Tuesday, March 29, 2011

SPORTS >> Troy tops UALR, gets SBC sweep

By JOE ANGOLIA
UALR Sports Information

Troy scored eight runs over the first two innings and completed its Sun Belt Conference sweep of UALR with a 13-3 victory Sunday afternoon.

Blake Martz led Troy with three RBI while Tyler Hannah went 3 for 5 with three runs and two RBI.

Troy (19-4, 5-1) jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first inning as Martz hit a two-run homer to left and Josh McDorman delivered a two-out, two-run single up the middle.

UALR (10-13, 2-4) answered in the top of the second with a two-run home run to left by junior Greg Garcia, but Troy tacked on four more runs in the bottom half to go on top, 8-2.

Troy manufactured its four-run second on four singles, three walks and one hit batter, with Drew Prichard capping off the rally with a two-run single down the right-field line.

With Troy leading 10-2 through three innings, UALR pushed across a run in the fourth as sophomore Myles Parma hit a leadoff double to right and scored three batters later on a two-out single by junior Austin Atwell.

UALR went scoreless over the next three innings, however, and Troy scored three runs with two out in the bottom of the seventh to run-rule the visitors.

Hannah hit a two-run double to right to make it 12-3 and Tyson Workman brought the game to an end by drawing a bases-loaded walk.

UALR’s four pitchers combined for 11 walks, with starter Calvin Drinnen (2-2) taking the loss after surrendering five hits and five runs over 1 1/3 innings.

Troy starter Jimmy Hodgskin (2-1) got the victory, limiting UALR to six hits and three runs over five innings of work.

UALR returns to action today when it takes on Central Arkansas at 6 p.m. in Conway.

The game was pushed back a day because of expected bad weather.

The Trojans will then welcome Western Kentucky to Gary Hogan Field for a three-game series starting Friday at 6 p.m.