Baseball traveled to Virginia this past weekend to play the Statesmen of Richard Bland College. This was a conference three-game series and the Trojans took two of the three games.
FTCC vs. Richard Bland- Friday, March 8 (4-7, Loss)
The Statesmen won game one of the series scoring seven runs on nine hits.
The Trojans got on the scoreboard first, scoring one run in the top of the second inning. With one out, Johnny McFatter (Goldsboro, NC), Raymond Humphrey (Orlando, FL) and Derrick Hall (Fayetteville, NC) drew back to back walks to load the bases. Devin Outlaw (Jacksonville, FL) hit a sacrifice fly to center field to plate one for the Trojans.
Two more Trojan runs crossed the plate in the top of the fourth inning on two hits. Humphery singled on a line drive to left field with one out. Hall hit a triple to right field to earn himself an RBI. With two outs, the pitcher for the Statesmen balked allowing Hall to score from third base.
The Statesmen responded in the fourth scoring four runs to take their first lead of the game.
The Trojans scored their final run in the top of the seventh inning. Woodley drew a one out walk followed by a single from Drew Canody (Tampa, FL). Markey Purvis (Bennettsville, SC) entered the game and smashed a double off the fence in his first plate appearance on the day to score Woodley.
Richard Bland scored three more insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh and the Trojans remained scoreless through the final two innings.
FTCC vs. Richard Bland- Sunday, March 10 (12-4, Win & 14-1, Win 5-innings)
The Trojans came back for a rematch on Sunday for a completely different day.
Game Two
Richard Bland took the lead in the bottom of the first inning, but the Trojans responded back in the top of the second scoring five runs.
Purvis and Kleiderman Camacho (Venezuela) started off the second inning with back to back walks. With one out, Braylan Bull (Cumming, GA) also walked for the Trojans to load the bases. The Statesmen pitcher hit Zavion Ingram (Clayton, NC) and Outlaw to give the Trojans two free runs. Canody followed with a two-out single for an RBI before Mason Turner (Lexington, SC) hit a line drive to left field to plate two more Trojan runs.
The Statesmen scored one more run in the bottom of the second to bring the score within three.
The Trojans added a run to their lead in the top of the fourth on a RBI walk from Caleb Holland (Fayetteville, NC).
Two more runs were scored for Richard Bland in the bottom of the second inning to pull within two of the Trojans, but those were the last Statesmen runs of the game.
The top of the fifth, the Trojans scored three runs on only one hit. The inning started off again with back to back walks from Ingram and Outlaw. The Trojans ran a double steal to make the Statesmen throw the ball forcing an error allowing Ingram to score. Another base runner gets on board by a walk from Jaylon Woodley (Courtland, VA). Canody had the only hit of the inning with a double to left field to gain two RBIs.
The Trojans scored one run in the sixth from a one out double from Ingram who then stole third base allowing him to tag up and score on Woodley’s sacrifice fly.
In the top of the eighth, the Trojans add two more insurance runs to secure the win. Holland started off the inning by a hit by pitch, followed by a walk for Bull. Ingram sac bunts to move the runners over for Outlaw. He hit a sacrifice fly to left field for an RBI. Woodley singled to keep the rally going for the Trojans and then stole second base, which allowed Bull to steal home for the second run of the inning. Canody followed with another single, but is left on base.
The Trojan offense was led by Canody who went 4-6 with a double and three RBIs. Ingram was 2-2 with a double and Turner walked three times.
Tanner McNeal (Currituck County, NC) pitched seven innings for the Trojans, giving up four earned runs and six hits while striking out five. Hunter Beard (Spring Lake, NC) threw the final inning allowing only one run and one hit.
Game Three
The Trojans finished game three early scoring 14 runs in five innings.
Holland started on the mound for the Trojans throwing three innings of work, giving up the only Statesmen run with three strikeouts. Payton Jernigan (Dunn, NC) pitched the fourth inning allowing two hits and getting one strikeout. Jack Anderson (Saint Simmons Island, GA) shut down Richard Bland in the fifth allowing no hits, no runs with one strikeout.
The Trojans got on top early scoring seven runs in the first inning. The inning started with a walk from Woodley and back to back singles by Canody and Turner. Holland walked with the bases loaded to allow the first Trojan runner to cross the plate in the inning. Purvis hit a line drive to left field to plate two more runners. Bull sacrifice bunted and Ingram walked to reload the bases. The Trojans get another free run on a walk from Hall. Outlaw hit a sacrifice fly to give the Trojans a five run lead before Woodley triples to right field for two RBIs.
The Statesmen score their one and only run in the bottom of the first inning.
Turner led of the second inning with a triple and he scored on a quick sacrifice fly from Holland.
Five more runs crossed the plate for the Trojans in the fifth inning. Outlaw led off with a single and then stole second and third base before Woodley drew a walk. With runners on second and third, Turner hit a three-run homerun over the right field fence for his third hit of the day. Holland followed with a high fly ball over the center field fence for a solo homerun. Purvis started a rally again by reaching on an error and advancing to second base on a passed ball. Bull walked before Ingram singled to left field to plate run number 13 for the Trojans.
The Trojans score their final run in the top of the fourth inning. Woodley led off the inning with a double. With one out, Turner hit a double to score Woodley for the final run of the game.
Turner led the offense going 4-4 with four RBIs hitting the first cycle in FTCC baseball history.
Baseball is back at home on Wednesday, March 13 as they host Camp Community College in a single game at 3:30pm. The Trojans host their next conference series this weekend against Pitt Community College with a 12pm start time Saturday for a doubleheader, with a single game on Sunday at 1pm.
Military Appreciation Day will start off the day on Saturday, March 16. You will not want to miss the events happening out at JP Riddle Stadium!