Troy closer Liam Evilsizor fires a strike in the seventh inning of the Trojans 3-2 win over Piqua at Hardman Field.
Piqua’s Cohen Brown puts down a bunt against Troy Wednesday.
Troy’s Ryder Kirtley hits a double Wednesday.
Piqua’s Mickey Anderson hits a single Wednesday.
PIQUA — The Troy baseball team came into the game with a record of 16-5 overall and 14-2 in the MVL.
Piqua was 12-8 overall and 12-2 in the MVL.
And with Troy ace Nathan McDowell and Piqua ace Hunter Steinke on the mound, expectations were for a great game that would come down to the last out.
And while that was exactly how it played out, it was Troy closer Liam Evilsizor with a Houdini like escape out to close out a 3-2 win for the Trojans.
The two teams will meet Friday at Troy — with Troy now one game back of Butler and Piqua two games back in the MVL standings.
Troy took 3-1 lead to the home seventh, but Piqua wasn’t done.
A walk to Mickey Anderson and a single by Owen Shawler put runners on first and third with no outs.
Steinke then lined a single to score Anderson and move to Shawler to third.
When Steinke stole second, Piqua had the tying run on third and the winning run on second with no outs.
But, Evilsizor was up to the challenge.
He got a strikeout, line out and ground out to end the game and save the win for Troy.
It had been a pitcher’s duel for much of the game as expected.
Troy broke through in the fourth to take a 1-0 lead.
Ryder Kirtley doubled, move to third on Hayden Frey’s fielder’s choice and scored on Matthew Hempker’ssacrfice fly.
Troy would get two big insurance runs in the sixth inning.
Kirtley and Frey both singled.
Hempker put down a bunt, but Piqua was able to cut down the lead runner with a force a third.
Brady O’Leary and Carson Riddle had RBI singles to make it 3-0.
After leaving runners on third base without scoring in the fourth and the fifth inning, Piqua broke through in the sixth to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Steinke singled and Mason Davis and Ben Lavey walked to load the bases with no outs.
Josh Heath drilled a RBI single, before McDowell had an escape act of his own, retiring the next three batters to leave the score at 3-1 and set up the dramatic seventh inning.
Kirtley was 2-for-4 with a double for Troy and Brady O’Leary was 2-for-3.
McDowell and Evilsizor combined on a nine-hitter for Troy, striking out eight and walking four.
Steinke was 3-for-4 for Piqua and Zander Mason was 2-for-3.
Steinke pitched a six-hitter, striking out nine and walking two.
Sports Editor Rob Kiser can be reached at [email protected]
