Northern Tier Sports ReportEAST TROY — Troy broke open a close game with a 13-run fourth inning to beat NEB, 18-3 in four innings, during NTL baseball action Thursday.
It was 2-1 Troy after one, then NEB tied it up with a run in the second. The Panthers would go ahead with another run in the top of the third, only for Troy to rally with a 3-run bottom half to go up 5-3.
Then came the big fourth that allowed the Trojans to get the mercy rule win.
Mason Smith (3-for-3) scored three times and drove in a run as Brody Ayers (3-for-4) had a double with 4-RBI and a run scored.
Brendan Gilliland (2-for-2) scored three times and drove in a run, as Pryor Teribury (1-for-2) had a triple with 3-RBI, and two runs scored.
Reed Palmer (1-for-3) had a double with 4-RBI, and two runs scored, while Logunn Heasley (1-for-2) crossed home three times.
Trey Teribury and Logan Loxley both scored twice as Frank Harper crossed home once.
Palmer went all four innings to get the win, striking out four with three hits, one walk, and three runs scored, two of which were earned.
For NEB Kohen Hugo (1-for-2) hit a double and scored twice as Anthony Johnson (1-for-2) also had a double with 2-RBI.
Wes Alderfer (1-for-2) and Nate Gross (1-for-2) both had hits with Elijah DeLancey scoring a run. Brad Shores drove in a run.
In the top of the first Kohen Hugo reached on an error then scored on a Johnson ground for the 1-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the first Smith led off with a single, followed by Gilliland drawing a walk two batters later.
That set up an Ayres 2-run double for the 2-1 lead.
In the second DeLancey reached on a walk, then scored on a Shores hit to make it 2-2.
Then in the third Kohen Hugo led off with a double, and he scored on a Johnson double for the 3-2 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning Smith and Heasley led off with back to back hits. Smith later scored on a Gilliland sacrifice fly for a 3-3 ball game.
Palmer would draw a walk, then him and Heasley scored on an error off the bat of Loxley for the 2-run lead.
In the fourth Pryor Teribury led off with a walk, then got moved over on a Harper bunt.
He would score off a Smith hit, followed by Heasley getting beaned. Gilliland would single to load the bases, setting up Palmer’s 3-run double for a 9-3 ball game.
Ayres singled, followed by Loxley and Trey Teribury drawing walks, which allowed Palmer to come home.
A Pryor Teribury 3-run triple made it 13-3 followed by Harper getting hit by a pitch.
Smith would walk, then Heasley was hit by a pitch, again, as all four would score.
Gilliland then singled, and was driven in by Palmer for the 15-run win.
Troy (11-5) will travel to Sayre next Tuesday while NEB (7-6) takes on Wyalusing Friday with a 5:30 p.m. start up at Binghamton Stadium.
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING