Troy one win from Omaha after routing Little Rock in Super Regional opener

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Troy is knocking on the door of Omaha. In front of a raucous, record-breaking crowd of 6,426 at Riddle-Pace Field, the Trojans dominated Little Rock 12-2 on Friday to seize control of their NCAA Super Regional opener.

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A Powerful Performance

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The Trojans used a explosive five-run second inning and a pair of home runs to set the tone early. Drew Nelson kickstarted the offense with a crucial triple and a subsequent run on a sacrifice fly, followed by back-to-back home runs from Aaron Piasecki and Josh Pyne to extend the lead to 5-1.

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\"I felt like when we went up 2-1 in that second inning we were like, ‘all right, this is what we’ve been doing the last two weeks,’\" Nelson noted after the victory.

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Dominant Pitching and Offensive Firepower

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Troy starter Benjamin Stubbs (6-3) settled into a rhythm after allowing an early run in the first. Stubbs tossed six solid innings, allowing just six hits and two runs while racking up five strikeouts. Zach Crotchfelt and Matt Dill combined for three innings of near-flawless relief to seal the game.

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\"I think the important things you see when you cross-check the box score is no walks from a pitching perspective,\" Troy coach Skylar Meade said. \"Generally speaking, that’s going to put you in a good position. All three guys were really, really good.\"\;

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Jabe Boroff continued his incredible postseason tear, launching a two-run shot in the sixth before crushing a grand slam in the eighth. Boroff now has six home runs and 18 RBIs over his last six games. \"I think it’s just being confident and not trying to do too much,\" Boroff explained. \"Don’t need to do too much, simplify, don’t overswing. I’d also pay tribute to God. He helps me.\"

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Looking Ahead

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With this win, 205focus.com readers should note that Troy (37-30) remains in prime position to punch its ticket to the College World Series. The Trojans previously advanced through the Gainesville Regional by winning four straight elimination games.

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Little Rock coach Chris Conway acknowledged the setback but remains focused on the series ahead. \"The series is not over,\" Conway said. \"One thing I told the team in the dugout is we’re back to a three-game series.\"\;

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Game 2 of the best-of-three series is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. at Riddle-Pace Field, with live coverage on ESPN2. If necessary, a deciding third game will take place on Sunday.

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