Troy Outlasts Florida Atlantic in Finale

Sunday, April 12

Troy, Ala.

2:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

17-15, 6-11

Troy

22-13, 10-5

Florida Atlantic

Troy

4/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 12, 2009

Final Stats | Action Photos

TROY, AL - Steven Felix had five RBI and Adam Bryant drove in three as Troy University broke-open a tie game in the sixth inning to claim an 11-5 victory over Florida Atlantic University Sunday. The Trojans (22-13; 10-5 Sun Belt) swept the three-game Sun Belt Conference series and extended its league win-streak to eight.

Florida Atlantic (17-15; 6-11 Sun Belt) tied the game in the middle innings but would lose its fifth-straight. Tom Hatcher homered for the Owls while David Wilson and Anthony Mesa each added a pair of hits.

Troy starter Travis Burge (3-1) needed just 68 pitches to work through seven innings and a five-run seventh from the Trojans' offense would assure him of his third win. Burge gave up seven hits and five runs in an economical 7 2/3 innings of work. He did not issue a walk.

In three of the first four innings FAU starter Adam Morrison (0-2) retired Troy in order. The exception being the Trojans' second, in which Charles Williams and Felix both drove balls off the facade in right field fueling a three-run inning and early 3-0 Trojans' lead.

Hatcher hit his second homer in as many days; a two-run shot easily clearing the left-field fence to make it 3-2 in the fourth. David Wilson added an RBI-single in the fourth inning after Anthony Mesa singled and stole second, tying the score at three through 4 1/2 innings.

With two-on and two-out in the Troy fifth Sean Bukovich's diving stop of a screaming line drive off the bat of Michael Precise, ended the threat, denying Precise of extra bases and keeping the game even at 3-3.

Two singles and a walk generated Troy's go-ahead run off Morrison in the sixth, prompting John McCormack to call upon reliever Alex Pepe for a team-leading 19th time this season. Felix then dropped a single in between a pair of FAU outfielders, clearing the bases to allow the Trojans a 6-3 lead heading into the late innings.

Morrison left the game with FAU trailing 4-3 but was charged with six runs, five earned, on five hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings.

With Morrison gone the Trojans poured it on in the seventh, needing just two hits to bat-around during a five-run inning (three walks and three hit batters) against four different FAU relievers.

FAU will try to rebound Tuesday night when they make a return visit to Coral Gables to play the fifth-ranked University of Miami. First pitch Tuesday is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. The next chance to watch the Owls in Boca Raton is Wednesday at 4 p.m. against Bethune-Cookman University.

GAME NOTES: Troy was 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts in the series (picked off once) - prior to the weekend Troy had stolen just 14 all season... Florida Atlantic will play seven non-conference games before returning to Sun Belt play Friday, April 24 at Western Kentucky University.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC TEAM NOTES: The Owls (17-15; 6-11 Sun Belt) are in the midst of a five-game losing streak and has lost 12 of 16 after starting the season 13-3. A three-game sweep at the hands of Troy University over the weekend has dropped FAU into the lower tier of the Sun Belt Conference standings. The Owls prepare for a stretch of seven consecutive non-conference games, beginning with a return trip to play the fifth-ranked University of Miami in Coral Gables on Tuesday night followed by hosting Bethune-Cookman University on Wednesday and a four-game weekend set against Bryant University. Sophomore OF Colby Gratton (.351 BA) went 5-for-10 at Troy to emerge as the Owls' team-leader in average. Gratton homered in last week's 8-7 loss at Miami. DH Tom Hatcher (.317 BA) homered in back-to-back games at Troy, hitting a pair of two-run shots to bring his season RBI total to 25. OF Anthony Mesa (.312 BA) has gone 6-for-15 in FAU's last five games. Reliever LH Alex Pepe (2-0; 2.22 ERA) continues to be Florida Atlantic's top pitcher, leading the team in appearances (19), ERA (2.22) and batting average against (.202). Senior classmate and fellow reliever RH Chris Schmitt (4-2; 5.87 ERA) leads the team in wins (4) and has appeared in over half of FAU's games. The starting pitching gave up 22 hits in 14 2/3 innings spanning four games last week and FAU hit just .228 as a club.