Tyler Krabbe hit an RBI single back up the middle. After Troy starter Ryan Lavy got a strikeout for the first out, another walk loaded the bases. Troy couldn’t turn an inning-ending double play, and Vince Vanelle ended up with an RBI fielder’s choice to keep the inning going. A bloop RBI single by Ronnie Engleman, a run-scoring error on another potential inning-ending ground ball and another bloop RBI single by Logan Williams later, Mason had batted around and held a 5-0 lead.

“We walked a couple guys, they had some dinks and bloops for base hits,” Welker said. “Things just didn’t go our way early. And we ended up with five errors in the game, too — we just can’t do that. We’re better than that. When things get out of hand early like that, you’re going to struggle.”

Marzheuer, meanwhile, cruised. He gave up a walk in the first and another in the second, but Troy didn’t get a runner to second base through the first four innings — in which the Comets’ starter had eight of his 11 strikeouts.

“He’s obviously one of the area’s best,” Welker said. “At this level of the tournament, you’re going to see pitching like that no matter who you play against.”

The Comets, meanwhile, tacked on two more runs —one of them earned — in the top of the fourth on back-to-back sac flies by Dylan Bryan and Krabbe. And in the fifth, a leadoff double by Nick Northcutt, back-to-back RBI singles by Engleman and Marzheuser and yet another error that led to an RBI hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded by Krabbe made the score 10-0 Mason and put Troy in danger of being run-ruled — and possibly even no-hit at the time.

Collin Moeller took care of the first concern, leading off the bottom of the fifth with a sharp single. And Zach Thompson yanked the run-rule worries off the table, too, by blasting a no-doubter to left for a two-run homer to make it a 10-2 game.

Relievers Nick Matney and Jordan Peck kept Mason off the board from there, but the Trojans couldn’t get anything going on their end, either. A walk by Lavy and a single-and-error by Alec Demore put runners on the corners with one out in the sixth, but Marzheuser got a pair of shallow fly balls, and Troy couldn’t edge closer. And in the bottom of the seventh, John Robbins came in to close out the game, setting Troy down in order.

It was the final game for nine Troy seniors — Cascaden, Demore, Josh Fulker, Lavy, Moeller, Thompson, Trenton Wood, Shane Zwierzchowski and Anthony Shoop — and their absence will be felt after everything they’ve meant to the team.

“Three of those guys — Lavy, Wood and Moeller — have been up with us for all three of these sectional titles,” Welker said. “That was the plan back when they were sophomores, to be able to do this. They’ve meant a lot to our program. All nine of our seniors have.

“All of our seniors have contributed so much to the team, whether you see it on the field, in practice, doing fundraising work. The effort that these nine guys have put into the program, into helping our young players, they’re just all great guys and they will be missed.”

Contact Josh Brown at (937) 552-2132, or follow @TroyDailySports on Twitter.

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Moeller’s slam propels Troy to 8-2 win

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

 

5/14/15: TROY — Collin Moeller missed his chance in the first inning.

He didn’t let that happen again when he got another shot.

“I took a fastball right down the middle that I should’ve swung at the first time,” he said after striking out with the bases loaded early in Thursday’s game against Centerville. “The next time, I saw a pitch in the zone that I thought I could pop up for a sac fly. I just hit it a little farther than that.”

After the Elks had tied the score in the top half of the inning, Moeller belted a grand slam to put the exclamation point on a six-run fifth by the Trojans to take the fight out of 11th-seeded Centerville as No. 2 Troy (21-5) defeated the Elks 8-2 Thursday at Market Street Field in the Division I sectional tournament to advance to its third straight sectional title game.

Moeller entered the day in a tie for the lead in the Greater Western Ohio Conference with four homers on the year. After his latest, he was mobbed at home plate by jubilant teammates.

“He’s put a few over the fence this year,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “I had this vision in my head before he came up, but still. With the bases loaded, I was just thinking please put it in play. And boy, did he.”

“Obviously, that one is a little more important than the other ones,” Moeller said with a smile.

And any fight the Elks (13-14) had left at that point, starter Trenton Wood took care of. After a rough patch in the fourth and fifth innings where Centerville was able to squeeze through two unearned runs, Wood shut them down the rest of the way, retiring the final eight batters he faced to seal the win — including an impressive diving catch by Hayden Kotwica in center field to kick off the seventh.

“He struggled a bit in the middle innings, got behind some hitters, we made some errors,” Welker said. “But I was most impressed with how he finished. Once Centerville tied the game up, he really buckled down and threw well from there. He finished strong. His last two innings were his strongest.”

Wood finished with eight strikeouts — including the final two batters of the game — and gave up only one walk and five hits. Troy committed an error in four consecutive innings, as well, including miscues that helped the Elks push across their only two runs.

The Trojans started the game strong, too. Josh Fulker led off with a walk, a one-out error put runners on first and second and Alec Demore drove in the game’s first run with a single. Dalton Cascaden walked to load the bases, but Moeller struck out for the second out. Zach Thompson drew a walk, though, to give Troy a 2-0 lead after one.

“We’ve been that team all year. We put up runs in the first inning,” Welker said. “In the second, third and fourth, though, we kind of let their pitcher take charge. The guys have to learnt o be patient and not go after the pitcher’s pitches. We’ve got to wait for ours.”

Centerville starter Bryan Luna sat down 10 straight hitters from there, and the Elks took advantage, getting a run on an RBI groundout by Matt Stoner in the fourth and an RBI single by Blake Zeller in the fifth to tie the score.

That only served to revitalize the Trojans.

Kotwica led off the Troy half of the fifth with a single and was bunted to second by Fulker. A Ryan Lavy single put runners on the corners, and Wood drove an RBI single through to put Troy back on top. An error by the Elks’ catcher on a pickoff attempt at second base allowed another run to come in, and back-to-back singles by Demore and Cascaden loaded the bases up for a second time for Moeller with one out.

Moeller wasted no time, jumping on a first-pitch fastball. The only doubt was whether or not the ball would stay fair, and it hung inside the pole to make it an 8-2 game.

“We can score runs pretty quickly once we get started,” Welker said. “We probably shouldn’t have waited until the fifth to do it, but that’s a credit to their pitcher in those middle innings. Still, we’ve just been that kind of team all year.”

Troy left runners on second and third in that inning — and ended up stranding five for the game — but enough damage had already been done with Wood on the mound as Centerville went down meekly one-two-three in the sixth and seventh to end it.

The Trojans will now faces No. 3 Fairmont at Beavercreek in the sectional championship game.

 

Contact Josh Brown at (937) 552-2132, or follow @TroyDailySports on Twitter.

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Trojans, Indians split

Piqua blanks Troy in series finale

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

 

5/5/15: IQUA — For only the third time this season in Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division play, the Troy baseball team couldn’t mount a comeback.

For the first time this season, they couldn’t mount anything at all.

Following a 9-1 rout of rival Piqua on Monday at home, the Trojans faced the Indians on the road in the series finale Tuesday — and Piqua starter Michael Anderson held them to only four hits and the Indian defense made plays to get out of jams, handing Troy (18-4, 7-3 GWOC North) its first shutout loss of the season, 2-0 in Piqua.

“We hadn’t been shut out all year,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “Hats off to their pitcher, he threw well. Everything that happened in the game, we did to ourselves.”

On Monday, the Trojans rode a five-run first inning to a 9-1 victory over the Indians

Jared Bair provided another big blow late to seal it, going 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs. Collin Moeller was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, Trenton Wood was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Josh Fulker added a double.

Ryan Lavy pitched 5 1-3 innings to get the win, striking out four and walking two. Nick Matney finished the final 1 2-3 innings as the duo combined to scatter six hits — all singles — and allow only one run in the fifth.

But on Tuesday, Anderson silenced those same bats.

“We just didn’t have an approach at the plate today,” Welker said. “Maybe our approach was to swing at 2-0 pitches. We had some swings that were just not impressive today.

“In the second, we had second and third with one out, and we expect to score. But we pop to short on a first pitch we shouldn’t have swung at. We have the bases loaded with one out in the fifth, we expect to score. But a couple of ground balls, and we get nothing out of it.”

Aside from a second-inning single by Dalton Cascaden — when Troy stranded runners on second and third — the Trojans’ only hits came in the fifth inning. With Troy down 1-0, Bair connected on a one-out single, Zach Thompson beat out an infield hit and Hayden Kotwica ripped another infield single sharply off the third baseman’s glove to load the bases with only one out.

But a meek grounder to the catcher that stayed fair allowed Piqua’s Brayden Dohme to step on home plate and keep the score tied. Lavy then hit a grounder to short and was out by half a step to end the inning.

“We’ve got them loaded, got a guy on third with one out, why not hit it to the second baseman and at least score one? Why are we swinging at a pitch like that out of the zone?” Welker said. “We just didn’t have an approach.”

Piqua (11-12, 5-5 GWOC North), meanwhile, had its own problems against Troy’s Trenton Wood, leaving three runners stranded over the first two innings to keep the score tied 0-0.

But in the bottom of the third, the Indians capitalized on a couple of defensive miscues. Travis Smith reached second on an error and Austin Davis walked, but a popped-up bunt and a shallow flyout to right kept the runners in place. Noah Gertner then hit a foul pop that was dropped by the first baseman, giving him a second chance — and he promptly blooped a ball into center that a diving center fielder couldn’t come up with, scoring Smith to make it 1-0.

The Indians got an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth as Davis was hit by a pitch and eventually driven in on an RBI single by Derrick Gullett.

Wood finished with a complete-game four-hitter.

“When Wood throws, we expect to be in every game,” Welker said. “He battled out of some tough spots. But defensively, we kicked the ball around a little bit. We had an error at short, that dropped foul pop, the drop in center … everything was self-inflicted tonight.

“That’s not to take away credit from what Piqua did. They battled and scrapped and played hard. There’s just no excuse for how we played. We’re better than that.”

Troy — which earned the No. 2 seed in the Division I sectional draw over the weekend — returns home Friday to face Fairmont, the No. 3 seed, in a potential sectional final preview.

 

Contact Josh Brown at (937) 552-2132, or follow @TroyDailySports on Twitter.

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Trojans win on Senior Day

Troy run-rules Carroll, 10-0

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

 

5/2/15: TROY — Troy started slow Saturday.

Once they got going, though, the Trojans never stopped.

The Troy baseball team (16-3) won its fifth straight Saturday, scoring three runs in the third, fourth and finally the bottom of the fifth to post an impressive 10-0 victory over visiting Carroll Saturday on Senior Day at Market Street Field.

The Trojans sent their nine seniors — Dalton Cascaden, Alec Demore, Josh Fulker, Ryan Lavy, Collin Moeller, Zach Thompson, Trenton Wood, Shane Zwierzchowski and the injured Anthony Shoop — off with a big win. And they did so in the fashion the Trojans have used all year — with everyone contributing here and there.

“If you look at the league’s stats, we have five or six guys with 10 or more RBIs — and not one guy with more than 20,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “That’s what makes us a solid team. It’s not just one guy that’s carrying us. Everyone is pulling their weight.

“All of our seniors played, but they’ve contributed all year long, too. They’ve done a nice job all season, and they did well today.”

Cascaden had an RBI double in the game and Thompson also doubled as Troy went scoreless in the bottom of the first, took a 1-0 lead after two and then continued to pile on. Demore led the way by going 2 for 2 with two RBIs, and Fulker, Lavy and Zwierzchowski each added an RBI, as well.

Hayden Kotwica went the distance on the mound, throwing a two-hit shutout while striking out three. The defense was solid behind him with only one error.

“We played a nice defensive game. They hit a lot of fly balls,” Welker said. “And we haven’t really had a game like that where we started slow scoring then kept putting up runs in every inning. We fought and clawed each inning and just didn’t stop.

“It was a great way to send our seniors out.”

The win sets up a showdown series to cap off Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division play on Monday and Tuesday against Piqua, with the Trojans hosting the Indians to kick it off on Monday.

Contact Josh Brown at (937) 552-2132, or follow @TroyDailySports on Twitter.

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When it matters

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com 

4/18/15: TIPP CITY — The Trojans don’t like to dwell on missed chances or what could have been.

“You always think about your next time up,” Troy baseball coach Ty Welker said. “We missed plenty of chances early on. But some guys that we really needed to stepped up when it mattered most.”

Ryan Lavy hit a two-out game-tying single in the top of the seventh inning that forced extras, then Hayden Kotwica and Shane Zwierzchowkski hit back-to-back two-out RBI singles in the eighth to propel Troy to a thrilling 4-2 victory Saturday afternoon at Tippecanoe over the county rival Red Devils.

It was Troy’s second win in as many days in come-from-behind fashion in its final at-bat. Friday, it defeated West Carrollton 6-5, scoring a walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh. The win also made the Trojans a perfect 12-0 on the season and gave them momentum heading into Monday and Tuesday’s critical Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division series against rival Butler.

“Down 2-1 in the sixth, you’re sitting there thinking ‘well, what if things don’t go our way today? How will the guys react?’” Welker said. “But you know what? To come back and win a game like that, that gives us a lot of momentum and a lot of confidence mentally. Sure, there were some situations where we had execution issues. But when it mattered, the guys came through again.”

For Tippecanoe (6-5), it was another case of missed chances on offense, as well.

“It’s just a repeat, the same stuff we’ve been going through,” Tippecanoe coach Bruce Cahill said. “We had 16 popouts and flyouts. That’s more than five innings’ worth. If you don’t make them make plays, hit it on the ground and maybe they boot it … this is probably one of the worst offensive stretches I’ve seen.”

Through the first six innings, both teams struggled with runners in scoring position, with Troy going 0 for 8 and Tippecanoe going 1 for 6, with the Devils’ hit being a bunt that loaded the bases and didn’t bring any runs in. But Troy managed to get a run in the first inning on a one-out RBI sac fly by Collin Moeller — and that 1-0 lead stood until the bottom of the fifth thanks to both pitchers, Troy’s Jared Bair and Tippecanoe’s Justyn Eichbaum, doing a stellar job.

Eichbaum went the first 4 1-3 for Tippecanoe, striking out six and allowing only one hit but walking three and hitting one. Dalton Hodge pitched the next 1 2-3 innings, walking one and striking out two.

Bair, meanwhile, gave the Trojans six strong innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out four in a no-decision.

“Jared’s kind of been our hammer,” Welker said. “He’s thrown against Centerville, Northmont, now Tipp — and I don’t know if he’s done the math, but he’s likely getting Moeller on Thursday, too. He threw a great game for us today, and he’s provided a lot of bang for our pitching staff.”

In the fifth, though, the Devils were able to take the lead on a controversial play.

With the bases loaded and only one out, Brandon Gotthardt hit an RBI sac fly to right. But Mitchell Fischer — who had been going from second to third on the play — got tangled up with Troy’s third baseman as he went to round the bag, and he was awarded home plate to give Tippecanoe a 2-1 lead.

“It was an awkward situation, but there’s always something that’s in your control to not put yourself in those situations,” Welker said. “Maybe it even sparked us a bit.”

That lead held up until the seventh, as Hodge and Bair pitched one-two-three sixths. In the seventh, facing Tippecanoe’s Aaron Hughes, Bair drew a walk to start the inning, stole second and took third on a groundout for the second out. But Lavy pulled a sharp single to right to even things up, and Kotwica came on in relief and pitched a one-two-three seventh to force extra innings.

And in the top of the eighth, Alec Demore singled with one out, stole second with two outs and took third on a wild pitch. Dalton Cascaden drew a walk to put runners on the corners, then Kotwica lifted an RBI single to left-center to put the Trojans on top. Zwierzchowski followed that by lining an insurance RBI single to left, and Kotwica set the Devils down in order in the bottom of the inning to post the win.

“Kotwica, a sophomore, threw a couple of great innings for us and got a big hit,” Welker said. “We stayed hot and scored early again, but then we backed off. But the guys battled. We’ve won games in pretty just about every way possible during this stretch.”

The Trojans will look to continue that against the Aviators, kicking off the series at Butler on Monday.

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Troy wins 10th straight

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com 

4/16/15: TROY — As nice as 10-0 sounds, Troy baseball coach Ty Welker wasn’t worried about hearing it.

“We’re worried about West Carrollton now,” he said. “We’re taking it one game at a time and not looking back. The guys’ mindset has been in a good place all season. We’re going to face some adversity at some point, going to lose a game or something like that, and I’m anxious to see how the kids respond when faced with that.”

Of course, that doesn’t have to happen anytime soon.

“Oh, I can wait a long time for that,” Welker added with a laugh.

Trenton Wood made sure to keep him waiting.

The Troy senior shut down a potent Beavercreek offense, scattering five hits, walking none and allowing only one earned run, tossing the third complete game by a Troy pitcher in four games this week in a 7-1 Trojan victory — the team’s 10th straight to begin the season — Thursday at Market Street Field.

Wood struck out five in the game, including Branden Williams — the Greater Western Ohio Conference’s leading hitter — twice. Williams, who entered the game with a .636 batting average, went 0 for 3, with two of those at-bats coming with a runner in scoring position.

“What a game he pitched,” Welker said of Wood. “He got out of a couple of tough spots, threw the ball real well. Williams, you won’t see a better hitter than him all year. Trenton threw him a lot of fastballs in, and I don’t think he’s used to being challenged like that. Trenton did a great job today.”

He got plenty of run support early, too.

After Beavercreek (6-3) went down one-two-three to start the game, Josh Fulker led off the Troy half of the first with a single and stole second base. The Beavers got the lead runner on a Ryan Lavy grounder, though, but Wood followed with a single and the runners were balked to second and third with one out.

Collin Moeller came through, blasting a two-run triple over the center fielder’s head, and Zach Thompson made it a 3-0 game by ripping a two-out RBI double off the fence in left.

“We’ve had a lot of first innings like that,” Welker said. “Unfortunately, sometimes we have the habit of taking the foot off the gas when we get those, and we did that today. We left a lot of guys on base after that, too many guys. We went after a lot of pitches that weren’t ours, and our approach kind of went south after that first inning.”

A pair of walks loaded the bases with two outs in that first inning, but Beavercreek was able to get out of the inningwithout any further damage. Troy then left a runner stranded on second in the second inning, runners on second and third in the third and runners on the corners in the fourth, stranding a total of nine runners in the game — six in scoring position.

The Beavers, meanwhile, scraped together a run in the fourth thanks to the speed of Nick Massey. Massey singled and stole second, then came in to score on a single by Jackson Buck to make the score 3-1. Buck then took second on a passed ball, still with no one out, but Williams lined out to Thompson at short, then Wood got a casual flyout and a strikeout to get out of the jam.

A two-out double by Corey Jordison in the fifth led to nothing for Beavercreek, but Massey led off the sixth with a single and stole second again. This time, though, Wood got Buck to fly out to center, punched out Williams looking and got a grounder to third to keep the score at 3-1 Troy.

And the Trojans sealed it in the bottom of the sixth

Hayden Kotwica and Fulker hit back-to-back infield singles to start the inning, then Lavy pulled an RBI single to right to make it a three-run game — also taking second as Beavercreek tried to get the out at third on the play. Wood ripped a single down the line that brought home two more runs, and he alertly took second on the play, as well, as no one covered the bag. An RBI grounder by Alec Demore made it a 7-1 game — more than enough breathing room for Wood, who finished the game with a one-two-three seventh.

“It was good to see us get four runs and bookend the game with big innings like that,” Welker said. “We had some good baserunning in that inning, too, that helped out a lot. We’d like to be able to spread out the runs, get one per inning and not leave guys on, but we’ll take seven against a good team like Beavercreek.

“That is a quality program and a really good baseball team.”

Troy, now 10-0, will look to keep its winning streak going today at home against West Carrollton before heading to Tippecanoe on Saturday.

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Trojans top Wave, 3-1

 - TDN

 

4/7/15: TROY — Trenton Wood made a big first inning by the Trojans stand up.

The senior pitched a complete game two-hitter against Greenville Monday, striking out 14 and walking only one in a 3-1 Troy victory to kick off Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division play at Market Street Field.

Wood was also 2 for 2 with a double and a run scored, Zach Thompson was 2 for 3 and Collin Moeller was 1 for 3 with a two-run triple in the top of the first as Troy (3-0, 1-0 GWOC North) scored all three of its runs in the bottom of the first.

I was a little disappointed in our offensive approach,” Troy baseball coach Ty Welker said. “We swung at a lot of his pitches instead of waiting for our pitches. We had two of our six hits in the game in that first inning, and we couldn’t string together anything else. But Trenton threw well and worked out of some tough spots.

“We were just happy to get the game in before the rain came.”

The teams weren’t as lucky Tuesday, as the series finale at Greenville was postponed. It will be made up today, weather permitting.

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TROY ROUTS CENTERVILLE, 13-5

By Josh Brown

jbrown@civitasmedia.com

 

4/4/15: TROY — A pregame ceremony — and some first-inning defense — gave the Troy baseball team plenty of momentum.Not that the Trojans needed any extra motivation, though, given the team in the opposing dugout.

After honoring the 1990 Trojans, who made it farther than any other Troy baseball team has in the postseason by reaching the state semifinals that year, Troy (2-0) scored four first-inning runs before Centerville was even able to record an out and then put the game away with a six-run fifth, cruising to an impressive 13-5 victory Saturday at Market Street Field.

“Seeing those guys (from the 1990 team) come back here today, I think it put some things in perspective for the guys,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “That, and it’s Centerville. Your got to be able to get up to play them. Two years ago, we spoiled their postseason (by knocking them out in the sectional title game), so those guys don’t like us, motivation-wise. And we’re fine with that.”

Starting pitcher Jared Bair got some help from his defense to start the game. After an error allowed the Elks’ (3-2) leadoff hitter to reach, the next batter grounded out sharply to Ryan Lavy at first base, who then threw to shortstop Zach Thompson to complete a double play. Bair then got a called third strike on the next hitter to bring Troy up.

A scorching single by Lavy to lead off and a double by Trenton Wood off the fence in left-center put runners in scoring position in the blink of an eye, and Collin Moeller quickly cashed in with an RBI single. Alec Demore then hit a grounder to first, but Centerville’s first baseman threw home instead of touching the bag — and Wood beat the throw to make it a 2-0 game.

A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, and Dalton Cascaden drove in another run with an RBI single. The Elks made a pitching change — with their starter not recording an out in the game — and Bair drove in another run on a groundout to make it a 4-0 game.

“It’s always nice to get four runs without an out in the first,” Welker said. “We went out and swung the bats today.”

Centerville scraped together a run in the second, but Troy answered with two of its own in the third, scoring one on a throwing error on a bunt attempt and another on a sac fly by Thompson. A balk with runners on the corners in the bottom of the fourth brought home another run, and Troy led 7-1.

Bair, meanwhile, gave a solid effort, allowing only one hit and leaving four runners stranded through the first four innings. After getting the first two outs in the fifth, though, he walked a pair and gave up a three-run homer to Blake Zeller. Jordan Peck finished off the inning for him, getting out of a bases-loaded jam to preserve a 7-4 Troy lead.

Bair gave up three hits in 4 2-3 innings, walking four, hitting one and striking out five.

“This was Jared’s first time facing live hitters outside this season,” Welker said. “He’s pitched in the gym, but we’ve been rained out the other times he was supposed to throw. This was a good first outing for him.”

And after the Elks got back into the game, it just gave Troy the extra motivation to knock them out for good.

Two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases to start off the Trojan fifth, and Lavy came through again by lacing a two-run single up the middle. A wild pitch and a throwing error in an infield-fly situation brought home two more runs, and Dalton Cascaden capped off the inning with a two-run double that gave Troy a 13-4 lead.

Lavy had a huge day at the plate in the leadoff spot, going 3 for 3 with a double, a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored.

“Ryan hit the ball really well,” Welker said. “We still don’t have that typical leadoff-type hitter, so Ryan’s been doing the job since he gets on base. He gave us the momentum and got everyone going today.”

Centerville got a run back in the top of the sixth, but Alec Demore came in to slam the door shut with a one-two-three seventh to finish off the game.

It was a solid early-season win for Troy, which was a regional semifinalist a season ago. Centerville lost in the district championship game to Moeller, while the Trojans’ season ended the next week at the hands of Mason in the regional semifinal round.

Troy kicks off Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division play with a Monday-Tuesday series against Greenville, hosting the Green Wave on Monday. 

BEGIN 2015 SEASON

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End of 2014 Season 

  

 

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In the Big Inning

Errors the genesis of Troy’s loss in regional semifinals

May 30, 2014 By David Fong Troy Daily News

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Pair of Aces

Troy’s Kendall, Langdon have team ready for regional

May 27, 2014 By David Fong  Troy Daily News

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 Whatever it Takes

Troy oust top seed, win district final

May 24, 2014 By Joshua Brown Troyu Daily News

 

 

 

CENTERVILLE — Troy’s backup catcher — and the latest in a long line of Trojan heroes this season — summed it up best.

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Trojans Win Second Straight Sectional Title

May 23, 2014 Staff Reports Troy Daily News

 

CENTERVILLE — All year long, Troy knew what its goals were.

 

It knocked one of them off the list a couple weeks ago, winning its second Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division championship in the last three years.

 

And on Thursday, despite being behind the 8-ball all game long in a tense 0-0 tie against second-seeded Miamisburg, the No. 6 Trojans finally broke through in the top of the seventh inning as Kevin McGraw drove in pinch runner Shane Zwierzchowski for the game’s only run, and Zach Kendall put the finishing touches on a three-hit shutout in the Division I sectional championship game at Centerville High School.

 

“It feels really good,” Troy baseball coach Ty Welker said of winning two straight sectional titles. “We talked all year about our goals. One of them was to win the league, and we did that. And then we wanted to make a good run in the tournament.”

 

Kendall, who blanked then-state-ranked Centerville in last year’s sectional title game, pitched another gem against the Vikings. He struck out seven, walked two and gave up only three hits, consistently finding ways out of trouble spots to preserve the 0-0 tie.

 

“In the second, the got a two-out double and a walk, and we got out of it,” Welker said. “In the third, we had a hit-by-pitch and a walk with one out and got out of it. In the fourth, they got a single and stole second and we got out of it. Fifth, an error where the guy took second on the overthrow with two outs. Sixth, a leadoff double and moved over to third on a passed ball — a guy on third with no one out — and Zach got out of it.

 

“From the second to the sixth inning, they had a guy in scoring position every inning and Zach didn’t let them score. His only one-two-three innings were the first and seventh.”

 

Troy, meanwhile, got a runner to second in the second inning with two outs, but that was the only time the Trojans threatened until the final inning.

 

And down to their final strike in the seventh, at that.

 

Ryan Lavy got a two-out single with a two-strike count, and Zwierzchowski came in to run for him. Greg Johnson drew a walk on a full count to bring up McGraw, who didn’t waste any time. He drove the first pitch he saw into left-center, and Zwierzchowski came in to score the lone run in the game.

 

Troy returns to Centerville at 2 p.m. Saturday to face Lakota West in the district final.

 

“Everything is going as planned so far — but the kids aren’t done yet,” Welker said. “They want to keep playing.”

 

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Kendall Ks 14 in win

Troy advances to Troy 

Troy advances to semi sectional final with 5-2 win

May 15, 2014 By Joshua Brown Troy Daily News|

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Kendall blanks Skyhawks

         

May 9, 2014 By Joshua Brown Troy Daily News

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Troy baseball wins North outright

Butler loss gives

Butler loss gives Trojans 2nd title in 3 years

May 6, 2014 By Joshua Brown Troy Daily News

 

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Trojans take two from Devils in doubleheader

May 3, 2014 By Joshua Brown Troy Daily News

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Sharing destiny

Troy, Butler tied for

Troy, Buter tied for North lead after series split

May 1, 2014 By Joshua Brown Troy Daily News

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Troy tops Butler, takes control in North

 

April 30, 2014 By Joshua Brown Troy Daily News

 

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Trojans’ streak snapped at 6

 

 

April 26, 2014 By Joshua Brown Troy Daily News

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Trojans Sweep Wave, Keep Pace in North

 

April 23, 2014 By Josh Brown Troy Daily News

 

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Cascaden’s walkoff hit preserves Troy win

 

April 18, 2014 By Joshua Brown Troy Daily News

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Troy Splits With Sidney - Wins Rematch

April 16, 2014  Staff Reports Troy Daily News

 

SIDNEY — After a disappointing loss on Monday at home, the Troy Trojans came up big when they needed to Wednesday at Sidney.

Alex Magoteaux scored the eventual winning run on an error in the top of the sixth inning, and Zach Kendall pitched a complete game, working his way out of tough spots in both the sixth and seventh innings to preserve a 3-2 victory at Sidney in Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division play to salvage a split of the series.

Kendall struck out nine, walked three and gave up five hits in the game to get the win. In the sixth inning, Sidney put runners on second and third with no one out, but Kendall got a short flyout to Trenton Wood in right that couldn’t get the tying run in, then Kendall struck out the next hitter and got another flyout to get out of the inning. And in the seventh, Sidney put runners on first and second with one out, but a strikeout and a wild pitch on a bunt attempt put runners on second and third with two outs.

“That brought up (Connor) Echols, their best hitter,” Troy baseball coach Ty Welker said. “He hit a ball to left that probably would have been to the fence had the wind not been blowing in. But the wind knocked it down, and (Collin) Moeller made an easy catch for the last out.

“It was a very exciting game. Sidney battled, but we really competed hard the whole game. And Zach, through the wind and the cold and in some really tough situations, he battled hard.”

Kevin McGraw doubled and drove in a run for Troy and Magoteaux was 1 for 2 with an RBI and a run scored, coming around to score from second base on an error by Sidney’s third baseman in the top of the sixth that made the score 3-2 — where it stayed.

Troy hosts Oakwood today and West Carrollton Friday.

 

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Troy softball wins, baseball falls vs. Sidney

April 14, 2015 By Joshua Brown Troy Daily News

 

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Trojans come from behind, sweep rival Piqua

April 9, 2014 By Joshua Brown Troy Daily News

 

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Making their own breaks

 

Troy Shuts Out Piqua 6-0 

April 8, 2014 By Joshua Brown Troy Daily News

Trojans pick up 1st win

 

April 5, 2014 By Joshua Brown Troy Daily News

 

                              2014 Season Begin

 

                              2013 - Season End

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Wheels come off One bad inning ends Troy's season in district final

May 25, 2013 By Josh Brown Troy Daily News Their first tournament win in four years. Their first sectional championship in even longer. A huge upset over one of the top-ranked teams in the state. One nightmarishly bad inning isn't enough to taint all of the Troy Trojans' accomplishments this season. The worst it could do was put an end to it. After Troy had roared back to take the lead in its Division I district championship game on a two-run double by Ian Nadolny in the top of the fifth, the wheels came off in the bottom of the inning as it handed Lakota East six unearned runs after an uncharacteristically poor frame defensively, and the Thunderhawks took advantage in a 7-3 victory at Western Hills High School's gorgeous field. Lakota East (26-3) scored its six runs in the bottom of the fifth on five walks, three costly errors and only two hits. "We got behind by a run (in the bottom of the fourth), then we fought back and scored two in the next inning to take the lead," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "Then they got six on a bunch of errors and just a lack of focus on our part. But those things happen. It's no one's fault. "We just didn't make any plays in that inning. But that's part of baseball." The Thunderhawks broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth on an error, also. A leadoff infield single and a walk put runners on, they advanced on a bunt and a hit-batter loaded the bases with one out. Troy starter Ben Langdon got a grounder up the middle and shortstop Dylan Cascaden fielded it, tagged second, leapt to avoid the sliding runner and threw to first. But the throw sailed wide and into the outfield, allowing one run to score. Another runner tried to score, but right fielder Greg Johnson gunned him out to complete a double play - just not the one the Trojans had wanted. Troy fought back immediately, though. Alex Magoteaux and Johnson hit back-to-back one-out singles to bring up Nadolny, and the senior catcher promptly blasted a double to the gap in left-center. Magoteaux tied the game, and Johnson came around all the way from first to give Troy the lead. Then came the bottom of the inning. A leadoff walk, a stolen base and a sacrifice bunt put the tying run on third, and another walk put runners on the corners. Brett Colburn dropped down a suicide squeeze attempt, but Langdon couldn't come up with it to get the out at first and the score was tied. An error on a rundown moved the runners up, and yet another walk loaded the bases. Langdon got a grounder to second and Nick Sanders threw home, but Nadolny couldn't handle the throw and the run scored just before he picked the ball up to score the go-ahead run. A groundout to first allowed another run to score, and another walk loaded the bases. Adam Delaet then came up with the inning's first actual hit, a two-run single that made it a 6-2 game. An infield single re-loaded the bases, and one last walk brought in the sixth run before a flyout ended the inning. Troy did what it could to bounce back. Cam Weaver and Devin Blakely - who both went 2 for 3 in the game - both singled with one out in the top of the sixth, then Cascaden brought Weaver in with a solid RBI single to center that chased starter Andy Aimquist. In came Evan Person, who struck out the next two batters to end the inning and turned a one-four-three double play to end the game in the seventh. "In those last two innings, we battled," Welker said. "The guys had no quit in them, and I couldn't be more proud of them." Particularly considering everything they accomplished this year. "We had 19 wins, knocked off Centerville - one of the top five teams in the state. We tied for second in the GWOC North. Would have liked to have won it again, but we made the district finals," Welker said. "And Lakota East is a top 10 team in the state and we took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. We have nothing to be ashamed of. "If we learned anything from this year, it's that we can play with anybody." And while the seniors will be missed, Troy knows its future is still bright. "Our seniors have been great. They've contributed a lot over the years, and we owe a lot of this right now to them," Welker said. "But I'll probably start thinking about next year tomorrow. These guys have had a taste of it now, a taste of what it's like to be a top-notch program. And they'll want more."   Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.  Actual Article pg 1:  5-25-13-Troy-Loses-to-Lakota-at-District-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  5-25-13-Troy-Loses-to-Lakota-at-District-Pg-2   *********************************************************************************

 

On Cloud Nine Trojans end Elks' 20-game streak for sectional title

May 23, 2013 By Josh Brown Troy Daily News Zach Kendall didn't have to put his Troy teammates on his shoulders. They jumped on willingly. Particularly during the celebration. Kendall threw a four-hit masterpiece Thursday against Centerville, striking out 11 - six of them looking - and shutting down a team that had won 20 games in a row. Then seniors Dylan Cascaden and Nick Sanders both drove in runs in a three-run tie-breaking seventh inning, and the Trojans - who hadn't won a tournament game in the last four years - shocked the state-ranked Elks 4-1 to win the Division I sectional championship at Athletes in Action Field in Xenia.   Troy (19-11) moves on to face either Lakota East or Loveland at 3 p.m. Saturday in the district title game. And once the final out of a one-two-three bottom of the seventh was recorded, the Trojans charged the mound and piled on top of their junior starter.   "We're a family," Kendall said. "Being on the bottom of that pile, you've got your whole family on top of you. There's no better feeling in the world."   After the pile-up was over, Kendall also received plenty of "I love you, man"s and "You're my hero"s from his teammates - as well as one offer to pay back the favor and carry him to the bus.   "He deserves that," Troy coach Ty Welker said of Kendall. "He came out and did what we asked him to, what we've been looking for out of him all year. He executed and threw really, really well tonight."   Kendall found himself in a jam to begin - but the way Troy got out of it set the tone for the rest of the night.   A leadoff single, a walk and a hit-batter loaded the bases with no one out to put Kendall's back to the wall. But he struck out cleanup hitter Nick Bertram looking on three pitches, and when the next batter whiffed on a suicide bunt attempt, the Trojans caught the runner on third in a rundown and sent him back to the dugout. Kendall then finished off another three-pitch strikeout looking, and Centerville (24-2) got nothing out of it. "I just had to buckle down and throw strikes," Kendall said. "If you have faith in your defense - like I do - then all you've got to do is throw strikes."   Troy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third after an errant throw on a grounder by Nick Sanders brought Cascaden all the way from first to score, but Centerville got a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the inning from Sean Murphy to tie the score - and thanks to Kendall and Elk starter Derek Hendrixson, it stayed that way until the top of the seventh.   And the game-winning hit couldn't have come from a more fitting source.   After Cam Weaver drew a leadoff walk and Devin Blakely bunted him to second, Cascaden scorched the first pitch he saw right at the third baseman - who couldn't get his glove up in time, giving Cascaden an RBI single to make it a 2-1 game.   "You know, I've never beat Centerville," Cascaden said. "All four years, every sport I play - baseball, football, basketball - never beat 'em. So I gave the team a speech the other night about it. And yeah, they made fun of me a little for it. But it worked.   "I just went up to the plate hacking. The first pitch came in, and I hit it hard, right over the guy's glove." The Trojans were far from done, though.   Sanders blasted an RBI triple over the center fielder's head to score Cascaden and chase Hendrixson from the game, and then Sanders scored on a grounder by Magoteaux when the Centerville second baseman tried to throw home to prevent the run but threw it way too high.   The shell-shocked Elks could do nothing in retaliation this time as Kendall put the game away one-two-three - retiring eight straight to close out the win.   "We didn't come into this game looking at it like a monumental task," Welker said "We were talking the other night, and we said 'Why not? Why can't we win?' We didn't doubt ourselves, we didn't look at records. We just took care of business. We played the game like every pitch mattered, and we never lost focus. This was a complete team effort."   "We just came together as a team and really believe in each other a lot," Cascaden said.   And even buried under the weight of his whole team," Kendall was on Cloud Nine.   "We all just played the game of our lives," he said. "There's just no better feeling."     Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.   Actual Article pg 1:  5-23-13-Troy-Beats-Centerville-Wins-Sectionals-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  5-23-13-Troy-Beats-Centerville-Wins-Sectionals-Pg-2   ********************************************************************************

Winning the war Wood outduels Penley; Troy edges Sidney

May 16, 2013 By Josh Brown Troy Daily News Hard work, making the most of everything ... and a little bit of luck. Oh, and sophomore Trenton Wood throwing a fantastic game. It took all of that and more for Troy to beat Sidney's Ryan Penley. Devin Blakely, Dylan Cascaden and Nick Sanders combined to manufacture the game's only run in the bottom of the sixth inning as both starting pitchers dominated the opposition, and Zach Kendall struck out the side looking with a man on in the seventh to close out a 1-0 victory over the Yellowjackets in Sidney that puts the Trojans in next week's Division I sectional championship game. After both teams used their aces in their first-round games - with Troy being forced to expend both Ben Langdon and Kendall in an 11-inning win over Piqua - Penley and Wood stepped up. Penley gave up two hits in the game, striking out four, walking none and hitting two batters in six innings. Wood was just as good - and more clutch. "Trenton Wood, what can I say?" Troy coach Ty Welker said. "He stepped up big time. He threw a heck of a game today. "Our plan today, our hope was that if we could get four innings out of Trenton, we'd be OK. But he threw six really solid innings, and he got out of some jams, too. He did a great job." Wood gave up three hits, walked four - one intentionally - and struck out six in six scoreless innings of work to get the win. An outing that was made even more special by how far Wood has come since his first varsity appearance - when he didn't record an out against Tecumseh. "Yeah, we had some fun with him about that. He had an infinity ERA after that one," Welker said. "But then he threw a good game against Tipp and a good game against Centerville - and he really stepped up today. Once he got going this year, he was the pitcher we always believed he was." It wasn't all easy for Wood, though. Sidney got two on in the first inning before Wood induced an inning-ending double play. And with runners on first and second again in the fourth, Wood got a swinging strikeout to end the threat. The top of the sixth was toughest thanks to a leadoff walk to Preston Heath with the meat of the order coming up. Sidney ran a hit-and-run with the next hitter, Bobby Benshoff - but Troy second baseman Nick Sanders ranged far to his left to at least get one out, throwing Benshoff out at first. "I haven't had the best luck with long-distance plays like that all year," Sanders said. "We knew their lefties had been trying to stroke it to my side, and that late in the game, we knew they'd try something like (a hit-and-run). I was supposed to cover second, but Dylan (the shortstop) and I talked about it right before that and worked it out so he'd cover. Even with all that, it was still a hard play to make." Wood forced a pop to Sanders for the second out then intentionally walked Connor Echols, but a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. After an eight-pitch battle with Layne Sharp, Wood induced a grounder to Sanders to get out of the inning untouched. Penley matched Wood for five innings, though. Troy didn't have a baserunner until Blakely was hit with a pitch with two outs in the third. He stole second but was left stranded, and then in the fifth Kevin McGraw dropped a double into the right-center gap for Troy's for hit - but that came with two outs, also, and he was left on. But everything came together in the sixth - starting with Blakely being plunked for the second time in as many at-bats to lead off the inning. "I was looking to get a hit, but you get on base any way you can," Blakely said. "You just have to make the most of your chances." Cascaden followed by yanking the first pitch he saw deep to left. Sidney's left fielder looked to have the ball tracked down, but at the last moment it went over his head and hit off the fence for a double to put runners on second and third with none out. "He kind of jammed me, so when I hit it, I didn't know how far it was going to go," Cascaden said. "But hey, it's my (19th) birthday, that got me on second and Devin on third, and the Sandman (Sanders) came up and did the rest." Enter Sanders. Coming up with no one out, he knew what had to be done in the situation. "I know Devin's the fastest kid on the team, so I wasn't too worried. I was happy it was him on third. I knew I just had to put it in play," Sanders said. "I was just trying to do my one job - get the run in any way I could." And Sanders sent a shallow fly ball into center field, but it was plenty deep enough to score Blakely and give Troy a 1-0 lead. Penley got another flyout and then a grounder to short to get out of the inning without any further damage, but after giving up a single to lead off the seventh, Kendall slammed the door shut with three straight called third strikes. Troy will face top-seeded Centerville - which it lost to 5-3 earlier this season - Thursday at Athletes In Action Field in Xenia.   Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.  Actual Article pg 1:  5-16-13-Troy-Beats-Sidney-Going-to-Sectional-Finals-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  5-16-13-Troy-Beats-Sidney-Going-to-Sectional-Finals-Pg-2   *********************************************************************************

A special win McGraw's single in 11th propels Troy past Piqua

May 14, 2013 By Colin Foster Troy Daily News With runners at first and second with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning, Troy's Kevin McGraw, who was 0 for 3 at the time, came to the plate. "I was just trying to get a single," said McGraw about how he approached his final at-bat. "I wasn't trying to do anything special. I was just trying to get that run in." What McGraw did, however, turned out to be pretty special. McGraw hit an RBI single to score Ian Nadolny to lift the Trojans to a 5-4 victory over rival Piqua in the opening round of Division I sectional play Tuesday night at Hardman Field. Troy moves on to face Greater Western Ohio Conference North foe Sidney, a 9-3 winner over Beavercreek, at 5 p.m. Thursday. "I think the lesson learned for our guys is, you know, there's always going to be moments where you can step up, and if you don't do it once, (that chance) is going to come up again," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "I think I pinch-hit for him in the sixth inning. He's been struggling, so I pinch-hit for him, and he had to re-enter defensively. Then he got another chance. "He could have held his head and thought about how I pinch-hit for him, but he didn't. He stepped up when it mattered. He did a nice job - everybody did. Our pitchers, (Ben) Langdon and (Zach) Kendall, kept us in the game, our defense made some nice plays when they needed to make plays. We would have liked it have done it in seven, but I tell you what, that was pretty exciting for those boys. We haven't won a playoff game for at least four years, so to win a game like that against a quality opponent is nice. I have the utmost respect for coach (Jared) Adkins and their team. They competed, and it was a battle. We preach that, that's what we have prepared for all year - for that type of game." Troy's Dylan Cascaden broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third with a solo shot off of Piqua pitcher Colin Lavy. Then in the home fourth, Alex Magoteaux singled to start the inning. He was bunted to second by Greg Johnson, then Nadolny smacked a double into the gap to make it 2-0. Nadolny advanced to third on the throw home, then made a heady play on the basepaths to score on a shallow fly ball to first base. Langdon had consecutive one-two-three innings to start the game before encountering trouble in the third and fourth innings. Piqua had runners on first and second in the third with two outs, but Langdon struck out Justice Young to end the threat. The Indians again had runners on first and second in the fourth, before Langdon forced a ground out to get out unscathed. The top of the sixth, however, was a different story for the Troy starter. Young was hit to start the inning, then B.J. Marsh and Bryan Mace had back-to-back singles to load the bases. Langdon struck out the next hitter, but Austin Reedy followed with a one-run single and Michael Anderson's base hit plated two runs to tie the score at 3-3. Langdon finished off his outing by recording two strikeouts against the final three batters he faced to end the inning. And it looked like the Troy offense would be able to get Langdon the win in the bottom of the sixth as Nick Sanders launched a triple to begin the inning. Magoteaux was walked to put runners at the corners with no outs when Johnson came to the plate. Johnson hit a pop fly to Piqua right fielder Zach Nipher, who beamed it home to get Sanders by an inch at the plate, much to the chagrin of Welker and the Troy dugout. Still, the Trojans managed to plate the go-ahead run on an RBI single by Trenton Wood. To their credit, the Indians were able to rally against new Troy pitcher Zach Kendall in the top of the seventh, as Buddy Nix's fly ball was deep enough to score Marsh and tie the score at 4-4. Kendall settled down after the seventh. He continued to grind and worked his way out of jams in the eighth and ninth innings. Piqua's leadoff hitter (Young) reached in the ninth and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. The Trojans got out of the jam, though, thanks to an untimely error on the base paths by the Indians. With one out, Mace hit a lazy fly ball to right and Young tagged to third. The umpires ruled that Young left early, and the Trojans got out of the inning. Reedy entered to pitch for Piqua in the bottom of the seventh and proceeded to shut down the Troy offense for three innings, until he encountered problems in the 10th. Ace Cam Gordon took over with two runners on in the tenth and was able to get the Indians out of the inning. Gordon, who had a 6-1 record coming into Tuesday, wasn't able to work his way out of trouble in the 11th, though. McGraw made sure of that.   Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.   Actual Article pg 1:  5-14-13-Troy-Beats-Piqua-in-Extra-Innings-in-Sectionals-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  5-14-13-Troy-Beats-Piqua-in-Extra-Innings-in-Sectionals-Pg-2   *********************************************************************************

Bolts blank Trojans TC wins regular season finale

May 11, 2013 Staff Reports Troy Daily News TROY - For two innings, both pitchers dominated. One swing changed all of that. A home run by Northmont to lead off the third inning kicked off a six-run inning for the Thunderbolts and Tom Stoffel did the rest, two-hitting Troy in a 9-0 victory at Market Street Field Saturday. The game was originally to be played at Northmont, but poor field conditions after a rainy night caused the game to be moved and give Troy one last chance to play at home on the year. Troy (15-11) - which lost to Northmont 12-2 in the postseason last year - couldn't manage anything on offense other than singles by Nick Sanders and Alex Magoteaux. "Their pitcher threw really well and took control of the game. He dominated us," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "For the first two innings, it was a pitcher's duel, but they hit a leadoff homer in the third and just kept hitting. As soon as they hit that homer, our shoulders slumped and we fell apart." Troy travels to Piqua Tuesday for its first-round Division I sectional game *********************************************************************************

Senior shuffle Kendall, seniors lead Troy past KR

May 4, 2013 By Josh Brown Troy Daily News After a winless week against the Greater Western Ohio Conference's best, Troy desperately needed a victory. And the Trojans' seniors delivered. An all-senior lineup plated four runs in the first three innings to take the pressure off of starter Zach Kendall, and the junior did the rest by tossing a three-hit gem in a 4-0 Senior Day win over the Kenton Ridge Cougars Saturday at Market Street Field. "Two things," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "First, it was Senior Day, all of the seniors played and they all did a great job. Second, Zach Kendall threw a really nice game." And Troy's (13-9) senior-packed lineup got to work early. Jay Swigard singled with one out in the bottom of the first, and Dylan Cascaden immediately brought him around to score with an RBI double. And with two outs, Cam Weaver ripped a grounder to third that took a crazy hop three feet over the Kenton Ridge defender's head for a clutch run-scoring single to stake Kendall out to a 2-0 lead. That lead only grew in the second, as Riley Turner reached on a bunt single, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Devin Blakely. And in the third inning, Cascaden led off with his second double of the game and eventually scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0. "Whenever I call any one of these guys' name, they're always ready to give 100 percent no matter what role I need them in," Welker said of the seniors. "They work hard, they do whatever I ask of them and they always do a nice job for us." And Kendall - who hasn't seen much run support of late - made the most of it. The junior struck out 11, walked two and gave up only three hits, the first of which came in the second inning on a crazy hop at third exactly like Weaver's single. After an errant pickoff throw put the runner in scoring position, Kendall struck out the side from there - giving him six strikeouts in the first two innings. "We scored two in the first, and Zach took over from there," Welker said. "We'd like him to be the kind of guy that says 'you give me a run, and I'll give us a win.' He's had some tough luck in his last three losses, though. He's only given up runs in three innings out of 25 or 26, and he has three losses to show for it because we haven't been scoring runs for him." The Cougars (11-11) made Kendall work for it, though. Six batters worked counts full against him, and he finished the complete game on his 124th pitch. Still, Kenton Ridge only put two runners in scoring position in the entire game and never got anyone past second base. And of those six hitters that drew full counts, only one reached base at all. Kendall was simply in control from start to finish, using lessons he'd learned in those losses that came before. "He's had some tough losses, but he learned something about composure - and tempo," Welker said. "We saw Centerville and Lebanon's pitchers, and how they'd get the ball and immediately go back and throw the next pitch. We've been working with the guys to be in control of the game and set the pace." Logan Perkins added a double in the game for Troy, while seniors Ian Nadolny, Cody Fuller and Kyle Croft also started and played the whole game. The win gives Troy some positive momentum heading into the regular season's final week - with the tournament draw happening today. Troy plays an away-home series Monday and Tuesday against Trotwood to finish GWOC North Division play before hosting Versailles on Thursday in its final home game of the regular season. The Trojans then finish up at Fairborn on Friday and at Northmont Saturday.   Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.  Actual Article pg 1:  5-4-13-Troy-Beats-Kenton-Ridge-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  5-4-13-Troy-Beats-Kenton-Ridge-Pg-2   *********************************************************************************

Trojans fall to Warriors Vikings hand Jets 12-3 loss

May 3, 2013 Staff Reports Troy Daily News TROY - Troy finished its five-day tour of the Greater Western Ohio Conference's three league leaders without a win. Friday at Market Street Field, the GWOC South-leading Lebanon Warriors shut down Troy's offense and took advantage of everything it could, handing the Trojans their fourth straight loss, 8-1. "We've seen them all now, and we are not matching up with them real well right now," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "We just didn't execute in so many ways. We're struggling to do the things we should do routinely. And offensively, we've got a lot of work to do there, too." Kevin McGraw went 3 for 3, accounting for more than half of Troy's (12-9) five hits on the day. The Trojans host Kenton Ridge at 11 a.m. today for Senior Day. ******************************************************************************************************

Elks hold off Trojans

May 2, 2013 Staff Reports Troy Daily News "Moral victory" is probably not a term the Troy Trojans care to use. But Thursday's loss to state-ranked Centerville is as close as it gets. Trenton Wood pitched a solid game against a potent lineup and Troy rallied from a big deficit to make it a ballgame, but the 19-1 Elks still had enough to hang on for a 5-3 victory at home in a makeup game Thursday. "We're never happy with a loss. But we can take some good things out of this game and move forward," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "We saw a really good baseball team today, and that's our goal - we want to be a really good baseball team. We can be a really good baseball team. And we need to compete with teams like this to get there." In fact, Troy is taking a tour of the best the Greater Western Ohio Conference has to offer this week. Troy was swept by GWOC North leader Butler earlier this week - including a 14-3 run-rule loss on Tuesday. Now after losing to the GWOC Central-leading Elks, Troy (12-8) faces Lebanon today, which leads the GWOC South. "We need to play teams like this because right now our focus has to be on the playoffs," Welker said. Wood gave up seven hits, four earned runs and walked one while striking out five against the Elks in a complete game. "I can't compliment Wood enough with how well he threw today," Welker said. "They were hitting .398 as a team. He's only a sophomore, and this was great experience and a great game for him." Nick Sanders hit a two-run double in the seventh inning, Greg Johnson was 2 for 3 with an RBI and Alex Magoteaux was 2 for 4 as Troy actually outhit Centerville 8-7 in the game. "We were down 5-0 after the fifth, and we didn't put our heads down," Welker said. "We didn't give up. We didn't quit. We were outmatched at times, but we kept working hard, and that's great to see." Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page. Actual Article pg 1:  5-2-13-Centerville-Holds-Off-Troy-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  5-2-13-Centerville-Holds-Off-Troy-Pg-2   *********************************************************************************

Trojans swept Aviators clinch GWOC North with win

April 30, 2013 By Josh Brown Troy Daily News Blowout, close game - Troy coach Ty Welker doesn't think there's a debate between which is the worst way to lose. "They're both equally disappointing," he said. "We don't like to or expect to lose any game. Every loss is disappointing." Tuesday's was particularly costly, though. After Monday's narrow 4-2 defeat at the hands of Butler, the Trojans found themselves needing a win to stay mathematically alive in the Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division race. But everything that could go wrong for the defending champion did as Troy fell 14-3 in five innings at Butler. Troy (12-7, 4-4) entered the two-game series only one game behind with four division games left in the season, giving the Trojans a chance to take a one-game lead. And even after Monday's loss, the Trojans still had a chance if they got some help from Sidney during Butler's final divisional series of the year. Instead, the Aviators (14-6, 7-1) took advantage of four Troy errors over the course of the first two innings, taking control with a 6-0 lead and never looking back. "When it rains, it pours," Welker said. "Early on, we failed to execute. We have control over a lot of the stuff that happened. We were just on our heels. "We played very defensively today, aggression-wise. I've had teams that maybe didn't have a lot of talent, but that's not this group. So to see that defensive kind of play in a team like this is disappointing." And Butler did it with patience and the ability to extend at-bats at the plate. The Aviators worked a pair of walks to start the game, and a dropped fly ball in right plated Butler's first run. Then on a grounder to short, Troy tried to get the runner at the plate, but the throw was a split second too late. After a bloop RBI single, Troy gave up another run on a delayed double steal by throwing the ball into center field, and it was 4-0 Butler after one. After another Troy error led off the second inning, Butler got another runner on with a hit-and-run, catching Troy's fielder out of position. After a balk moved those runners into scoring position, a two-out error brought them both in to make it 6-0. All told in the game, Butler forced Troy's two pitchers to throw 134 pitches - 40 in the first inning alone - drawing six walks, getting hit by a pitch and fouling off a whopping 15 pitches with two-strike counts to keep at-bats alive. "There were two teams out here today: one that competed at the plate and made things happen, and one that waited for things to happen to it," Welker said. "We know Butler's tough to get out. That's the kind of team they are. We just can't sit back and wait for good things to happen to us." But once Butler started scoring earned runs in the third and fourth, they did so with dribblers, infield hits, seeing-eye singles and bloopers. The Aviators scored six times in the third on six hits, then added two more insurance runs in the fourth on two hits and three walks. Troy managed to get on the board in the third. After singles by Dylan Cascaden and Nick Sanders to lead off the inning, a fielder's choice put runners on the corners. Butler starter Mitch Gremling - who also got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning - struck out the next batter for the second out, but a wild pitch brought in Cascaden and an RBI double by Ian Nadolny plated Sanders. Nadolny added an RBI single in the top of the fifth, but the Trojans left runners on second and third as the Aviators finished the game early. Coupled with Sidney's 4-2 loss to Piqua Tuesday, Butler wrapped up the outright league championship with the win. And with a makeup game at Centerville on Thursday before hosting Lebanon on Friday and Kenton Ridge on Saturday, the Trojans are left looking for a way to find their intensity and aggressiveness again. "That's a good question," Welker said. "We've just got to try to focus on what happens in our dugout. We've got to make sure we're working to make adjustments and compete. Because we didn't compete today."   Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.  Actual Article pg 1:  5-1-13-Troy-Drops-Two-to-Butler-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  5-1-13-Troy-Drops-Two-to-Butler-Pg-2   **********************************************************************************

Trojans win pair Johnson goes 8 for 9 at the plate

April 27, 2013 Staff Reports Troy Daily News KETTERING - Troy has been Jekyll and Hyde at the plate this season. Jekyll showed up Saturday. The Trojans got some late-inning heroics from Dylan Cascaden Friday night in a 4-3 win over Springfield, then on Saturday Troy ripped the ball off the cover, pounding out 32 hits and compiling 27 runs in two victories against Fairmont. Greg Johnson was the catalyst behind the Troy offense, putting up video game numbers at the plate. He finished the two games 8 for 9 with two triples, three runs and five RBIs. Troy won the opener 12-7, then got down early in Game 2, before exploding for 15 runs in the final five innings to complete a 15-5 six-inning victory. In Game 1, the Trojans led by a score of 8-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth. The Firebirds responded with seven runs in the inning to close the gap to 8-7. But Troy took control from that point on, closing with four runs in the final three innings for the win. "At that point in the game, it was 8-7 (after four innings)," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "We responded by scoring runs and continuing to put the pressure on them. It's good for a team to do that. They were making a comeback, and we were able to go out and still produce runs." In that 12-7 win, Troy's Collin Moeller went 3 for 4 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI. Nick Sanders homered, Devin Blakely went 3 for 3 with three runs and two RBIs and Joey Benson added a double. Trenton Wood was the winning pitcher for Troy. In the second game alone, Johnson was 4 for 5 at the plate with four runs batted in. Cam Weaver went 3 for 4 with three runs and two RBIs, Alex Magoteaux and Ian Nadolny both finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs, Cascaden and Moeller each added doubles. Ryan Lavy was the winning pitcher. The Trojans (12-5, 4-2 Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division) host league-leader Butler on Monday before traveling to Butler on Tuesday. A pair of wins against the Aviators would give the Trojans the GWOC North lead.   Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.   Actual Article pg 1:  4-27-13-Troy-Wins-A-Pair-vs.-Fairmont-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  4-27-13-Troy-Wins-A-Pair-vs.-Fairmont-Pg-2   **********************************************************************************************************

Clutch Cascaden 2-run double by Cascaden seals Troy win

April 26, 2013 By Josh Brown Troy Daily News After missing out on a chance with runners on second and third and two outs, Dylan Cascaden wasn't about to let the same thing happen again. Luckily for the Trojans, the senior leadoff hitter got another shot. "Earlier in the game, I came up in the same situation and grounded out to the shortstop," Cascaden said. "I went to the dugout knowing I'd have at least one more at-bat. My mind was set on that next at-bat." With the score tied 2-2, Cascaden blasted a 3-1 pitch to the center field fence on two hops, plating the go-ahead and a key insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Trojans rallied and then held on in the seventh for a 4-3 victory over Springfield Friday at Market Street Field. Ryan Lavy tied the game at 2-2 earlier in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single that brought home Greg Johnson, and then Collin Moeller was hit by a pitch with one out. A wild pitch put runners on second and third, but the Wildcats (5-13) prevented a run from scoring on a groundout to third, setting the stage for Cascaden. "We'd had guys come up before him and not pose a threat. But he's a senior, and he stepped up in a clutch situation," Troy coach Ty Welker said. It was the second game in a row the Trojans (10-5) have struggled with runners in scoring position. After an offensive explosion on Monday at Greenville, Troy suffered a letdown on its home field, falling 4-3 despite numerous chances to get a big hit. "We did that against Greenville. In the seventh, we did not have very many good at-bats," Cascaden said. "We were popping it up right to them, and you can't do that in those situations." "When we get those big hits early in the game, everybody does it. It's contagious for us," Welker said. "But when we don't get those early on, it's a fight." Troy took the lead in the bottom of the second. After Lavy (2 for 3, two runs, one RBI) singled and stole second, Kevin McGraw immediately brought him home with an RBI single up the middle. A fielder's choice and a pair of walks loaded the bases with two outs, but a meek pop-up to first put an end to that threat. The Wildcats tied it up thanks to the speed of Kawambee Moss, who singled with two outs, advanced to second on another single, stole third and came home on an errant throw on the play. And after the Trojans put runners on second and third with two down in the fourth, Springfield starter Jeff Mefford got Cascaden to ground out to keep the score tied. "We were all just laid back today. No one was standing in the dugout," Cascaden said. "Someone had to step up and make a big play." The Wildacts took the lead in the top of the sixth on a two-out RBI infield single by Jake Moore. With runners on first and second, Moore hit one in the hole between first and second base, and he beat the throw to first by a step. The Troy first baseman hesitated while waiting for the umpire's call, and Derek Williams jumped on the chance and scored from second to make it 2-1 Springfield. After Troy's three-run rally in the bottom of the inning, Springfield made it interesting in the end. Mefford drew a leadoff walk, and a one-out single by Riley Borders put runners on the corners. A fielder's choice made it a one-run game with two outs, but a hit-batter and a steal of third put the tying and go-ahead runs on base. But Nick Sanders struck out the final batter of the game looking, finishing off a tough game with a save. Ben Langdon started the game for Troy, striking out all eight batters that he retired in 2 2-3 innings - six of them in a row - but leaving the game after reaching his pitch count limit. Cody Fuller came in and worked 3 2-3 innings, striking out two, walking two and giving up three hits and two runs to earn the win in relief. "Ben was on a pitch count since he'll be throwing against Butler next week," Welker said. "Cody did a nice job coming in and holding us in there. And Nick is the closest thing to a closer we've got, but he's been hurt since our game at Fifth Third Field. This was his first game back, and it was a learning experience for him. He needs to get into those tight situations where he's got to throw strikes late in a close game." The Trojans hope the win will help them gain some momentum heading into the biggest series of the season on Monday and Tuesday against Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division-leading Butler. But first up, they have a doubleheader at Fairmont today. "We got some momentum, and we'll get some more Saturday and be ready to play on Monday," Cascaden said. "Trust me. You're going to see a different level of intensity from us on Monday." After all, down one game in the division standings, there won't be any second chances.

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Troy Splits With Greenville                                                                                         

 April 23, 2013 Staff reports Troy Daily News

TROY — After routing Greenville 16-3 — and seeing the division’s top team fall—on Monday, the Trojans came into Tuesday’s game against the Wave looking to protect their first-place tie. 

But Greenville plated five in the top of the second inning and Troy (9-5, 4-2) struggled to get clutch hits, leaving nine on base in a 5-4 loss Tuesday at Market Street Field.                                         

“It’s disappointing,” Troy coach Ty Welker said. “You go out and score runs one day, to the point where it seems like you can’t not score runs, and then you have a game like this … it was like we were going through the motions. Like we thought they were going to give us runs.”

Dylan Cascaden was 2 for 2 with two stolen bases and a run scored as Troy managed only five singles in the game and saw its two through- five hitters go 0 for the day. 

Zach Kendall got the loss, striking out six and walking five — all five in the first ttwo innings. Five of Greenville’s six hits also came
in the top of the second.

Troy looks to bounce back Friday at home against Springfield

Disappointing day Yellowjackets shut down Trojans, 2-0

April 17, 2013 By Josh Brown Troy Daily News It takes a certain mentality to win a division championship. "We've got to go into it thinking we're going to win every game," Ty Welker, coach of the defending Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division champion Troy Trojans said. "Anything less is a disappointment." Which is why the Trojans were so upset after Wednesday's game. Sidney got a pair of clutch hits in the first inning to take a two-run lead, and Connor Echols did the rest in a complete game shutout as Troy left nine runners on base - including the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning - in a 2-0 loss Wednesday at Fifth Third Field in Dayton. It was technically the first GWOC North loss for Troy (8-4, 3-1) since 2011. The Trojans lost twice to Greenville last season, but the Green Wave was forced to forfeit those victories. It was also the first time Troy, which had won four in a row entering the game, had been shut out since a 5-0 loss to Bellefontaine on April 20, 2012. Echols walked four, gave up six hits and only struck out three, throwing only one one-two-three inning and a total of 99 pitches. But it never really felt like he was in any danger except when he walked the first two batters of the fifth inning and let Troy load the bases in the seventh with one out. Each time, though, the Trojans harmlessly flew out to the outfield to take the pressure off of Echols, and he found ways to work out of it. "We got beat today due to a lack of offense and a complete lack of discipline at the plate," Welker said. "I'm not taking away from him (Echols). He threw a really nice game. But we just had absolutely no plan at the plate. "We'd be in a fastball count and then take a fastball for a strike. He was throwing high in the zone, and we were swinging pop-up swings and popping the ball up. We lacked an offensive approach today." Sidney (5-6, 2-2), meanwhile, was fortunate enough to get to Troy starter Zach Kendall early. Kaleb Dotson led off with a single and stole second, and with one out Echols drove him in with an RBI single up the middle, with Echols taking second on an errant throw on the play. And with two outs, Jacob Lochard brought in Echols for an insurance run with another RBI single. It was all Sidney could manage against Kendall, as he was lights out from there. Kendall gave up six hits in the game - three in the first inning - and walked none while striking out five. And when the Jackets did get runners on, catcher Ian Nadolny made sure they didn't matter. With Sidney runners on first and second and none out in the fourth, a Sidney batter missed on a bunt attempt and Nadolny threw to second, catching the lead runner in a rundown. And in the fifth, a one-out single led to nothing as Nadolny caught a runner trying to steal second. "We've got to come out and start," Welker said. "Slow starts like we had today will get you. Zach had a slow start focus-wise, but he settled down and threw a heck of a game. We just didn't help him out. "You can't pitch a victory if you don't score any runs." Troy's best threats came in the fifth and seventh. In the fifth, Collin Moeller and Cam Weaver - who was 2 for 2 in the game - led off the inning by working back-to-back walks. But flyouts to left and right field by the next two batters took the heat off, and Echols struck out the final hitter of the inning to escape. Greg Johnson then led off the seventh with a single, and Weaver singled with one out to put runners on first and second. Dylan Cascaden (1 for 3) walked to load the bases, but Echols struck out the next hitter and induced a groundout to short to end the game. "We posed a threat, but it was too little, too late," Welker said. And while perennial GWOC North champ Butler now sits atop the division with a 4-0 record, Welker wanted to ensure that his Trojans aren't looking ahead to that series, which isn't until the end of the month. "We have Greenville Monday and Tuesday next week. We'll worry about them first," he said. Before that, though, the Trojans travel to Centerville on Friday.   Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.  Actual Article pg 1:  4-18-13-Troy-Falls-to-Sidney-at-Fifth-Third-Field-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  4-18-13-Troy-Falls-to-Sidney-at-Fifth-Third-Field-Pg-2   **********************************************************************************

Trojans start hot, rout Pirates 10-3

April 12, 2013 Staff Reports Troy Daily News TROY - Troy coach Ty Welker couldn't have asked for a better start Friday night against West Carrollton. The Trojans put up five runs in the opening inning on their way to a 10-3 victory over West Carrollton. "Five runs in the first inning, it's nice to come out like that," Welker said. "We had six hits. We were hitting with power. We couldn't have asked for a better start to a game." Troy threw four different pitchers in the game, with Cody Fuller coming on in the third and getting the victory. Dylan Cascaden went 2 for 3 and scored two runs, Nick Sanders had two hits, a double and four RBIs and Ian Nadolny went 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. Collin Moeller added a 2 for 4 day with a homer and three RBIs in the win. The Trojans (7-3) play at Sidney Monday, before playing the Yellow Jackets Tuesday at Fifth Third Field in Dayton. Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.   Actual Article pg 1:  4-13-13-Troy-Beats-West-Carrollton-Pg-1 **********************************************************************************

Sealing the deal Troy beats GWOC rival Piqua, 5-2

April 9, 2013 By Josh Brown Troy Daily News Troy missed its chances to put away the game early. Piqua saw a few opportunities to get back into it slip past. In the end, it took the Indians fighting back to get the Trojans going. Piqua rallied from an early 2-0 deficit - which could have been much worse - to tie the score in the bottom of the fifth inning, only for the Trojans to retake the lead in the top of the sixth and tack on two insurance runs in the seventh to seal a 5-2 victory over the rival Indians Tuesday at Hardman Field as the defending Greater Western Ohio Conference North champs began division play with a pair of hard-fought victories. Troy (6-3, 2-0) got back-to-back doubles by Dylan Cascaden and Nick Sanders to start the game and take a one-run lead, and a Collin Moeller solo blast leading off the second made it 2-0. But the Trojans also had runners on second and third with one out in the first and failed to cash in, and a botched double steal with runners on first and third and two out in the second cost them a shot at even more. "We have to learn the difference between being content and wanting more. We have to always want more," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "The way we were hitting the ball at the beginning, we weren't thrilled about only getting two (runs). You can't leave a scrappy team like that in a ballgame." Especially with the way Austin Reedy threw after those first two innings. Reedy finished with six strikeouts and two walks, giving up seven hits in five-plus innings of work - five in the first two innings. "After he got through those first two innings, he settled down and threw a whale of a game," Piqua coach Jared Askins said. "A lot of hitters have trouble with his delivery angle, and his ball moves quite a bit. He did a nice job of keeping them off balance." "He took control," Welker said. "That's the danger of letting a team like this hang around. He had us swinging at his pitches, the ones he wanted us to, not ours, and he had us out on our front feet a lot." Troy's Zach Kendall, meanwhile, found himself in genuine trouble for one of the few times this season. After two solid innings, Reedy drove in Piqua's first run on a sac fly to cut the lead to 2-1 in the third, then Piqua loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fourth. But Kendall made a big play at a big moment when the Indians attempted a suicide squeeze bunt. The bunt was popped in the air, and Kendall broke quickly, caught it and threw to first to complete an inning-ending double play. "That was huge. That changes the momentum of the whole game," Welker said. "They had the top of their order coming up after that, so that was a really dangerous situation. If we don't end it there, who knows when we get another out?" But Reedy set the Trojans down in order in the fifth, and the Indians kept fighting. Noah Gertner led off the bottom of the inning with a double, advanced to third on a groundout and eventually a walk put runners on the corners with two outs. Buddy Nix then sat back and waited on a curveball, lacing it up the middle to tie the score. "We've talked as a team about not being tough enough, about not showing enough heart," Askins said. "Over these last couple of games, I can see that we're getting tougher." At that point, though, Troy got tough, too. Alex Magoteaux led off the sixth with a walk and took second on an errant pickoff attempt, then Greg Johnson ripped a single over the shortstop's head to bring in the go-ahead run and chase Reedy. And in the seventh, two walks to start the inning both came back to hurt Piqua. Ian Nadolny drove in one of them with an RBI groundout and Magoteaux followed that with a two-out RBI double. "It was a nice way to respond when they put the pressure on us," Welker said. "We weren't starting our offense ourselves. That's not how I'd like to do it, though. That's why we weren't all that happy with only getting two in the first two innings." Kendall was solid throughout, giving up two earned runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out seven. "Zach threw a nice game," Welker said. "He fought with himself and struggled a little, but if he can struggle and we can still win a game, I'll take it." Troy travels to West Carrollton on Friday, while the Indians (1-6, 0-2) host a doubleheader against Fairmont. "It's a game of opportunities, and we didn't get the job done," Askins said. "We had opportunities in multiple innings to score. But there's no need to look in the rearview mirror. It's done, and we move on. Today just wasn't our day. Hopefully the next one will be." Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.   Actual Article pg 1:  4-10-13-Troy-Sweeps-Piqua-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  4-10-13-Troy-Sweeps-Piqua-Pg-2 ********************************************************************************

Trojans drop pair Tipp improves to 5-1 with 2 wins

April 6, 2013 Staff Reports Troy Daily News After beginning the season 4-1, this was not the way Troy wanted to enter Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division play. The Tippecanoe Red Devils plated five in the second inning against the Trojans to open up a tri-match on Saturday, and the Trojans couldn't complete a comeback in a 12-8 loss. And against GWOC crossover opponent Miamisburg, Troy couldn't cash in on its opportunities in an 8-4 loss. "We came out flat today, walked too many batters, and in the first game we had too many errors," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "We just didn't execute." Tippecanoe (5-1), meanwhile, finished the day strong by handing the Vikings (5-1) their first loss of the season with a 4-0 shutout. A controversial play at the plate got the Devils rolling, and the Trojans (4-3) couldn't stem the tide until five runs had crossed and they were down 6-0. And though Troy fought back with three in the third and fifth innings, Tippecanoe was able to keep pace by scoring five more runs over the course of the fourth, fifth and sixth. Eight walks and five errors just proved too much for Troy to overcome. "We hit the ball well and kept battling back," Welker said. "We didn't quit, and we were in the game offensively. We just didn't execute defensively or with pitching." Ben Hughes was 3 for 4 with a triple and two RBIs for Tippecanoe, while Carter Langdon was 2 for 3 with a three RBIs. Reid Ferrell got the win, while Zack Blair pitched the final two innings for a save. Ian Nadolny was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs for Troy, Alex Magoteaux was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs and Greg Johnson was 2 for 4 with an RBI. In the second game, Troy bounced back from an early deficit to take a 2-1 lead after the first. But Miamisburg scored a pair in the third and fourth innings to take control and closed it out with three more in the seventh. Kevin McGraw was 2 for 4 with a double and three RBIs, while Nick Sanders was 2 for 3 with an RBI. "We left 12 guys on base in that game," Welker said. "We had the bases loaded in the fourth and fifth, two on in the sixth. We just didn't get guys in when we needed to." Troy - the defending GWOC North champion - opens divisional play Monday against rival Piqua. Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.   Actual Article pg 1:  4-6-13-Tough-Day-for-Trojans-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  4-6-13-Tough-Day-for-Trojans-Pg-2 **********************************************************************************

Troy pulls away early, beats Beavercreek

April 4, 2013 Staff Reports Troy Daily News TROY - Dylan Cascaden and Nick Sanders started the day off right for Troy. And though the finish wasn't what coach Ty Welker would have liked to see, the result is all the same - a win. Troy scored two in the first inning and eventually took an eight-run lead Thursday against visiting Beavercreek, and even though the Beavers finally put some runs on the board in the final inning, it was too late in an 8-3 Trojan victory at Market Street Field. Cascaden tripled to lead off the first inning and Sanders immediately doubled him home, then Kevin McGraw brought in Sanders with a sac fly to make it 2-0 - and that lead grew to 5-0 after a three-run third inning. And in that third inning, the Trojans had the bases loaded with two outs when Alex Magoteaux hit a clutch two-run single. "Anders is their ace, and he had 16 strikeouts in his first start and just dominated Fairborn," Welker said. "I was glad to see us get to him early. And we only struck out three times in the game. We put the ball in play." Magoteaux was 2 for 2 with two RBIs and a run in the game as the Trojans spread out their hitting. Zach Kendall threw six strong innings for the win, striking out seven, walking two and only giving up three singles. But his pitch count was rising so he didn't get a complete game, and three walks and two errors in the top of the seventh for Troy gave Beavercreek a little hope before the Trojans finally put it away. "We just didn't finish it," Welker said. "That's the only negative from today. We're trying to get some of our young pitchers' feet wet, and it was good experience for him. But we've got to not walk batters. Still, we're happy with an 8-3 win." Troy hosts Tippecanoe and Miamisburg on Saturday, kicking off the day against the Red Devils at 10:30 a.m.   Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.   Actual Article pg 1:  4-4-13-Troy-Beats-Beavercreek-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  4-4-13-Troy-Beats-Beavercreek-Pg-2   **********************************************************************************

Trojans bounce back, beat Braves 8-3

April 3, 2013 Staff Reports Troy Daily News SPRINGFIELD - After Tuesday's loss, Troy coach Ty Welker was interested to see how his team responded. For the first few innings, things didn't look great. Slowly but surely, though, the Trojans turned things around. Following its 13-2 loss to Tecumseh on Tuesday, the Trojans fell behind 3-0 after three innings at Springfield Shawnee on Wednesday. But Troy tied it with three in the fourth and scored five in the sixth to put away an 8-3 victory against its second straight Central Buckeye Conference opponent. And it was a bit of mental toughness that helped Troy (3-1) through Wednesday's win. "The first couple of innings, we didn't play well offensively. We were letting their pitcher control the game," Welker said. "We weren't in the right place mentally. But after the third inning, we started turning it around. We worked counts, saw more pitches. And once we tied it up, I thought (Shawnee) backed off a little - and we put them away with a five-run inning. That was good to see, us finishing off a game." Dylan Cascaden was 2 for 3 with an RBI, Collin Moeller doubled, had an RBI and scored two runs and Kevin McGraw and Alex Magoteaux each had two RBIs as Troy was outhit 8-6 - but made those hits count. "We took advantage of some walks, and people stepped up," Welker said. "We got some hits in the fourth and sixth inning when we needed them, and guys put the ball in play when we needed it most." All of which was fine with Ben Langdon and Nick Sanders. Langdon threw five strong innings, settling down after some early struggles to earn the win, and Sanders shut the Braves down in the final two innings for a save. "Ben hung in there and battled," Welker said. "He settled down and threw a nice game, and Nick came in and threw strikes - something we didn't do Tuesday." Troy returns home today to host Beavercreek in a Greater Western Ohio Conference crossover matchup.   Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.   Actual Article pg 1:  4-3-13-Troy-Beat-Spgfld-Shawnee-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  4-3-13-Troy-Beat-Spgfld-Shawnee-Pg-2   *******************************************************************************

Out of control 11-run fifth propels Tecumseh past Troy

April 2, 2013 By Josh Brown Troy Daily News Sports Editor Six walks. Four runs scoring on wild pitches. A three-run inside-the-park home run. And that was just one inning. On a frigid Tuesday afternoon at Market Street Field, the Troy Trojans found out just how hard it is to put the wheels back on once they fall off completely. The Tecumseh Arrows took advantage of Troy's control problems, coming back from an early 2-0 deficit to tie the game - and then exploding for 11 runs in the top of the fifth inning to turn a tight ballgame into a 13-2 run-rule victory in non-league play. The first 11 Tecumseh batters in the top of the fifth all reached base and scored, with Tony Evans' three-run inside-the-parker making it a 12-2 game. To add insult to injury, Bubba Cantrell reached on a two-base error, then took third on a wild pitch and scored on another - all before the Trojans had even recorded an out. And Troy coach Ty Welker found that once the momentum swung that sharply, it was impossible to turn around. "I've never been part of an inning like that, where the first 11 guys up all score," he said. "We got into a situation where we couldn't throw strikes, and as a pitcher, you're not in control of what's happening anymore. You've got to be ready to mentally battle. You just hope that the guys revert back to what they've been doing all year. "Tecumseh is a good team. That team hits the ball. You have to get ahead in the count against them, because you don't want to throw fastballs to them when they're ahead in the count. We were either walking them or giving up doubles." The Trojan pitchers couldn't find the strike zone - or even the catcher's glove, after a while - giving up a total of 10 walks and seven wild pitches, six of which scored runs. The game didn't start that way, though. Troy starter Cody Fuller got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the first, then Collin Moeller hit a two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the inning to put the Trojans (2-1) up 2-0. But Arrow (3-0) starter Alex High took over from there, only allowing two baserunners after the first inning. He pitched all five, striking out seven, walking three and giving up two hits, the other being a fifth-inning double by Dylan Cascaden. "There were a lot of things offensively that we struggled on, too," Welker said. "Their pitcher took control of the game. He was in command, and we batted defensively." Tecumseh cut the lead in half in the top of the second when High came in to score from third on a wild pitch, then Derrick Cain walked, advanced to second on a groundout, took third on a wild pitch and home on yet another to tie the score 2-2 in the top of the fourth. Tony Evans and Bubba Cantrell both scored on wild pitches to start the fifth, then Christian Evans hit a two-run double. A pair of walks loaded the bases, then two more walks brought in runs. Jimmy Rowland scored on a wild pitch, then Tony Evans cleared the bases with a shot to the right-center gap, coming all the way around to score to make it 12-2 before Cantrell's score on a wild pitch made it 13-2. A pop-out and a pair of strikeouts put a merciful end to the inning. It was a stark contrast to Troy's opening-day doubleheader sweep at Wayne on Saturday, where the Trojans scored 25 runs on 28 hits. Troy will look to rebound today on the road at Springfield Shawnee before returning home Thursday to face Beavercreek.   Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page. Clicking the links below will open an new window so you don't lose this page.   Actual Article pg 1:  2013-Loss-to-Tecumseh-Pg-1 Actual Article pg 2:  2013-Loss-to-Tecumseh-Pg-2 *********************************************************************************

Trojans sweep

March 30, 2013 Staff Reports Troy Daily News HUBER HEIGHTS - Coming into the season, Troy coach Ty Welker's biggest concern was whether or not his team could find ways to score runs. Yeah, about that ... The Trojans (2-0) exploded for 28 hits and 25 runs in an opening-day doubleheader sweep on the road at Wayne, pummeling the Warriors 12-7 and 13-0 to kick off the 2013 season. "In the first game, we could tell that we could hit and score runs anytime we wanted at any point in the order," Welker said. "I can't think of a whole week last year when we had 28 hits total, and here we do that in one day. And that's not taking anything away from Wayne's pitching, either. They threw pretty decent. We just hit the ball the other way hard, we hit with power and everyone contributed in both games." And it all started with a bunt. Devin Blakely - the No. 9 hitter in the order - bunted his way on the the top of the third, kicking off a seven-run inning that set the tone for the rest of the day. "Devin got us going," Welker said. "He led off the third with a drag bunt, stole a base and really put pressure on the Wayne defense." Blakely finished the first game 3 for 3 with two runs and an RBI. Collin Moeller hit a homer and had two RBIs, Greg Johnson was 2 for 5 with a double, two runs and two RBIs, Ian Nadolny doubled, Kevin McGraw was 3 for 3 with a double, two runs and two RBIs and Nick Sanders was 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs. Ben Langdon got the win, throwing four-plus innings, and Kyle Croft finished the game for a save. In the second game, Zach Kendall dominated on the hill, striking out 10 in a five-inning shutout. Nick Sanders was 2 for 4 with a triple, two runs and two RBIs, Johnson doubled and had two RBIs, Dylan Cascaden was 3 for 3 with three runs and three RBIs, Alex Magoteaux was 2 for 3 with two runs, Cam Weaver was 2 for 2 with two runs and an RBI and Blakely was 2 for 3 with two runs. Troy hosts Tecumseh Tuesday in its home opener.

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5/10/2012 Troy Daily News Too much to handle T-Bolts take charge early, oust Trojans from tourney

staff photos/anthony weber Troy shortstop Dylan Cascaden fires to first for an out after making a play on a ball deep in the hole Thursday at Northmont in the Division I?Sectional semifinal. By Josh Brown Sports Editor After accomplishing something no Troy team had done since 1991, the Trojans should have felt a load lifted from their shoulders.   Instead, they gave themselves something to think about for next year.   After getting out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the top of the first inning giving up only one run, third-seeded Northmont (19-8) scored five times over the course of the first two innings to take charge and piled on late, run-ruling Troy 12-2 in six innings in the Division I Sectional semifinal Thursday at Northmont.   "When you give up five runs in the first two innings, you put a lot of pressure on yourselves," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "Only scoring one in our half of the first then giving up those runs, we took all of the pressure off of them. And put it on ourselves."   It was the second straight year that Troy (17-10) was run-ruled in its first tournament game and the fourth straight exit from the tournament in the first game for the Trojans, who won the Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division title in the regular season - something Troy hadn't pulled off in 21 years, since the league the Trojans played in was called the GMVC.   "If you told me before the season that we'd end up 17-10 with a league title and a No. 5 seed for the tournament, I would've been pretty happy with that," Welker said. "We weren't happy with the way it ended, of course. But I'm proud of these guys."   Troy missed a golden opportunity to take command in the first inning. Dylan Cascaden was hit by a pitch, Nick Antonides bunted for a single and Nathan Helke walked to load the bases with none out. Jordan Guillozet then hit into an RBI fielder's choice to give the Trojans the lead.   But Bryan Murphy struck out the next batter and induced another groundout to get out of the jam - and the Thunderbolts took advantage. Keegan Rottgen tripled on the first pitch he saw to lead off, then Tom Stoffel doubled to bring him in. Alex Crabtree hit a ball up the middle that took a ridiculously bad hop on shortstop Dylan Cascaden to get through for an RBI single to give Northmont a 2-1 lead after one.   Austin Sanders then led off the second with a double, Rottgen walked and Patrick Snyder laid down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away for a two-base run-scoring error. An RBI groundout by Stoffel and a squeeze bunt by Crabtree later, Northmont held a 5-1 lead. "Not scoring a second run in the first really hurt," Welker said. "And then not getting outs, giving them a lot of extra outs - they're a good team, and they'll make you pay."   After Jay Swigard led off Troy's half of the fourth by reaching on an error, Devin Blakely and Cascaden hit back-to-back singles, with Cascaden's driving in Swigard to make the score 5-2 - but Northmont tacked on two more in the bottom of the inning and four in the fifth, punctuated by a two-run homer by Todd Mangen.   Troy, meanwhile, managed only three hits off of Murphy, who struck out five and walked three.   "We struggled to compete at times today," Welker said. "They hit the ball hard, and we didn't have many hard-hit balls at all. After the season we had, to not compete on a day like this ...   "Murphy is one of the best pitchers in the area. He definitely set the pace, and we didn't have a good approach at the plate. We didn't swing at many fastballs. He made us swing at his pitches."   An RBI single by Snyder put an end to the game - and Troy's stellar season - in the bottom of the sixth.   "I'm proud of these guys," Welker said. "We didn't have the league title handed to us. We won it. We went out and earned it. Hats off to our seniors, too. They brought it home for us. They carried us on and off the field."   Troy simply put too much weight on its shoulders to handle on Thursday.   Troy         100 100 - 2 3 2 NMont     230 241 - 12 13 1   Alexander, Langdon (4), Kendall (6) and Nadolny. Murphy and Saul. WP - Murphy. LP - Alexander. 2B - Stoffel (N), Sanders (N). 3B - Rottgen 2 (N). HR - Mangen (N). Records: Troy 17-10, Northmont 19-8.   Actual Article Pg 1:   **********************************************************************************************************************************************

5/4/2012  Troy Daily News Sock it to 'em Newsock hits 3 HRs, Xenia tops Troy, 9-5

Troy’s Jordan Price drives the ball Friday against Xenia in the Trojans’ regular season finale at Market Street Field. Colin Foster Sports Writer Xenia's Zack Newsock had one home run, 15 RBIs and a batting average of .292 entering Friday's game against Troy at Market Street Field.   But Newsock was the difference-maker on Friday night, hitting three home runs - including a grand slam in the fourth inning which put Xenia up 7-5 - and tallying six RBIs to lift the Buccaneers past the Trojans 9-5 in a six-inning rain-shortened win.   "That was a nice performance by him," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "He hit the ball well, but the ball was carrying for both teams. We kind of served it to him on a platter. When you pitch the ball up and in, that usually doesn't bode well for the pitcher."   Troy, however, shouldn't have even been in that predicament to begin with in the fourth. Devon Alexander exited the game with a 5-2 lead after three innings of work on the hill. Cody Fuller came on in relief in the fourth and had control issues, loading the bases before a sacrifice fly knocked in a run to make it 5-3.   Mitchell Larson walked to load the bases once again, then Troy's Zach Kendall took the mound with the unfortunate task of facing Newsock - who had already hit a solo home run in the third. Newsock wasted no time, clearing the bases with a homer in nearly the exact spot as his first to give Xenia its first lead of the game.   The Buccaneers took full advantage of three walks and a hit batter, scoring five runs in the fourth on one hit. Newsock added another solo shot in the sixth just before the rain came and shut the game down.   "Our goal going in was to pitch by community," Welker said. "We wanted to get Alexander a few innings and Fuller in for a little. We went with Cody, and he just couldn't locate it. If you don't throw strikes, that's going to hurt you. We brought in Kendell, and he couldn't locate the pitch where he needed to - and he (Newsock) hit it out."   Dylan Cascaden went deep in the top of the first to give Troy a 1-0 lead. That was followed by Xenia center fielder Mitchell Larson making a great catch at the wall, robbing Nick Antonides and the Trojans of potential back-to-back home runs to start the game. But Nathan Helke slammed a shot over the right-center field fence on the next at-bat to put the Trojans up 2-0 out of the gate.   Helke's homer was his fifth on the season, which ties him for the Greater Western Ohio Conference lead with West Carrollton's Nick Shultz. The Troy senior ended the game 2 for 3.   With one out in the top of the second, Xenia had three consecutive hits to load the bases. Alexander attempted to pick off the runner on first, then the toss back to him by Helke got by him, leading to the first Xenia run of the day.   In the bottom of the second, Thomas Harvey singled with one out, then Devin Blakely singled two batters later. Cascaden walked, then Antonides delivered a two-run single to put Troy up 4-1. With two outs in the third, Jordan Price reached first on a walk, then Harvey hit a liner to right, which dropped and got past the Xenia right fielder, allowing Price to score from first. That was the last run the Trojans would get.   Troy left Antonides and Helke stranded on first and third in the bottom of the fourth, then Xenia pitcher Connor Graham - who went the distance to get the win - struck out two out of three batters in a one-two-three bottom of the fifth. The Trojan offense never saw the field again.   Troy - which captured its first GWOC North title since 1991 with a 7-3 win over Piqua on Wednesday - ends the regular season with a record of 17-9, winning its last six out of eight games. The Trojans open tournament play on Thursday, awaiting the winner of the Northmont-Belmont game. If Northmont wins, the game will be played in Clayton, but if Belmont wins, the game will take place in Troy at 5 p.m.   Xenia    011 511 - 8 9 2 Troy       221 00 - 5 7 1   Graham and Walton. Alexander, Fuller (4), Kendall (4) and Nadolny. WP - Graham. LP - Fuller. 2B - Reed (X). HR - Newsock 3 (X), Helke (T), Cascaden (T). Records: Xenia 13-11, Troy 17-9.   Actual Article pg 1:   //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-May-5-Loss-to-Xenia-pg-1.pdf Actual Article pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-May-5-Loss-to-Xenia-pg-2.pdf   ***********************************************************************************************************************************************

/2/2012  Troy Daily News Worth the wait Troy wins first title since 1991, beats Piqua

staff photos/anthony weber The Troy Trojans pile up near the pitcher’s mound after defeating Piqua 7-3 Wednesday to win the team’s first league championship since 1991. By Josh Brown Sports Editor Twenty-one years. And one extra day.   The last time Troy's baseball team had accomplished the feat, in fact, none of its current players had been born.   After all of that time, the Troy Trojans found out some things are worth waiting for.   Troy completed its sweep of rival Piqua the day after the Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division championship game began, getting clutch performances from everyone that saw the field, jumping ahead of the Indians with a three-run third inning and holding off a rally Wednesday for a 7-3 victory - and the Trojans' first league title since 1991.   "Back in the beginning of spring when we were conditioning and getting ready for the season, all we talked about was winning the GWOC. Win GWOC. Win GWOC," Troy's Devin Blakely said. "To actually do it feels amazing. And what better way than to do it against Piqua?"   Troy (17-8, 8-2 GWOC North) lost a pair of games to Greenville, but rebounded by sweeping perennial champ and preseason favorite Butler the next week. Entering Monday and Tuesday's series with the Indians (10-11, 7-3 GWOC North), the Trojans needed a sweep to capture their first crown since playing in the GMVC, while Piqua needed only a split to get its first since 1995.   "We've had momentum since those Vandalia wins," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "We've just been trying to keep it going and keep the guys' heads on straight. We knew we controlled our own destiny. That's exactly what we wanted."   After a 5-1 Troy win on Monday, sophomore Ben Langdon got the call to start the program's biggest game in decades.   And despite getting into trouble in the first two innings on Tuesday, Langdon found ways out of those jams - and came back Wednesday on fire after thunderstorms suspended the action, the extra day actually helping rather than putting on additional pressure. "I felt (pressure) probably on the first day," Langdon said. "But the delay helped me. I just went home and relaxed. I knew if I just executed my pitches, I shouldn't have to worry that much."   Langdon gave up six hits, walked two and struck out three over 5 2-3 innings of work, leaving five Piqua runners stranded in the process.   "I struggled a little bit towards the end, but I fought through it," Langdon said. "I knew I couldn't get down on myself if there was a bad call or an error. I just had to keep throwing."   And in the bottom of the third, he got the offensive support he needed.   Thomas Harvey drew a walk to lead off then moved to second on a bunt by Jay Swigard. Then Monday's hero, nine-spot hitter Devin Blakely, singled up the middle to bring home the game's first run - and leadoff man Dylan Cascaden tripled over the center fielder's head to bring home Blakely. Nathan Helke then blooped in a two-out single to score Cascaden to put Troy up 3-0.   "Coach intended me to be leadoff at the beginning of the season, but I dropped to nine in the order to get some confidence," Blakely said. "But it really worked, so he kept me there - and it's helped the team. It's like having a second leadoff guy at the bottom of the order."   And helped it has. In Thursday's come-from-behind win against Springboro, the duo accounted for four of Troy's seven runs, and in a loss to Fairfield on Sunday and Monday's win over Piqua, they again fueled the Troy offense.   "I've been leadoff since second grade. It's where I'm most comfortable," Cascaden said. "Me and Blakely - man. He gets on base, steals second - he's only been thrown out once maybe - and then I bring him in. He gets me going. That's how we've been running this, and it's been working great."   Troy tacked on a fourth run in the bottom of the fifth after a leadoff double by Nick Antonides, an intentional pass to Helke and two more walks to bring the run around, and history seemed within the Trojans' reach.   But Piqua wasn't about to give up.   Taylor Huebner - who finished 4 for 4 in the game - doubled to lead off the sixth, and two errors on the same grounder brought him around and put Brandon Wright on second. A single by Colin Lavey put runners on the corners with two outs and finally chased Langdon, who gave way to closer Helke to protect the league title for him.   "You've got to give credit to Ben," the senior Helke said. "He's a sophomore, coming in and starting the biggest game this team has had in 21 years. He threw a great game."   Justice Young singled to make it a 4-2 game, but Helke struck out the next batter with a backdoor slider for a called third strike to end the threat.   And with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, the Indians imploded.   Cascaden reached on an error and Antonides was hit by a pitch, then Helke hit another routine grounder to second that was booted for one error and thrown away for another to bring in a run and put runners on second and third. And for good measure, Jordan Guillozet - who was 0 for 2 with a pair of strikeouts to that point in the game - ripped an 0-2 pitch up the middle to bring home both runs and make it a five-run game.   Which was more than enough for Helke.   He struck out the first two batters of the final inning, then Huebner reached on an infield single and an error on Wright's single brought in another run. But Helke induced a slow roller to Cascaden at short, and Cascaden charged and fired the runner out by a step to finish the game.   "Man, I haven't felt like this in a long time," said Cascaden, who made a number of impressive defensive plays throughout the game. "I just went out there, played defense and did whatever I could to help. Making plays like that isn't really planned - it's just the way the ball bounces sometimes."   "I didn't even comprehend what had happened when he called the final out," Helke said. "It felt like just another game while I was on the mound. It didn't dawn on me what we did until a few seconds after they called him out. It's the best feeling."   "This win was for our whole program, for all of the guys that have played for this team in the last 20 years," Welker said. "This means something to the program. This is something that, when new guys come up, we can instill in them from Day 1 before they step on the field. This is what we've always worked for.   "They (Piqua) fought back and kept fighting until the last out. That was a good baseball team - and that makes this even sweeter. We didn't just beat anybody to earn this. We beat teams like Butler and Piqua. There are some good teams in our division."   And for the first time in 21 years, Troy is the best of them.   Piqua    000 002 1 - 3 9 3 Troy       003 013 x - 7 6 4   Huebner, Lavey (5) and Wright. Langdon, Helke (6) and Nadolny. WP - Langdon. LP - Huebner. SV - Helke. 2B - Huebner (P), Antonides (T). 3B - Cascaden (T). Records: Piqua 10-11, 7-3, Troy 17-8, 8-2.   Actual Article pg 1:   //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-May-3-Troy-Wins-Title-pg-1.pdf Actual Article pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-May-3-Troy-Wins-Title-pg-2.pdf   *********************************************************************************************************************************************

5/1/2012  Troy Daily News Waiting game Big league matchups forced to wait until today

staff photos/anthony weber Troy baseball players cover up the pitching mound at Market Street Field with a tarp Tuesday. The game was suspended until today. By Josh Brown Sports Editor They've waited 20-plus years for a league title.   What's one more day?   Troy's matchup with Piqua Tuesday - what amounts to the Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division championship game - got started despite an early afternoon storm, but another round of rain and lightning caused the teams to suspend the game until today.   "Hopefully it will be worth the wait," said Troy coach Ty Welker, whose Trojans haven't won a league title since 1991, when it was the GMVC. "The boys were itching and ready to play. We tried. It was a tough decision. There were a lot of people there, both teams were wanting to play, but do you want a game like that to be decided on a wet field?"   Piqua, which hasn't won a league title since 1995, threatened in the first and second innings, but a slip by a baserunner and the resulting pickoff at second base ended the top of the second - and brought on the tarps.   Market Street Field has had good luck this spring thanks to Welker and the players tending the field. On a number of occasions, games were scheduled to be played on the road but flipped to Troy as the oppositions' fields weren't playable.   Tuesday's rain was too much, though.   "The field can take some rain, but what we can't control is rain at the time of the game," Welker said with a laugh. We can only do so much."   Both the Trojans and Indians are 7-2 in the GWOC North, and whoever wins today's continuation will be the champion.   Actual Article pg 1:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-May-1-The-Waiting-Game-pg-1.pdf Actual Article pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-May-1-The-Waiting-Game-pg-2.pdf *********************************************************************************************************************************************

5/1/2012 Troy Daily News Playing for it all Troy forces GWOC North title game, beats Piqua 5-1

Ohio Community Media photo/Mike Ullery Troy second baseman Thomas Harvey makes a play on a grounder against Piqua Monday at Hardman Field. PIQUA - The GWOC North champion will be determined at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Market Street Field in Troy.   Piqua had a chance to clinch the title Monday at Hardman Field but lost 5-1 to the Trojans. That leaves both teams at 7-2 in the GWOC North going into the final conference game of the season tonight.   Troy's Devon Alexander threw a seven-hitter and struck out five to keep Piqua off the board for most of the game as the Trojans improved to 16-8. Despite Andy Draving and Colin Lavey combining on a seven-hitter, striking out eight, walking four and hitting two as Piqua dropped to 10-10 on the season.   It was a pitcher's duel for four innings as Draving limited Troy to three singles and Piqua missed two opportunities to score.   Jared Nill and Draving singled in the second with one out to put runners on first and second, but the Indians could not move them around.   In the third, Luke Schneider singled and moved to second on Taylor Wellbaum's sacrifice bunt, but again the rally stalled.   But an error to start the inning, a hit batter and two walks helped Troy bat around in the fifth and scored four runs, although only one of them was earned.   After an error and a hit batter, nine-hitter Devin Blakely had a double to score Thomas Harvey. With one out, Nick Antonides put down a perfect squeeze bunt to make it 2-0 and after an intentional walk to Nathan Helke, Jordan Guillozet had a two-run single.   Piqua answered with one run in the home fifth.   Justice Young, Taylor Wellbaum and Brian Marsh all singled to score a run, before a pop up ended the rally.   Troy scored the final run of the game in the top of the seventh, when Helke was hit by a pitch and, after a stolen base, Guillozet doubled in a run.   Young led Piqua at the plate with two singles, Helke had two hits for Troy and Guillozet had a single and a double.   Troy      000 040 1 - 5 7 0 Piqua   000 010 0 - 1 7 1   Alexander and Nadolny. Draving, Lavey (7) and Wright. WP - Alexander. LP - Draving. 2B - Guillozet (T), Blakely (T). Records: Troy 16-8 (7-2), Piqua 10-10 (7-2).   Actual Article pg 1:   ***********************************************************************************************************************************************

4/29/2012  Troy Daily News One that got away Fairfield beats Troy 6-3; now focus turns to Piqua

Troy center fielder Devon Blakely makes a diving catch to prevent a run from being scored during Sunday’s game against Fairfield at Fifth Third Field in Dayton. By Josh Brown Sports Editor The Troy Trojans lost some of the momentum that they'd picked up heading into today's series opener against Piqua to decide the Greater Western Ohio Conference North champion.   Now they need to pick up something else.   A sudden case of amnesia.   "That's the thing about baseball. You need a short memory," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "We're going to forget about tonight and get ready for tomorrow."   Troy (15-8) outplayed the Fairfield Indians for six innings and held a one-run lead heading into the final inning Sunday night under the lights at the Dayton Dragons' Fifth Third Field. But a letdown in the top of the seventh inning led to four Fairfield runs as the Indians stole a 6-3 win.   "We played the last inning trying not to lose," Welker said. "We didn't play the first six innings that way. We need to be playing to win."   Cody Fuller pitched well enough to win, giving up six hits and two runs over six innings of work, striking out two, walking two and leaving with a 3-2 lead.   And he got some help throughout the game, as well. After giving up a leadoff single in the second, shortstop Dylan Cascaden made a play on a grounder deep in the hole, turning and firing to second to get the lead runner. Fuller got a pair of flyouts to end the inning - including an outstanding grab by left fielder Devon Alexander in front of the warning track.   And after giving up back-to-back doubles in the sixth that made it a 3-2 game, center fielder Devin Blakely ranged far to his right and made a diving grab in the gap to keep the tying run stranded on second.   "We made some amazing plays on defense," Welker said. "Cascaden's play was Jeter-esque, and Devin and Devon made a couple of great catches.   "Fuller threw a heck of a game. This was his best start of the year by far." And he got some support from the offense early on. Jordan Price reached on a strikeout to start the second and was bunted to second. And with two outs, Blakely hit a high chopper over the Fairfield third baseman for an RBI single - and Cascaden followed that by ripping a double down the third-base line that brought in the speedy Blakely from first to give Troy a 2-0 lead.   Troy had another two-out rally in the fourth spear-headed by Blakely and Cascaden. Blakely bunted for a single and stole second, then Cascaden poked an RBI single through to make it 3-1 at the time.   Troy only managed three baserunners from that point on - all on walks.   "Offensively, we didn't have our best game," Welker said. "Devin and Dylan were both aggressive and clutch, but we need that throughout the lineup. We kind of went through the motions (after getting the lead)."   And in the seventh, the Indians made Troy pay.   The leadoff hitter reached on an error and was bunted to second, but Nick Antonides struck out the next hitter to put Fairfield down to its last out. He couldn't get the call on a close 2-2 pitch on the next batter and ended up issuing a walk, though, and Curtis Olvy tied the game with a single. After another walk loaded the bases, Braden Berdeen then ripped a two-run double, putting the Indians up 6-3 - and Troy couldn't rally in the bottom of the inning.   Troy travels to Piqua today, needing to sweep the Indians over the next two days to claim the GWOC North title, while Piqua needs only a series split.   FField    001 001 4 - 6 8 1 Troy        020 100 0 - 3 5 2   Fuller, Antonides (7) and Nadolny. WP - Spauldus. LP - Antonides. 2B - T. Berdeen (F), Olvy (F), B Berdeen (F), Cascaden (T). Records: Troy 15-8.   Actual Article pg 1:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-30-Loss-to-Fairfield-pg-1.pdf Actual Article pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-30-Loss-to-Fairfield-pg-2.pdf   ********************************************************************************************************************************************

4/27/2012  Troy Daily News Troy keeps rolling, tops Miamisburg

Staff Reports MIAMISBURG - Troy followed up an impressive come-from-behind win over a tough Springboro team the previous day by picking up even more steam, getting solid pitching and defense and one big inning in a 5-1 victory over Miamisburg Friday.   With the score tied 1-1, the Trojans (15-7) posted four runs in the fourth and never looked back.   "The guys have that mentality now. We believe we're supposed to win every game," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "We're playing to win, not not to lose."   Jordan Price had a two-run bloop single in the fourth, Nadolny had an RBI single and Thomas Harvey had a double and an RBI. Nathan Helke was also 2 for 2 with a run as Troy was hit by a pitch a whopping seven times, earning some battle scars to go with the win.   Zach Kendall welcomed all the support, striking out four, walking three and giving up three hits - all singles - in six innings of work for the win. "Zach threw well," Welker said. "It was his longest outing of the year, and it was definitely his best. He located well and threw nicely.   "Everyone kind of chipped in. We weren't flashy with only six hits. That's not going to help our batting average. But we do what we have to to win."   Troy travels to Fifth Third Field at 7 p.m. Sunday to face Fairfield.   Actual Article: //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-28-Troy-Beats-Miamisburg.pdf   ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

4/26/2012 Troy Daily News Full steam ahead Troy gets momentum, rallies past Springboro 7-6

staff photos/anthony weber Troy’s Dylan Cascaden slides back into first base Thursday against Springboro at Market Street Field. Cascaden scored three runs in the Trojans’ 7-6 victory. By Josh Brown Sports Editor jbrown@tdnpublishing.com Payback from a tournament loss last season. A signature win against one of the area's best teams - and in exciting fashion.   Of all the things Troy earned Thursday, one was more important than all.   Momentum.   The Trojans (14-7) kicked off the most important five-game stretch of their season with a come-from-behind victory over the Springboro Panthers, falling behind as much as 6-2 only to rally for a 7-6 victory Thursday at Market Street Field on Senior Night.   "This was a great momentum game," said Troy senior Nathan Helke, who pitched the seventh inning to pick up a save. "They're (Springboro) probably going to be one of the top seeds in the tournament. We got a lot of momentum out of this game, and with Piqua coming on Monday and Tuesday, any momentum we can get is great."   "This was a big win on Senior Night, especially against Springboro," senior Jordan Guillozet said. "This was definitely a quality win over a good team."   Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division-leading Springboro (16-4) run-ruled Troy 11-1 in the first round of last year's tournament - mere weeks after the Trojans beat the Panthers by the same 7-6 score in the regular season.   Now the Trojans travel to Miamisburg today before facing Fairfield at Fifth Third Field Sunday night ... the night before a two-game series with rival Piqua that will decide the GWOC North championship. Troy needs to sweep both of those games to win its first league title since 1991, while the Indians need only a split.   "These are the kind of games we need to be in right now," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "Springboro is a quality baseball team. That is the kind of team we need to beat from here on out."   And even after falling behind 6-2 after the top of the fourth, the Trojans showed the had what it takes.   And it all began in the bottom of the fourth.   After Springboro starter Sean Pfeifer struck out the first two Trojan batters, Dylan Cascaden got his third straight hit of the day, and Nick Antonides doubled to the opposite field to put runners on second and third. Then Helke - the GWOC North leader in RBIs who was 0 for 2 at that point - hit a dribbler to third that he beat out for an infield RBI single.   "I can count on one hand how many times I've done that," he said with a laugh. "But hey, I'll take it."   A wild pitch and an errant throw to third by the catcher brought in another run, then Guillozet struck out swinging but reached base after the ball got by the catcher. That allowed Ian Nadolny to rake an RBI single that made the score 6-5.   Troy's first five runs in the game all came with two outs.   "Today was kind of the opposite of the way we've been all year," Welker said. "(Starting pitcher) Devon (Alexander) didn't have his best stuff, Springboro came out swinging and we made some defensive mistakes. But we battled with two outs, put up a couple runs here and there and stayed in the game." Alexander gave up eight hits and four runs in three innings, seven of those hits and all of the runs coming in the first two innings. Sophomore Ben Langdon then came on for the next three innings, giving up four hits and two runs - but also getting out of two jams. He induced an inning-ending six-four-three double play from Cascaden to Thomas Harvey to Helke to get out of the fourth. And then after a play from left fielder Jordan Price to Cascaden at short to Nadolny at home to nail a runner trying to score early in the sixth, he left runners stranded on first and third.   Which set up the Trojans for some late-game heroics in the bottom of the inning.   Cascaden - who finished 3 for 3 with two doubles and three runs scored in the leadoff spot - led off with a walk and was bunted to second by Antonides. Helke then walked, and Guillozet - who finished 3 for 3 with a double and two RBIs - poked a run-scoring single through the hole between first and second to tie the game.   "We just never quit. We kept on going and hitting the whole game," Guillozet said. "Everybody hit. It was a good team win."   Nadolny then drove the first pitch he saw to right field for a sacrifice fly, bringing in pinch runner Jay Swigard and giving Troy its first lead of the game.   Helke made sure it was the only one the Trojans would need.   He gave up a leadoff single to start the seventh, but a fielder's choice and a strikeout put Springboro down to its last out. He then walked the next hitter to put the tying run in scoring position and went 3-1 on the next hitter, but he got a fly ball to Devin Blakely in center to put an end to the game.   "I was just trying not to make a mistake, and they were trying to capitalize on one," Helke said. "Thank God our defense was there. Dylan made a great play at short, and Devin made a nice catch to end it."   "Ben, a sophomore, battled out of some tight spots and got some nice experience," Welker said of Langdon, who got the win. "And we just kept chipping away. Nathan would tell you he didn't have his best stuff, but he did his job and we got a great team win."   And some all-important momentum.   SBoro     220 200 0 - 6 13 1 Troy         110 302 x - 7 10 1   Pfeifer, Thackery (6) and Kirby. Alexander, Langdon (4), Helke (7) and Nadolny. WP - Langdon. LP - Thackery. SV - Helke. 2B - Barth (S), Reynolds (S), Cascaden 2 (T), Antonides (T), Guillozet (T). HR - Winning (S). Records: Springboro 17-4, Troy 14-7.   Actual Article pg 1:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-27-Full-Steam-Ahead-pg-1.pdf Actual Article pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-27-Full-Steam-Ahead-pg-2.pdf   ***********************************************************************************************************************************************

4/25/2012 Troy Daily News Down the stretch Big week for Trojans to end with title matchup

staff file photo/anthony weber Troy’s Ian Nadolny slides into a base during a game against Butler earlier this season at Market Sreet Field. The Trojans swept the Aviators, setting up a two-game series against Piqua on Monday and Tuesday that will decide the Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division champion. By Josh Brown Sports Editor Troy coach Ty Welker pays close attention to how his team performs during practice leading up to key stretches.   "The practices we've had have seemed to set the pace for how we've done each week," Welker said. "Before the Greenville series, we didn't have a very good practice. But before Butler, we were really sharp and focused and had a great practice."   And with the biggest five games of the season coming up in the next six days, Welker was extra attentive Wednesday.   Troy has three games beginning today, each with a little special flavor - but none as big as Monday and Tuesday's two-game series with the rival Piqua Indians, two games that will decide the Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division champion.   "The good news is tonight we had a really good practice," Welker said with a chuckle. "We schedule Piqua at the end of each season always assuming or hoping they'll mean something extra special."   And with all of the storylines that typically accompany Troy-Piqua matchups, the GWOC North title thrown into the mix is extra special indeed.   "Butler has dominated the league for the last 20 years," Welker said. "Piqua won it when it was the GMVC in 1994 and 95, but the last time Troy won the league was 1991. So technically, we haven't won the GWOC yet."   "Every year, we focus on winning the GWOC North. And so our focus going into the year is always Butler. That's always our motivation - we know they're working hard, so we have to work hard."   And Troy (13-7, 6-2 GWOC North) made sure that Butler wouldn't be winning the GWOC North this season, sweeping the Aviators 8-4 and 10-5. The Indians (10-7, 7-1 GWOC North) split their season series with Butler - their only loss in divisional play - setting up next week's championship series. Troy, which was swept by Greenville but won all of its other divisional games, must sweep Piqua to claim the title. All the Indians need is one win either Monday or Tuesday.   "Knocking them (Butler) off was a nice accomplishment. We played different in those two games. We didn't play not to lose. We played to win," Welker said. "We prepared for those two games, and the guys stepped up. "We've got to take that same mentality into the Piqua series."   Before that, though, the Trojans have plenty of other things to keep themselves occupied. Today, Troy hosts the 16-3 Springboro Panthers - the team that knocked the Trojans out of the postseason in the first round last season. Then on Friday, Troy travels to Miamisburg - the only team to hand the GWOC South-leading Panthers a divisional loss this year.   And finally on Sunday, the night before the Piqua series kicks off at Hardman Field in Piqua, the Trojans take on Fairfield under the lights at the Dayton Dragons' Fifth Third Field at 7 p.m.   Even with all of those potential distractions in the way, Troy has its eyes on the prize.   "The guys and I have talked about keeping our focus and how important Monday and Tuesday are. But We're still going to go out and compete before then," Welker said. "We schedule good teams like Springboro, Miamisburg and Fairfield to get better. Games like that are prepping us for potential league title games and for the tournament. That's our mindset.   "The challenge is going to be pitching. We'll be setting up the guys we want on the mound for Monday and Tuesday, so we'll have to watch who's throwing."   And when Troy does face Piqua, there will be a little added incentive, also.   The Indians swept the season series from Troy last season, ending the Trojans' eight-game winning streak against Piqua. Before then, the last time Piqua beat Troy was in 2006.   "We feel like we owe them a little," Welker said. "But we feel that we're competing with the team in our dugout, not the other one. When we lose, we feel like we didn't do the things we needed to do to win. If we play our game, we're tough to beat.   "If we play our game and get beat by a better team, then we get beat by a better team. But we know we're going to be in every game."   Actual Article pg 1:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-26-Down-The-Stretch-pg-1.pdf Actual Article pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-26-Down-The-Stretch-pg-2.pdf   ********************************************************************************************************************************************

4/24/2012  Troy Daily News Task at hand Trojans pound out 11 hits, beat Rams, 11-1

Staff Reports TROTWOOD - Troy has a lot on its plate in the next week.   But even with the potential distractions, the Trojans kept their minds on the business at hand Tuesday - and took care of it.   Troy (13-7, 6-2 Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division) remained in striking distance of a GWOC North title, finishing off Trotwood 11-1 in five innings to remain one game behind the division-leading Piqua Indians - who the Trojans face in a two-game series on Monday and Tuesday.   "We got a lot of guys in these last two nights and did our best to work on some things," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "We've got to keep our focus."   Seven of Troy's 11 hits against the Rams went for extra bases. Nathan Helke was 3 for 3 with a double, a triple and three RBIs, Dylan Cascaden was 2 for 2 with a double and an RBI and Jordan Guillozet, Joey Benson, Jordan Price and Cody Fuller all doubled. Fuller also got the win on the mound, giving up only three hits.   Troy hosts Springboro Thursday on senior night and travels to Miamisburg on Friday. They then go to Fifth Third Field for a Sunday night game against Fairfield before the showdown against Piqua to kick off next week.   "We're focused on Monday and Tuesday, but we're going to go out and compete in these three games over the next five days," Welker said.   Troy        20630 - 11 11 3 TWood   000 10 - 1 3 2   Fuller and Nadolny, Magoteaux (4). Taylor and Lovelace. WP - Fuller. LP - Taylor. 2B - Cascaden (Troy), Helke (Troy), Guillozet (Troy), Benson (Troy), Price (Troy), Fuller (Troy). 3B - Helke (Troy). Records: Troy 13-7, 6-2.

 

4/21/2012  Troy Daily News Disappointing Day Troy swept by state-ranked Centerville

staff photo/anthony weber Troy’s Nathan Helke fouls off a ball during a game against Centerville on Saturday at Market Street Field in Troy. By Colin Foster Sports Writer The Centerville Elks have been bull-rushing through competition this season.   Ranked No. 8 in Division?I, the Elks' only loss was an 8-5 setback to Hamilton on April 7. On Saturday, Centerville came to Troy boasting a 15-1 record - including 6-0 in the Greater Western Ohio Conference Central Division - in hopes of nailing down wins 16 and 17.   Though Troy didn't make it easy, Centerville left Market Street Field with a doubleheader sweep, holding on for a 4-2 win in the opener after late a Troy rally fell short, then winning the second game by a count of 12-2.   Despite the Elks' record and their talent, the fact of the matter is that Troy coach Ty Welker wasn't satisfied - and for good reason.   Troy was held scoreless for the first six innings of Game 1 before making it interesting in the seventh, scoring two runs - but ending the game by leaving the bases loaded. Also not helping matters for the Trojans was the fact that only two of Centerville's four runs were earned, leaving pitcher Devon Alexander with the loss.   "We only gave up two earned runs in that game," Welker said. "We gave them a run in the first on a wild pitch. We made errors and mistakes here and there. But our offense didn't score. We left guys in scoring position. Left the bases loaded in the seventh. We struck out eight times. We just could have made it a better baseball game."   In Game 2, Troy trailed 3-2 in the going into the top of the fifth. And though the Elks had just two hits in the inning, they scored four runs. One hit batter, two walks and one error on Troy's part proved detrimental as Centerville pushed its lead to 7-2. And once again, Troy didn't help its cause on the offensive side.   Ian Nadolny was hit by a pitch to start the second inning, then Jordan Price doubled to put runners on second and third. Price was caught in a jam on the basepath and called out on a Kevin McGraw grounder on the next at-bat, leaving runners on the corners. But those runners were stranded as the next two hitters struck out. Then in the third, Troy had something promising going when Nick Antonides, Nathan Helke and Jordan Guillozet led off the inning with three straight base hits, loading the bases for Price - who was walked to bring in Troy's first run. McGraw's single brought in Helke to make the score 3-2. But just when the Trojans had a chance to pounce, the inning ended abruptly with more runners left stranded on the bases.   There were only 13 more Troy players to come to the plate after that point. Centerville recorded three straight one-two-three innings in the fourth, fifth and six.   After two big GWOC North wins over Butler last week, the Trojans (11-7, 4-2 GWOC North) have now suffered a three-game losing streak for the first time this season. Pitcher Ben Langdon - who was 2-0 with an ERA of 2.23 entering Saturday - suffered the loss.   "That's a great baseball team," Welker said. "They are 17-1 now. The score was 3-2 going into the fifth. I'll take that every time.   "We just have these moments where we make mental mistakes. We don't get a double play here, or we make an error. It's a shame we did that to him (Ben Langdon), because that wasn't all on him that inning. He didn't pitch a bad game."   Troy looks to bounce back on Monday, hosting Trotwood.   Cent. 100 200 1 - 4 6 1 Troy  000 000 2 - 2 5 1   Alexander, Antonides (7) and Nadolny. Hendrixson, Fitzgerald (7) and Murphy. WP - Hendrixson. LP - Alexander. 2B - Young (C), Fitzgerald (C), Murphy (C). 3B - Fitzgerald (C).   Cent. 300 042 3 - 12 12 1 Troy  002 000 0 - 2 6 4   Fox and Murphy. Langdon, Croft (6) and Nadolny and Magoteaux (7). WP - Fox. LP - Langdon. 2B - Price (T). Records: Centerville 17-1. Troy 11-7.   Actual Article Pg 1:   //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-21-pg-1.pdf Actual Article Pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-21-pg-2.pdf   *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

4/17/2012  Troy Daily News Back in the race Troy sweeps Butler

Staff Reports TROY - After beating Butler's ace Taylore Cherry - who committed to playing college baseball for North Carolina - in an 8-4 game in front of several major league scouts on Monday, the Troy Trojans completed the sweep of the Aviators on Tuesday in Troy.   Jordan Guillozet went 3 for 3 with a homer, a double and six RBIs as Troy moved to 4-2 in Greater Western Ohio Conference North play with a decisive 10-5 win over Butler. Dylan Cascaden went 2 for 3 with two runs scored and also doubled in the win.   In yesterday's win, Troy took advantage of Cherry's lack of control on the mound. Troy cashed in after Cherry had two walks and three hit batters in the fifth inning, scoring six runs in the inning to take control. Nathan Helke homered in the fourth inning of the win on Monday. He went 2 for 4 with three RBIs.   But the game ball went to Devon Alexander, who lasted 6 2-3 innings and improved to 4-0 on the season.   "He kept us in the game," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "He was a huge part of what we did. But our defense played well. Devon didn't have any strikeouts, so there were 21 balls in play. Our defense really stepped up.   "Those were two good wins. Vandalia's a top-notch team," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "They always compete for the GWOC title every year. I'm guessing here, but I think they may have won the last 14 out of 16 conference titles. So to get a sweep is nice."   Now the Trojans (11-4, 4-2 GWOC) play at Bellefontaine on Friday.   Butler 010 030 1 - 5 7 2 Troy    103 024 x - 10 10 1   Fain, Craine (4), Brackman (6). Langdon, Kendall, Antonides, Helke and Nadolny. WP - Kendall. LP - Craine. 2B - Cascaden (T), Guillozet (T). HR - Guillozet (T), Straley (B). Records: Butler 7-9, 3-3. Troy 11-4, 4-2.   Actual Article Pg1:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-17-Back-in-the-Race-pt1.pdf Actual Article Pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-17-Back-in-the-Race-pt2.pdf **********************************************************************************************************************************************

4/14/2012 Troy Daily News Trojans hammer Beavercreek Troy scores 11 in last 4 innings, wins 11-5

Staff Reports BEAVERCREEK - Troy and Beavercreek were dead-locked at 0-0 heading into the fourth.   Then the Trojans got things together, scoring five in the fourth, one in the fifth, three in the sixth and two more in the seventh to close out the Beavers, walking away with an 11-5 victory on Friday.   Cody Fuller was the winner on the mound for the Trojans, striking out five in four innings of work. Zack Kendall came on in the fifth inning and Nathan Helke finished the game off in the seventh for Troy.   At the plate, Dylan Cascaden had two doubles and Devin Blakely doubled.   "They had their ace in (the first four innings)," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "He threw well, and we didn't really get things going. But we had five walks in the fourth and a double, and that's how we got our five runs in the fourth.   "I thought we did a lot of things well offensively," Welker said. "We ran the bases well, did a lot of nice things. We just didn't hit the ball well. Overall, we are going in the right direction. We have lost a lot of close games in the last week, so it was nice to be able to get this one."   Troy     000 513 2 - 11 7 2 Creek  000 221 0 - 5 4 2   Fuller, Kendall (5), Helke (7) and Nadolny. Bach, J. Young (4), Agnew (7) and A. Young. WP - Fuller. LP - J. Young. 2B - Cascaden (2) (T), Blakely    Actual Article:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-14-Troy-Hammers-Beavercreek.pdf ***********************************************************************************************************************************************

4/10/2012  Troy Daily News Wave sweeps Trojans

Staff Reports GREENVILLE - The Troy Trojans let Greenville hang around on Tuesday, and it came back to bite them as Greenville scored two in the fifth and one in the six inning to score a come-from-behind win in Greater Western Ohio Conference North play, 6-5.   "It was back-and-forth through five innings," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "We took a 5-3 lead into the fifth. We walked the leadoff (hitter) in the fifth and sixth innings, and that led to them scoring runs. (Ben) Langdon pitched a good game. He just got into some trouble in the fifth when he walked the leadoff batter."   Langdon lasted five innings before Zach Kindall came on and got the loss. Nick Antonides, Jordan Guillozet and Jordan Price all doubled in the loss.   Troy (8-4, 2-2 GWOC North) plays at Beavercreek on Friday.   Troy    112 010 0 - 5 8 3 GVille 120 021 x - 6 9 3   Langdon, Kindall (6) and Nadolny. Edwards, Miller (6) and Hayworth. WP - Miller. LP - Kindall. 2B - Antonides (T), Guillozet (T), Price (T). Records: Troy 8-4, 2-2.   Actual Article:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-11-Swept-By-Greenville.pdf   *********************************************************************************************************************************************

4/7/2012 Troy Daily News
A giving mood
Tipp cashes in on mistakes in win over Troy

Photos courtesy lee woolery/speedshot photo Troy’s Devin Blakely attempts to get around Tippecanoe catcher B.J. Donathan during Saturday’s opener at Market Street Field.

By Colin Foster
Sports Writer

"We did nothing to earn that win," Tippecanoe coach Bruce Cahill said. "We had that walk, an error, a walk and another error that basically gave us that game. It's really unfortunate for Troy."
The Trojans took their 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning. Thomas Harvey singled, which was followed by Devin Blakely drawing a walk. Tipp's Hughes threw two balls that got by catcher Donathan, leading Harvey across the plate to tie the score and bringing Blakely into scoring position. Devon Alexander hit a shallow fly to right, which scored the runner and gave the Trojans the lead.

Nick Antonides came on in relief in the sixth, and prior to the rally in the seventh he sizzled, recording five straight outs against Tipp. He recorded the loss on the hill.   "He threw a heck of a sixth inning, but he just didn't look as effective going into the seventh," Welker said. "I don't know. He got those two guys out to open the inning, then he didn't go after the next guy and walked him. With two outs, that's not good. Then we start making errors and it all goes down hill. We have to develop that quality of closing games out."   "I thought all of their guys threw well," Cahill said. "He (Antonides) dominated us in the sixth. Then we get the walk, and catch those breaks in the seventh."   Even after Tipp roared back, Troy still had a chance, putting the tying runner on second in the bottom of the seventh. Tipp shortstop Cameron Johnson robbed Ian Nadolny of a hit to start the inning, then Jordan Price popped out. Troy tried to rally with two outs as Harvey trotted to the plate and reached base on an error. Another Tipp error put Blakely on and moved Harvey to third. Blakley stole second, but the win wasn't meant to be as Alexander hit a liner to center, which was caught by Hadden to end the game, giving Langdon the save in relief.   "Tipp is always a solid baseball team, that's why we schedule them," Welker said. "Give them credit. With two outs (in the seventh), they could have folded, but they continued to battle, continued to scrap and believed they were going to get those runners in."   The Red Devils were 8-6 winners over the West Carrollton Pirates in their second game. Cole Quillen was the winning pitcher, improving to 1-1 on the year. Johnson came on to get the save. Brad Bruns, Muse and Langdon all doubled in the win.   "That was a sloppy game again," Cahill said. "It was just a sloppy day in general for us. We scored 12 runs, and I think we had just two RBIs."   Tipp (6-4) plays at Tecumseh on Monday.   Troy also took down the winless West Carrollton team in its final game, 7-1. Cody Fuller had five strikeouts compared to only two walks, allowing only two hits in the winning effort.   "Cody threw a nice game," Welker said. "He gave up those two hits, one of them being a homer when we were up 7-0 in the sixth. Other than that, he pitched well. He let the defense play behind him and was in control all game. He was a bright spot for us."   Helke, who finished off the game on the mound, finished 2 for 4 with an RBI. Ben Langdon had a hit, a run scored and two RBIs for the Trojans, which improve to 8-2 on the year.   The Trojans are back in action Monday, hosting Greenville.   Tipp 000 010 3 - 4 3 2 Troy 000 020 0 - 2 3 3   Hughes, Z. Langdon (7) and Donathan. B. Langdon, Kendall (4), Antonides (6) and Nadolny. WP - Hughes. LP - Antonides. Save - Langdon. 2B - Helke (T).     WC 000 001 0 - 1 3 3 Troy 023 200 x - 7 7 3   Whalen, Bowman (4) and Wofs. Fuller, Helke (7) and Magoteaux and Nadolny (7). 2B - Schultz (WC). HR - Schultz (WC). Records: WC 0-8. Troy 8-2.   Actual Article Pg 1:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-7-In-A-Giving-Mood-pt-1.pdf Actual Article Pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-7-In-A-Giving-Mood-pt-2.pdf ********************************************************************************************************************************************************

4/3/2012  Troy Daily News
No more questions
Trojans sweep Jackets to start division play

staff photos/anthony weber Troy’s Nathan Helke followed through on a swing Monday during a 10-1 victory over Sidney Monday at Market Street Field. The Trojans finished off the sweep with an 8-0 victory Tuesday at Sidney.

Staff Reports

"We left a lot of guys on early, and no one could get the big hit. It wasn't our best offensive performance. But we turned it on late."

The Troy offense had it going from the start at home on Monday, though, posting three in the first inning and never looking back.   Jordan Guillozet was 3 for 3 with a home run and four RBIs, and Nathan Helke stayed hot, going 2 for 3 with a homer, three RBIs and two runs scored. Dylan Cascaden was 3 for 4 with a double, an RBI and three runs and Nick Antonides was 2 for 4 with a double.   That was plenty for sophomore Ben Langdon, who struck out six, walked two and gave up three hits in five innings of work to get the win. Antonides closed the game out in the final two innings.   "Ben had a nice start (Monday)," Welker said. "Starting our first league game of the year as a sophomore, for him to come through like that, he's done a nice job, as well. We really seem to be throwing the ball well."   Troy is off until Saturday. The Trojans host Tippecanoe and West Carrollton in a tri-matchup.   Sidney 000 100 0 - 1 5 2 Troy     301 402 x - 10 13 1   Penley, Benshoff (4), Lauth (7) and Gray. Langdon, Antonides (6) and Nadolny. WP - Langdon. LP - Penley. 2B - Cascaden (T), Antonides (T). HR - Helke (T), Guillozet (T).   Troy      000 014 3 - 8 10 1 Sidney 000 000 0 - 0 2 1   Alexander and Nadolny. Echols, Branam (6), Lochard (7) and Gray. WP - Alexander. LP - Echols. Records: Sidney 2-5, 0-2, Troy 7-1, 2-0.   Actual Article pg 1:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-3-No-More-Questions-pt-1.pdf Actual Article pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-April-3-No-More-Questions-pt-2.pdf **********************************************************************************************************************************************

3/31/2012 Troy Daily News
In a good place
Trojans 5-1 after split with Firebirds

photo courtesy lee woolery/speedshot photo Troy’s Nathan Helke slides into second during a game against Fairmont at Troy Saturday.

Staff Reports

The Trojans had an offensive letdown in their opener against Fairmont on Saturday, stumbling for the first time on the season in an 8-0 loss - but rebounded in the second game by scoring five combined runs in the fifth and sixth to come away with a 7-4 doubleheader split.
Nick Antonides and Devin Blakely both doubled for the Trojans in the opener, but that was the extent of Troy's offensive production, as Fairmont's pitchers only gave up three hits total.
"Kyle Croft went out and battled for three innings," Welker said. "He did his job. He only gave up two runs, which kept us in the game. Nathan came on and did his job on the mound. He also had a couple big at-bats that helped us win the game."

3/29/2012 Troy Daily News Helke's Slam Helps Troy Stay Unbeaten

Staff Reports NEW CARLISLE - Devon Alexander showed that his opening day performance was no fluke.   Nathan Helke showed why he's dangerous.   And the Troy Trojans are still undefeated.   Alexander pitched his second complete game of the season, shutting down a quality Tecumseh lineup, and Helke hit his first two home runs of the season - one of them a grand slam that put an exclamation point on Troy's 8-2 victory Thursday, the Arrows' first loss of the season.   Alexander struck out six, walked one and gave up eight hits in the win.   "He threw six pitches and faced four batters in the first inning, and they kept swinging at the first pitch in the second. After that, he took control," Troy coach Ty Welker said of Alexander. "He pitched his game, mixed pitches up well and controlled the strike zone. When you've got a guy pitching like that, it makes your offense more relaxed."   If that's the case, Helke was as calm as could be.   Helke hit a solo homer in the first inning, then had an RBI single in the top of the third. After the Arrows tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third, the Trojans put it away.   Troy manufactured a pair of runs to start the top of the fourth - including a suicide squeeze - and then loaded the bases for Helke. Helke - a 30-plus-RBI guy for Troy last year who was 3 for 4 on the day - then cashed in all four runs at once, and Alexander and the errorless Troy defense did the rest.   "He hit the first one off of a curveball while he was behind in the count," Welker said of Helke. "The second he hit off a fastball. He hit to all fields today and is starting to come alive. As a whole, we swung the bats a lot better today."   Nick Antonides and Devin Blakely both went 2 for 3 for Troy, with Blakely scoring twice.   The Trojans, now 4-0, travel to Fairmont for a doubleheader Saturday.   Troy 101 600 0 - 8 7 0 Tec   011 000 0 - 2 8 0 Alexander and Nadolny. Nicewarner, Cantrell (4) and C. Evans. WP - Alexander. LP - Nicewarner. HR - Helke 2 (Troy). Records: Troy 4-0, Tecumseh 4-1.   Actual Article Pg 1:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-March-30-Helke-s-Grand-Slam-Pt-1.pdf Actual Article Pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012-March-30-Helke-s-Grand-Slam-Pt-2.pdf *********************************************************************************************************************************************

3/27/2012 - Troy Daily News The right answers Trojans stay unbeaten with 3-2 victory

staff photos/anthony weber Troy’s Dylan Cascaden trots in to score the game-tying run on a two-run double by Nathan Helke in the third inning Tuesday against Carroll. Troy won the game 3-2. By Josh Brown Sports Editor Going into the season, Troy coach Ty Welker thought he knew what the questions about this year's Trojans would be.   And even though it hasn't turned out exactly that way, one thing is certain - the Trojans have always had the right answer.   Cody Fuller threw four quality innings against Carroll, Ian Nadolny hit a tie-breaking double in the bottom of the fifth and Nathan Helke slammed the door shut over the final three innings, all three performances adding up to a 3-2 Troy victory Tuesday at Market Street Field to keep the Trojans undefeated at 3-0 on the season.   "I still say our question is going to be our pitching," Welker said. "But in three games now, we've given up zero, one and two runs. That's where we'll have to work the hardest this year. But one time through the rotation, I'm very, very pleased."   Fuller struck out three, walked three and gave up three hits - with all of the hits coming in a two-run third inning by the Patriots, a leadoff single by James Wheeler, an RBI single by Nate Hemmert and an RBI double by Andrew Raiffe to put Troy down 2-0.   But that just seemed to wake the Trojans up.   Devon Alexander kicked off a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning with a walk and Dylan Cascaden was hit by a pitch, bringing up last year's leading hitter, Helke - who promptly doubled over the center fielder's head and brought in both runners, tying the game. "We've just struggled offensively so far this year," Welker said. "Running the bases, getting timely hits - and today we hit the ball harder than we have been, just right at people. But once they got those two runs, we didn't give up. We switched the lineup around a bit today, having (Nick) Antonides bat behind Helke to give him some protection, so they couldn't just walk him (Helke) every time.   "And we may have to do that more ..." he added with a chuckle.   Fuller then sat the Patriots down one-two-three in the fourth, leaving the game tied before giving way to Helke on the mound. "We didn't know what Cody's role would be, but with three games in four days and some injuries on our staff, he had to be that third starter," Welker said. "He struggled a little in the third, but the best thing he did was coming back and pitching that fourth inning. After giving up those runs, he could have folded - and he didn't."   Helke took care of the rest, giving up only one single and striking out five in three innings for the win.   "Their dugout kind of deflated when they saw him come in throwing hard," Welker said. "I thought he threw well. He did exactly what he needed to do."   And with runners on first and third and two outs in the fifth, Nadolny - who had stung the ball right at defenders his first two times up - did just what the team needed him to.   Nadolny pulled a shot down the line in left, dropping it in fair territory by inches. It hooked beyond the fence for a ground-rule double, bringing in what proved to be the winning run.   "That was clutch," Welker said. "We've been getting guys on but not getting the big hit. And he did that for us today. That hit was a big one. And Helke's shot that tied the game came on an offspeed pitch. He hit a really nice ball.   "Hitting isn't the question for us. I'm not worried about that. I know we'll hit. We've just got to get offensive. It's our pitching staff that's kind of day-to-day."   But one question that need not be asked is how the team will play each day.   "These guys always come to play, they do what we ask and they work hard," Welker said. "And we're 3-0 because of it." Troy puts its unbeaten record on the line on the road for the first time this season at Tecumseh Thursday.   Carroll 002 000 0 - 2 4 1 Troy      002 010 x - 3 5 0   Uzzel, O'Meara (5) and Quatman. Fuller, Helke (5) and Nadolny. WP - Helke. LP - Uzzel. 2B - Raiffe (C), Helke (T), Nadolny (T). Records: Troy 3-0.    Actual Article pg 1:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012_-_March_28_-_The_Right_Answers_pt.1.pdf  Actual Article pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012_-_March_28_-_The_Right_Answers_pt.2.pdf   ***************************************************************************************************************************************

Trojans off to a 2-0 Start Troy Daily News 3/27/2012   Staff Reports TROY - Sophomore pitcher Ben Langdon struck out six batters and allowed only five hits in six innings, Nick Antonides came on to get the save as the Troy Trojans walked away with a narrow 2-1 victory over Wayne on Monday.? "Langdon did a real nice job," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "He had six strikeouts, walked three and only scattered five hits. He's a sophomore who came in and stepped up big.? "Nick came in (in the seventh inning) and struck out the side. He did his job."? Antonides and Nathan Helke each doubled in the winning effort. The Trojans - which recorded no errors in the win - move to 2-0 on the season. "We are playing nice defense right now, but the bats aren't quite alive yet," Welker said. "We need to get more aggressive at the plate. Hopefully we can get things turned around."? The Trojans host Carroll today. ?Wayne 000 100 0 - 1 5 1? Troy 100 001 x - 2 4 0? Langdon, Antonides (7) and Nadolny. Pierce, Warden (5) and Combes. WP - Langdon. LP - Pierce. 2B - Antonides, Helke. Records: Troy 2-0. ?     *********************************************************************************************************

Troy Tops Springfield Shawnee Troy Daily News 3/24/2012   Staff Reports TROY - It wasn't exactly the way it was planned.  But sometimes surprises are nice.   Devon Alexander, a closer last season, pitched a complete game four-hit shutout Saturday as the Troy Trojans held an impromptu home opener against Springfield Shawnee after an overnight rain rendered the Braves' home field - where the game was originally scheduled to take place - unplayable.   "Devon was the man. He was fun to watch today," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "He threw strikes, he got ahead of batters, he induced a lot of ground balls and we played solid defense behind him.   "I said earlier this week that starting pitching would be our question mark - and Devon stepped up in our first game." Alexander also played a big role in pushing runs across as Troy's bats were held in check for the most part. He led of the game with a strikeout but reached on a wild pitch, stole second and eventually scored the game's first run on a walk. Alexander also added an RBI sac fly in the second inning that made it 2-0 at the time.    And in the third, the Trojans got their only two hits of the game. Ian Nadolny doubled, and Dylan Cascaden - who also drew the run-scoring walk in the first inning - doubled him in.   "We manufactured runs today," Welker said. "We had three walks in the first inning and really worked the count. Our top four guys didn't have a hit in the game, but we still win. We'll take that every time. "It was just a really well-played game on both sides. They're a solid team, and this was a good baseball game. And we were able to get it in because of the shape our field is kept in."   Troy hosts Wayne Monday in its originally-scheduled home opener and continues the homestand Tuesday against Carroll.   SS    000 000 0 - 0 4 1 Troy 111 000 x   - 3 2 1   Zinkon, Wilson (6) and Chetmaw. Alexander and Nadolny. WP - Nadolny. LP - Zinkon. 2B - Nadolny (T), Cascaden (T). Records: Springfield Shawnee 0-1, Troy 1-0.   Actual Article pg 1:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012_-_March25_-_Win_Shawnee_pt_1.pdf Actual Article pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2012_-_March25_-_Win_Shawnee_pt_2.pdf   ***********************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

Leading By Example

Veteran Trojans ready for season

Troy Daily News
March 23, 2012

   BY JOSH BROWN
   Sports Editor

Troy won’t lack leadership this season — even after losing a large group of seniors.
It'll just take a different form.  “Last years seniors were great. They were tremendous
leaders, vocal leaders. They'll be hard to replace and we haven’t tried to,” Troy
coach Ty Welker said. "These seniors are different this year. They lead quietly, lead by
doing."

And among Troy's nine returners from last year is plenty of run-scoring potential. All
of our big bats are back. We return a lot of offense this year, Welker said. Key among
those bats is senior Nathan Helke, who led the team with 34 RBI, hit a number of game-
tying or game-winning home runs and hit .543.

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5/13/2011 9:03:00 AM

Troy Daily News

photos courtesy lee woolery/speedshot photo Troy’s Kalob Caudill makes a diving catch in center field during the fifth inning of Troy’s Division I Sectional semifinal against Springboro Thursday at Market Street Field. No rallies left Troy digs early hole in 11-1 sectional loss By Josh Brown Sports Editor After Kalob Caudill's leaping grab in center field robbed Springboro's Ty Helmbright of extra bases in the top of the fifth, Troy seemed poised to run off one if its trademark rallies. But the Trojan hitters simply couldn't solve Matt Delbridge. Delbridge threw a four-hitter and allowed only one run, while Troy simply seemed to run out of gas after a season of come-from-behind battles, falling to the Panthers 11-1 in six innings in the second round of the Division I Dayton 1 Sectional tournament Thursday at Market Street Field. The Trojans (14-9) defeated Springboro during the regular season after falling behind 6-0, rallying for seven runs in one inning to steal the win. Troy simply had no more miracles left. Down 6-1 in the fifth inning and looking for a spark, Caudill seemed to provide it. After making a fully-extended diving catch in center for the second out, Troy reliever Devon Alexander struck out Sean Kennedy on a check swing and gave a fist pump, and the Trojans seemed energized for the first time in the game. "It was 6-1 at that point, and we were talking about picking up Kalob after that catch. But offensively, you've got to execute," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "You can get momentum by just getting outs sometimes, and I thought that was our turning point." But Delbridge sat down Troy quickly and quietly in the bottom of the fifth one-two-three on four pitches. And in the top of the sixth, Alexander - who had been Troy's closer most of the season - just ran out of gas in his fourth inning of work, with Springboro putting together five runs on five hits to put the game away. But that inning wasn't the whole story for Alexander, who was the main reason Troy still had a chance late in the game. Alexander threw 3 2-3 innings in relief of starter Trey Barkett and reliever Dhaval Shah, getting the Trojans out of a bases-loaded jam in the third with minimal damage and shutting down Springboro (13-12) in the fourth and fifth innings. "Devon came in and kept us in the ballgame. He competed," Welker said. "But offensively, we came out and swung at first pitches that weren't our pitch and went chasing things. "We took the wind out of our own sails offensively. And unfortunately, that's been our struggle all year." Troy managed only four hits in the game. In the fourth, Doug Burchfield singled and Jordan Guillozet followed with a double over the center fielder's head, driving in the Trojans' only run on the day. Dylan Cascaden and Nate Fair had the other Troy hits. The Trojans fell behind early on a clutch shot by Ian Huss in the top of the first. With two on, two out and facing a full count, Huss ripped a line drive over the fence in left that got out in no time, putting Springboro up 3-0. After another run in the second and two more in the third, Troy found itself down 6-0 again to the Panthers. This time, though, there wasn't another rally in the tank. "We knew they're a good team, and we knew they'd be hungry," Welker said. "Some teams make things happen and some teams watch things happen - and today, we got caught watching. Those three runs right out of the chute didn't help us, either." And though Troy's season ends, Welker said it may have ended sooner had it not been for the efforts of seniors Barkett, Burchfield, Caudill, Fair, Shah, Jared Fisher, Brandon Rose and Mike Swigard. "Our senior leadership has been outstanding," Welker said. "I cannot say enough about these guys. I've probably never had a group as emotional as them. They earned us 14 wins through their sheer effort and heart. We probably got a few we shouldn't have this year because of their hard work and the fact that they never quit. "This unfortunate game was not a microcosm of our entire season. We were tougher than that." Sboro 312 005 - 11 12 0 Troy 000 100 - 1 4 2 Delbridge and Kramer. Barkett, Shah (3), Alexander (3), Burchfield (6) and Swigard. WP - Delbridge. LP - Barkett. 2B - Guillozet (T). HR - Huss (S). Records: Springboro 13-12, Troy 14-9.   ***********************************************************************************************************************************************

5/11/2011 9:12:00 AM

Trojans run selves into 5-2 loss Staff Reports TROY - Troy picked up Tuesday's game against Fairmont looking to build momentum leading up to its tournament opener Thursday. But the Trojans got caught along the basepath. Troy (14-8) made a number of critical baserunning mistakes Tuesday, hindering an already-hampered offense even further in a 5-2 loss to the Firebirds (9-13) at Market Street Field. "We ended the first on a line drive double play, getting doubled off second. We ended the third getting thrown out at third base. We ended the fifth getting thrown out at third base. And we ended the sixth getting thrown out at second base," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "Obviously, we made some very, very poor baserunning choices. "When you're down three runs, one run means nothing. We made some poor choices running the bases, and at this point in the season, that's just unacceptable." Trey Barkett and Nick Antonides doubled and Nathan Helke had an RBI as the Trojans managed only five hits in the game. "We didn't hit very well. We just don't have a plan offensively," Welker said. "We're up there chasing first pitches that are out of the zone, then watching balls go straight down the middle. It's very frustrating." The streaky Trojans - who have six-game and five-game winning streaks to their credit this season - have now lost four out of five heading into Thursday's second-round sectional game against Springboro (11-12), which blanked Belmont 10-0 Tuesday. The Trojans defeated the Panthers 7-6 earlier this season, scoring all seven of their runs in one inning to pull off one of many Trojan comebacks. "I'd imagine Springboro is going to be hungry to get back at us," Welker said. "We've got to be up for this one. After how hard we've battled and worked all year, we have to be." FMont 110 021 0 - 5 8 2 Troy 000 101 0 - 2 5 2 Goodpastor and Prouty. Burchfield, Langdon (6) and Swigard. WP - Goodpastor. LP - Burchfield. 2B - Prouty (F), Barkett (T), Antonides (T). 3B - Prouty (F). Records: Fairmont 9-13, Troy 14-8.   **********************************************************************************************************************************************

5/7/2011 7:27:00 AM

Troy Daily News

Staff Photos/anThony Weber Troy’s Dhaval Shah shovels a ground ball over to Jared Fisher (5) at second base to force out Piqua’s Tyler Davis during the second inning Friday at Market Street Field. Soul searching Piqua jumps on miscues, sweeps Troy By Josh Brown Sports Editor After a walk-off win by Piqua Thursday ended Troy's eight-game winning streak over the Indians, the Trojans entered Friday's series finale looking to reassert their dominance. They left with a storm cloud over their heads - both real and figurative. Piqua (12-8, 7-3 Greater West Ohio Conference North Division) capitalized on a brief-but-fierce second-inning downpour - and a pair of Troy errors - taking an early lead and riding the arm of Andy Draving to a 7-2 victory at Market Street Field, giving the Indians a season sweep of the Trojans. "One team showed up today, and the other didn't," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "We've got to do a little soul searching, for sure. It's time to decide what kind of team we're going to be." Troy (13-6, 6-4 GWOC North) had won five straight heading into this week, including an impressive 6-5 win over potential sectional tournament opponent Springboro, but on Friday it was Piqua that did all of the little things right. "They're kind of like Butler. They put pressure on you and force you to do things - and we didn't step up when we needed to," Welker said. "They have a baseball knowledge and awareness of situations that we have to get better at. "Their guys were anticipating getting the extra base and ran aggressively, and ours didn't. It's all about the mental approach to the game." Troy threatened in the first after a Trey Barkett single and steal of second. An error off the bat off Nathan Helke by the Piqua second baseman Taylor Wellbaum let Barkett advance to third, but there was a moment of hesitation as the ball seemingly got far enough away from Wellbaum to score on, and Wellbaum recovered in time to throw Barkett out at the plate for the final out of the inning. Then the rain came - as did the errors. Dylan Cascaden made an impressive sliding catch in left field to start the inning, but Draving followed with a single. Troy then booted a tailor-made double play ball to put runners on first and second, and Adam Debrosse drove in the game's first run. A dropped fly ball in right field led to another Piqua run, and Wellbaum drove in a third run with a bases-loaded fielder's choice to make it 3-0 on three unearned runs - just in time for the rain to go away. But the Troy hitters couldn't solve Draving. Draving struck out seven and walked one in six innings of work, scattering four hits and giving up two runs - one earned. Draving worked from ahead in the count all night long, and Taylor Huebner - who had the walk-off hit in Thursday's game - pitched a one-two-three seventh to finish it off. "He threw a lot of first-pitch fastballs for strikes, which we didn't take advantage of until later in the game," Welker said. "He threw a heck of a ballgame." Troy's only runs came in the fifth. Mike Swigard led off with a walk and Jared Fisher singled. An error of the bat of Devon Alexander scored one run, and a sacrifice fly by Cascaden brought in another. But Troy ran itself out of a rally again with a runner being caught stealing at third base to end the inning. "We don't just make one mistake. They come in bunches," Welker said. "We just didn't compete today." Piqua got three insurance runs in the top of the fifth with the big strike being a two-run single by Brandon Wright. "We've had a lot of great victories early in the season, we battled back against Springboro and made a miracle happen. But we've got some soul searching to do now," Welker said. Troy heads into its doubleheader at defending Division IV State champion Fort Loramie today with literal clouds over both teams' heads, as rain is in the forecast for the day. Piqua 030 030 1 - 7 10 2 Troy 000 020 0 - 2 4 3 Draving, Huebner (7) and Wright. Burchfield, Alexander (5) and Swigard. WP - Draving. LP - Burchfield. 2B - Davis (P), Draving (P). Records: Piqua 12-8, 7-3, Troy 13-6, 6-4.

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5/1/2011 8:55:00 AM

Trojans at it again Rally to edge Panthers, 7-6 Staff Reports The Troy Trojans were up to their old tricks Saturday. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Down 6-0 heading into the sixth inning, the Trojans erupted for seven runs to take the lead and never let it go, holding off the Springboro Panthers 7-6 in Greater Western Ohio Conference crossover action at Springboro in a game rescheduled from Thursday. And while Troy coach Ty Welker would like to see his team up from start to finish and not need to come through in the clutch, he knows they have the ability to do so when needed. "That says a lot about the team when they can be down six with two outs in the sixth inning and come back to win," he said. "We were very scrappy today. We hadn't even posed a threat offensively all day until then." Earlier in the season, Troy (13-4) won six straight games - three of them in their final at-bat, and one with a sixth-inning rally. And once again, Nathan Helke had the clutch bat. Helke led off the sixth inning with a single, then the following two hitters struck out. But Jared Fisher (1 for 3, RBI) doubled, three Trojans drew walks, Dylan Cascaden (2 for 4, RBI) singled and another Trojan drew a walk, putting runners on first and third for Helke once again. Helke cashed both runners in with a double to bring in the game-tying and winning runs. Helke finished 3 for 3 in the game. "He's got 30 RBIs this year, which, if not leading the GWOC is close," Welker said. "He's done a nice job when we've needed him to come through. He's been clutch, and he's done it kind of quietly." Dhaval Shah went the first four innings for Troy, Brandon Rose pitched the fifth and Devon Alexander pitched the final two and got the win. "Shah kept us in the game. He could've hung his head after giving up a couple runs in a couple innings," Welker said. "But he didn't and he kept us in it. Rose pitched the fifth and threw well, and Devon came in and was a bulldog." Alexander also got out of a jam in the seventh to preserve the win, as Springboro had runners on second and third with none out. A strikeout, an intentional walk to load the bases, another strikeout and a groundout put an end to another comeback win, though. "That was a huge, huge inning," Welker said of the way the team worked out of the seventh. Troy hosts GWOC North rival Piqua Monday. Troy 000 007 0 - 7 6 2 SBoro 220 110 0 - 6 9 1 Shah, Rose (5), Alexander (6) and Swigard, Nadolny (5). Toors, Thackery (6), Delbridge (6), Smith (7) and Kramer. WP - Alexander. LP - Thackery. 2B - Fisher (T), Helke (T), Smith (S), Pfeifer (S). HR - Emmel (S). Records: Troy 13-4, Springboro 8-8. Actual Article pg 1:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2011_-_May1_-_Beat_Springboro_pg_1.pdf Actual Article pg 2:  //s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00237201/2011_-_May1_-_Beat_Springboro_pg_2.pdf ************************************************************************************************************************************************

4/29/2011 7:42:00 AM  Troy Daily News   Trojans take care of Rams Staff Reports TROY - Sometimes the only thing you can do is get a game out of the way. That's what the Troy Trojans did in a 33-0 rout of Trotwood Thursday in a game that was originally scheduled to be played at Trotwood but was moved to Market Street Field due to field conditions. "In a game like this, you try to work on your offense, believe it or not," Troy coach Ty Welker said. "You try to approach every at-bat like you would in any game, and the guys did a good job of that. These are tough games to play. "We hit the ball pretty well. We've been swinging the bat a lot better lately." The game marked the fourth straight that the Trojans have hit two home runs in. Doug Burchfield was 4 for 5 with a double, a homer, six RBIs and three runs scored and Dylan Cascaden also homered. Ian Nadolny was 3 for 4 with three runs and two RBIs and Mike Swigard, Devon Alexander, Nick Antonides and Nate Fair - who hit two homers against Trotwood Tuesday - all doubled. Troy, now 12-4 and 6-2 in the Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division - travels to Springboro Saturday to make up the game originally scheduled for Thursday. Troy 7(16)0 64 - 33 23 0 TWood 000 00 - 0 1 5 Burchfield and Swigard, Nadolny (3). McConnell, McCowan (3) and McCowan, Powell (3). WP - Burchfield. LP - McConnell. 2B - Alexander (Troy), Antonides (Troy), Fair (Troy), Swigard (Troy), Burchfield (Troy). HR - Burchfield (Troy), Cascaden (Troy). Records: Troy 12-4, 6-2.   ***********************************************************************************************************************************************

4/27/2011 9:09:00 AM

staff photos/anthony weber Troy’s Dhaval Shah trots in to score as Kalob Caudill walks to the plate Tuesday against Trotwood at Market Street Field. Shah and Caudill are two of Troy’s eight seniors honored during a 24-1 Senior Night victory by the Trojans. Seniors power Troy Fair hits 2 homers in 24-1 Trojan win By Josh Brown Sports Editor Usually when on defense, teams do their best to avoid leadoff walks. So when Trotwood intentionally put Nate Fair on to start the third inning, it was a little surreal. "I've never experienced anything like that before," the Troy senior said. "But I'll take that as a compliment, a sign of respect. I guess I'm pretty dangerous at the plate right now." The baseball can attest to that. Fair crushed a pair of two-run homers in his first two trips to the plate Tuesday - giving him three in his last two games - as the Trojans (11-4, 5-2 Greater West Ohio Conference North Division) celebrated a surreal Senior Night with a 24-1 victory over the Rams at Market Street Field. The Trojans honored not only their eight seniors - Fair, Trey Barkett, Doug Burchfield, Kalob Caudill, Jared Fisher, Brandon Rose, Dhaval Shah and Mike Swigard - but also all of the boys and girls track and field seniors, as rain for the past week has ruined local athletic schedules. Troy coach Ty Welker didn't mind the extra spectators - especially after the offensive show his team put on. "There was sunshine, the field looked great - we had no problem helping them out," he said. "Bring everyone on out to the ballfield." The team was happy to see the field again, too. "Every day for the last week or two, it's either been raining and we've been stuck in the gym practicing or we've been playing or making up a game. We haven't been able to be outside practicing on a field in forever," Welker said. "It's tough to get practices in when the rain keeps coming and you're making up games." So the Trojans used Tuesday for batting practice. Fair led the charge, going 2 for 2 with two home runs and four RBIs after launching one over the fence against West Carrollton on Saturday. His bombs also came in the first two innings, as Troy sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs in both frames. "I'm feeling great," Fair said. "I've been working on my stance a little bit, trying to have a less circular swing, keep it more compact." "That gives him three in two days. He's just swinging the bat really well right now," Welker said. Nathan Helke also had a huge day, going 3 for 3 with a double, two triples and five RBIs. Caudill was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, Shah was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, Burchfield hit a two-run double, Barkett and Jordan Guillozet each had RBI doubles, Jordan Price hit a two-run single and Fisher doubled. "This game was about competing with ourselves and working on the things we need to work on offensively," Welker said. "We obviously had success hitting the ball hard, but we also wanted to go up and have good at-bats, stay within ourselves." It was more than enough support for Rose, who pitched all five innings for the win. He struck out four, and his only blemish was giving up a pair of hits in the fourth inning, including an RBI triple by Dewayne Hairston. "Brandon threw a nice game," Welker said. "He throws strikes, and he kept them out on their front foot all game long. He did a nice job." Troy is scheduled to travel to Trotwood today to make up Monday's rainout, weather permitting. TWood 000 10 - 1 2 4 Troy 663 9x - 24 14 0 McCoy, McConnell (2), Hairston (5) and McGowan. Rose and Swigard, Nadolny (5). WP - Rose. LP - McCoy. 2B - Caudill (Troy), Barkett (Troy), Helke (Troy), Guillozet (Troy), Fisher (Troy), Burchfield (Troy). 3B - Hairston (TWood), Helke 2 (Troy). HR - Fair 2 (Troy). Records: Trotwood 1-11, 0-7, Troy 11-4, 5-2 **********************************************************************************************************************************************