Weekend/Monday Diamond Roundup
March 25, 2024 Miami Valley Today by Robbin Kiser
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The Troy baseball team dropped to 1-2 with a 10-4 loss to Sayre Monday.
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Matthew Hempker was 2-for-2 with two doubles.
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Aidan Gorman, Hempker, Beckner and Evan Kaiser combined on a two-hitter, striking out six and walking 12.
Troy baseball completes sweep of West Carrollton
March 28, 2024 Miami Valley Today by Robbin Kiser
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TROY — After a three-game trip to Kentucky to start the season, Troy continued to find Ohio baseball to its liking Thursday at the home opener at the Market Street Diamond.
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The Trojans completed a sweep of West Carrollton, winning 20-1 in five innings to improve to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the MVL.
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After freshman Jake Reinhardt no-hit the Pirates in five innings Wednesday, freshman Nathan McDowell had a strong start Thursday to get the win.
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After a scoreless first inning, Troy broke things open with a nine-run second inning and never slowed down.
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Matthew Hempker walked and Brady O’Leary singled to get things started.
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With one out Carson Riddle walked to load the bases. Logan Akers had an infield single to score the first run. Aidan Gorman and Caleb Akins followed with two-run singles to make it 5-0. Akins would scored on a passed ball to make it 6-0. Ryder Kirtley would single and steal second and third. After Hempker walked, O’Leary would drill a two-run single to make it 8-0. Riddle would double off the fence to make it 9-0 before being thrown out at third to end the innings.
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Troy would score three more runs in the third.
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Akins had a double in the inning and Kirtley had a RBI single and O’Leary followed with a two-run single.
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The Trojans would add eight more runs in the fourth.
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Rylan Block and Hayden Frey had RBI singles. Hempker had a RBI double, Kirtley would score on a wild pitch and Zach Rhoades had RBI single. One run scored on an error and Reinhardt capped the rally with a two-run single to make it 20-1.
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O’Leary was 3-for-3 with four RBIs for the Trojans and Block was 2-for-2.
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Akins was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs and Gorman was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
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Kirtley was 2-for-4, Reinhardt had two RBIs and Hempker and Riddle doubled.
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McDowell pitched the first three innings and combined with Hempker on a five-hitter, striking out eight.
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The Trojans were scheduled to host Xenia Friday and Coldwater Saturday.
Troy baseball improves to 4-2 with win over Xenia Friday
March 29, 2024 Miami Valley Today by Robbin Kiser
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TROY — Troy baseball coach Ty Welker knows there will be tougher games ahead.
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But, with a young team — after graduating 16 seniors a year ago — Welker is not complaining after a third straight win in five innings in three days to improve to 4-2 overall and go 3-0 in the MVL.
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“We can only deal with what the other team puts out there,” Welker said after an 11-1 win over Xenia at the Market Street Diamond Friday. “I expect a close game (when Troy travels to Xenia Monday). When you lose 16 seniors, you are really not sure what to expect.”
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Caleb Akins pitched four shutout innings and combined with Liam Evilsizor on a six-hitter, striking out nine and walking two.
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“I am not sure Caleb (Akins) had his best stuff today,” Welker said. “He had to grind those first two innings and he did a great job battling out there. And we didn’t want Liam (Evilsizor) to have to throw three or four innings, in case we needed him on Monday.”
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The first 10 Trojan batters reached base in the opening inning as they took a 6-0 lead.
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After Aidan Gorman was hit by a pitch, Akins helped himself with a RBI triple to get Troy on the board.
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Gorman would scored on a wild pitch, Brady O’Leary would drill a two-run double, Evan Kaiser had a RBi single and Gorman would be hit by a pitch for the second time in inning — this time with the bases loaded to force in a run to make it 6-0 before the rally ended.
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“Our pitching has been pretty good,” Welker said. “The two games we lost in Kentucky, we had a lot of walks. When you walk people you are going to get beat. Defensively we are as good as we have been and we are doing a better job hitting. Especially in the first inning tonight.”
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Troy scored two runs in the second, two runs in the third and one in the fourth.
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In the second, Ryder Kirtley hit his third home run of the season and Matthew Hempker would double and score on a wild pitch.
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In the third, Kirtley would double and score and Carson Riddle had a sacrifice fly.
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In the fourth, Gorman turned a short fly ball to right field into a triple and scored on a single by Evilsizor.
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Kirtley was 3-for-4 in the game and O’Leary was 2-for-3 and the Trojans had another five inning win.
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“I will go to battle with this group anytime,” Welker said. “They are really doing a good job.”
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And look forward to tougher games in the future.