Opening Night at Riddle‑Pace Field
The Trojans opened the Super Regional in front of a packed house of 6,426 fans, delivering a commanding 12‑2 win over Arkansas‑Little Rock that left them on the brink of a College World Series berth.
Little Rock struck first, plating a run in the opening inning with a double and an RBI single, but Troy answered swiftly with a five‑run second inning that flipped the momentum.
Key contributions came from a flurry of extra‑base hits, including a triple by Drew Nelson that brought home Steven Meier, and a sacrifice fly from Sean Darnell that added another run. The offense exploded with four home runs, among them a two‑run blast by Jabe Boroff in the sixth and a grand slam in the eighth that capped the scoring.
Pitching was equally impressive; starter Benjamin Stubbs tossed six strong innings, limiting the opposition to two runs on six hits while striking out five. The bullpen combined for seven strikeouts without issuing a walk, with Zach Crotchfelt and Matt Dill sealing the game with scoreless frames.
Offensively, Boroff continued his postseason surge, recording his second multi‑homer game and raising his tournament total to six homers. Other notable performances included Aaron Piasecki’s two‑run shot, Josh Pyne’s solo homer, and Brannon Westmoreland’s six‑run effort.
With the series now shifting to a Saturday afternoon showdown at 2 p.m., the Trojans will look to extend their lead. The game will be televised on ESPN2, giving a national audience a chance to witness the next step toward the College World Series.