After day and location rescheduling due to the rain, the Trojans ended up hosting the Rams of Southeastern Community College-Whiteville this past Friday and Saturday for their first conference series of the season. The Trojans took game one and game three, winning the series while the Rams picked up their first conference win, beating the Trojans in game two.
Baseball is currently 10-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play.
FTCC vs. Southeastern CC-Whiteville:
Game One- 10-2, Win (8-innings)
The Trojans scored first in the bottom of the second with two runs on a passed ball and a homerun by Zamar Lewis (Dublin, NC). The Rams tied the game up in the top of third, but the Trojans took the lead again in the bottom by a single from JJ Faulkner (East Arcadia, NC).
A double by Faulkner and a sac fly by Lewis plated two more Trojan runs in the fifth.
The Trojans pull ahead a little farther with a few walks and RBI ground balls from Gamble Bye (Perham, MN) and Myles Odom (Pleasant Garden, NC).
Lucca Pascarella (Wilmington, NC) hit a double in the seventh for two more runs and a fielder’s choice by Josiah Harrison (Chesterfield, VA) in the eighth put the Trojans up by eight ending the game early.
Jack Anderson (Saint Simmons Island, GA) earned his first win of the season giving up only two runs with two strikeouts. Aidan McArdle (Pequannock, NJ) came in for relief in the seventh, allowing no runs.
Game Two- 8-11, Loss
No runs were scored in game two until the third inning when the Rams and the Trojans both plated two. Southeastern took the lead in the fourth scoring two more runs and leaving the Trojans scoreless again until the seventh.
The Rams were up 11-2 going into the bottom of the seventh inning needing three outs. The Trojans put up a hard fight scoring six, but it wasn’t enough to surpass the Rams’ lead.
Devin Outlaw (Jacksonville, FL) led off the bottom of the third with a walk. With one out Odom hit an infield single to put runners on the corners. A hard ground ball put into play by Clayton Bloomstran (Atlanta, GA) plated the first Trojan run. Cole Feldman (Midlothian, VA) then hit a sac fly to tie the game at two.
The big Trojan inning in the seventh started with a one out single from Odom and a Rams error putting two on base. Feldman then walked to load the bases with one out. Lewis singled to right field and Toufic Khabie (Aventura, FL) was hit by a pitch for two runs to score. Koa Kloehs (Suwanee, GA), who had just entered the game, singled on a ball to center field to plate two more Trojan runners and keep the rally going. Evan Walker (Jacksonville, FL) walked to load the bases again before Faulkner roped a two-out double in the right center gap. Odom came back up to walk again before the Rams got the third out of the inning.
The Trojans used six arms in the game, giving up five earned runs with ten strikeouts.
Game Three- 8-7, Win
The Trojans took the lead early, but give up a big five spot inning in the top of the fifth letting the Rams pull ahead. Five more runs were scored by the Trojans in the sixth and seventh innings to secure their eight run win, not having to bat in the bottom of the ninth.
Takoda Hardin (Rockfish, NC) had a big bases clearing triple to give the Trojans back their lead in the seventh.
Landon McDonald (Jacksonville, FL) started on the mound followed by Dylan Fegley (Lebanon, PA) and Riley Mullen (Bunn, NC). Harrison earned the win with his 2.2 innings of work and Bloomstran came in for the save in the sixth.
Baseball will travel to William Peace University take on their JV squad on Wednesday, pending weather. Then they will host Lenoir Community College this upcoming weekend for their next conference series. All home games are free admission and played at JP Riddle Complex: 2823 Legion Road.
)
