Troy Completes Comeback With Walk Off Homer to Beat Louisiana 4-3
The Troy Trojans used three solo home runs in the final two innings to complete their comeback in a 4-3 victory against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.
With the loss, Louisiana is now 9-9 overall and 0-2 in Sun Belt Conference play. Head coach Matt Deggs talked about his team's offense in the game.
"We played a lot better than we did yesterday, but we've got to finish late," Deggs said. "They threw good arms at us today. I liked the way we competed at the dish, but we didn't have a whole lot to show for it."
Brandon Talley got the start for the Cajuns on the mound and kept the Trojans scoreless in the first four innings, stranding four base runners in the process.
Tyler Robertson broke the scoreless tie with his first home run of the season. His solo shot put Louisiana in front 1-0 in the fourth.
Following another effective inning from Talley, Louisiana added onto their lead with a rally in the fifth inning. Julian Brock walked and Warnner Rincones singled to start the frame, and they each advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Kyle DeBarge hit a sacrifice fly-out, and, with two outs, Carson Roccaforte brought Rincones home with a RBI-single. With the rally, Louisiana went up 3-0.
Troy instantly cut into Louisiana's lead with a two-out RBI-single in the fifth that ended Talley's day. Bo Bonds left the bases loaded with a strikeout to end the inning. In the sixth, Troy just missed a home run that bounced off the wall, but right fielder Heath Hood was able to pick the ball up and throw a bullet to second base to record the out.
Bonds walked the leadoff batter in the seventh but rebounded with three straight strikeouts to end the inning.
The seventh inning started a spree of three straight frames where Louisiana's offense left a runner in scoring position. They were unable to get a two-out hit twice in a row, so their lead remained at 3-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth.
A Troy pinch-hitter crushed a solo home run to start the inning, and after Bonds struck the next batter out, Deggs made a call to the bullpen for Chipper Menard. Menard struck out the first batter he faced, but a two-out solo home run tied the game up. All of the sudden, a game that Louisiana had controlled was tied late.
Rincones hit a two-out double in the top of the ninth and Will Veillon walked, but Troy changed pitchers. A pop up ended the threat and stranded a runner in scoring position for the third straight inning.
Jacob Schultz entered in the ninth to face the top of Troy's lineup, but a leadoff solo home run walked off the Cajuns and gave the Trojans the 4-3 comeback win.
Louisiana had opportunities in this game, but they were 1-10 with runners in scoring position. After giving up 14 home runs in the first 16 games of the season, the Cajun pitching staff has given up six homers to the Trojans through two games of this series.
Up next, Louisiana will look to avoid a sweep at the hands of Troy to start Sun Belt play. Jeff Wilson, the reigning Sun Belt pitcher of the week, will start for the Cajuns. The game is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 20.