Tulane secures series in 14-2 road win at Troy

Redshirt junior left-hander Jack Aldrich earned his first win of the season by tossing 7 2/3 innings and striking out seven while allowing just two runs (one earned).

TROY, Ala. – The Tulane baseball team used 18 hits to score a season-high 14 runs and earn a 14-2, series-clinching win over Troy on Sunday afternoon at Riddle-Pace Field.

Redshirt junior left-hander Jack Aldrich earned his first win of the season by tossing 7 2/3 innings and striking out seven while allowing just two runs (one earned). He scattered eight hits and one walk while throwing 71 of his 108 pitches for strikes.

All nine Tulane (8-7) starters recorded at least one hit, and seven recorded multiple hits on the day, as redshirt juniors Frankie Niemann and Trevor Minder collected three hits apiece. Niemann tallied a career-high six RBI to complement three extra-base hits, and redshirt junior Luis Aviles drove in three more.

Redshirt sophomore Collin Burns added two hits, a stolen base and scored a career-best four runs.

“We talked this morning about rebounding, coming out and performing after a tough loss, and I’m really proud of the way this team came out and did just that,” head coach Travis Jewett said. “Jack Aldrich set the tone for us early on the mound, and his demeanor and poise allowed us the opportunity to preserve our bullpen. Offensively, we strung together a lot of mature at-bats that extended innings.”

Tulane got on the attack early with four hits in the top of the first inning – three of which came consecutively with two outs and produced the first two runs of the game. Luis Aviles got the rally started with a single through the left side of the infield to score Collin Burns from second. After a single by Chase Engelhard to left, Minder delivered a third consecutive hit to left that scored Aviles.

The Green Wave did more damage the following inning by taking advantage of a pair of errors by the Trojans. The second came with two outs to put a pair of runners on before Niemann delivered a two-run double down the right-field line to extend the advantage to 4-0.

The Wave tacked on their fifth run of the day in the third on a two-out double to the gap in left center off the bat of Simon Baumgardt to score Bennett Lee all the way from first. Troy got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame on a sacrifice fly after loading the bases, but Aldrich escaped any further damage.

“I feel like today was probably our most productive day at the plate in this young season,” Jewett said. “Our coaches did a superb job of positioning our defenders to make plays all game long. From top to bottom, today was a true team effort.”

Offense was scarce for both clubs for the next three innings despite the Green Wave leaving two runners in scoring position to end the sixth. Niemann ended the drought with his second home run of the season to left field to lead off the seventh and push the lead to 6-1.

Niemann struck again in the eighth with a two-run double to right center, before Minder was hit by a pitch with the bases load to widen the margin.

Despite Troy scraping one run across in the bottom half of the eighth, Tulane put up five more runs in the ninth behind Niemann getting hit with the bases loaded and Aviles following up with a two-run double to left center. Freshman Chase Engelhard capped the offensive onslaught with a two-run, bloop single to center.

Freshman right-hander Zach DeVito got the final four outs in his seventh appearance out of the bullpen this spring.

UP NEXT
Tulane returns home to open a 12-game homestand on Wednesday, March 17 against Texas Southern. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m., at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.