April 12, 2008

Box Score |  Action Photos 

BOCA RATON, FL - Five Troy University runs were generated off a series of Florida Atlantic University throwing miscues and that was the difference as the Trojans topped the Owls 7-2 Saturday afternoon.

Troy (21-14; 10-4 SBC) received a complete-game pitching effort from 5-10 right-handed starter Ryan Ellison (2-1), who scattered nine hits and struck out six.

Ellison held an explosive FAU offense to just two runs, just the third time in 32 games the Owls have failed to score at least three.

Florida Atlantic (20-12; 9-6 SBC) had won four straight.

Troy used one hit and two FAU throwing errors to score three times during a decisive five-run eighth inning that broke open a game that was tied 2-2.

Trojan's second baseman Adam Bryant went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Bryant had hit his first home run of the season in Friday's series opener.

After the teams exchanged runs in the first inning, Tom Hatcher hit an RBI single on a 3-0 pitch in the bottom of the second to drive in William Block and give FAU a 2-1 lead. Block went 3-for-4.

In the top of the fifth with FAU still leading 2-1 an errand pick off throw by Gipson allowed Charles Williams to advance to third and eventually score on Bryant's single through the infield, evening the game at two apiece, 2-2.

Gipson, a freshman from West Palm Beach, struck out seven and allowed just one earned run in 6 2-3 innings, turning in a quality outing in just his third weekend start.

Left-handed reliever Adam Morrison (2-2) helped out Gipson in the seventh, ending a Troy threat in which they had put two runners in scoring position against Gipson, seemingly poised to break the 2-2 tie until Morrison ended the inning by inducing a routine fielder's choice.

Fueled by FAU's fielding miscues in the eighth, Troy scored three unearned runs off Morrison and two more unearned runs off Nick Melendres to assume a five-run lead, more than enough for Ellison who went the distance.