NTL BASEBALL: TROY GETS STRONG DEFENSE, TIMELY HITTING TO DOWN ATHENS (2024-03-27)

Northern Tier Sports Report
EAST TROY — Despite getting out hit Troy was able to manufacture enough runs to beat Athens, 4-2, during NTL baseball action Tuesday.

The Trojans scored one run in each of the first, second, fourth, and fifth innings to pull out the win over the NTL Large School defending champs.

“I put the pitchers in some tough situations, and I wanted to see how they would respond in those type of situations, and they all did,” Troy coach Lyle Wesneski said. “They had to come out and execute some pitches in some tight situations, runners on second and third, first and second, them moving. Joe (Frye) did a good job shutting down the running game, I think he threw out two or three guys, and that was the end of that. That’s also attributed to our pitchers for helping keep these guys close to the bag.”

Camden Allen started, and went 3 2/3-innings for the no decision, striking out two with two hits, two walks, and two earned runs. 

Camryn Harwick went the next 2 1/3-innings with three strikeouts, three walks, and three hits to get the win. Freshman Reed Palmer got the save, going the final inning, giving up one hit.

At the plate Brendan Gilliland and Clayton Smith both went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI, as Jackson Taylor (1-for-2) also drove in a run.

Lincoln Chimics (1-for-3) scored, with Harwick, Mason Smith, and Palmer also crossing home. Harwick had an RBI, too.

Athens would take a 1-0 lead in the first but Troy got that run back in the bottom half of the inning as a 2-out double from Gilliland brought home Harwick.

Troy got another run in the second as Harwick drew a bases loaded walk to bring in Palmer, making it 2-1.

It stayed that way until the fourth when Athens tied it up, but some timely hitting in the bottom half of the inning put Troy back up 3-2. Taylor hit a 2-out single to drive in Chimics to put the Trojans back on top.

They got a safety run in the fifth with Clayton Smith rocking a 2-out double to score his brother, Mason Smith, for the 2-run cushion.

Athens got two runners on in the sixth but Harwick got out of the inning with back to back strikeouts. The Wildcats’ lead off batter in the seventh lead off with a hit, but a double play ended that rally, while Palmer got the final batter to ground out for the win.

“I keep telling the guys, pitching and defense wins the first couple weeks of the year,” said Wesneski. “So we’ve got to rely on our defense, we’ve got to rely on our pitching, and get timely hitting.”

Troy (1-0) will take on the defending district champions, Wyalusing (1-0), on the road Thursday.

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PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAN KREYKENBOHM & JOE CARREON

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