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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Out of control
11-run fifth propels Tecumseh past Troy
April 2, 2013 By Josh Brown Troy Daily News
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.
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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.
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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.
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Trojans drop pair
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.
Troy Daily
News Article:
Sealing the deal
Troy beats GWOC rival Piqua, 5-2
April 10, 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."
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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.
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News Article:
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.
Troy Daily
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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 two 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.
Troy Daily
News Article:
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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News Article:
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.
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Trojans swept by Aviators
Butler 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."
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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."
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Trojans fall to Warriors
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.
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Senior shuffle
Kendall, seniors lead Troy past Kenton Ridge
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.
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Bolts blank Trojans
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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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."
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