Troy nine-run – Trailing 4-2 in the sixth, Troy erupted for nine runs to beat Rider 15-7 in a Gainesville Regional elimination game and secure a spot in the next matchup. The Trojans combined walks, timely doubles, and a late surge capped by three runs in the ninth.
When Troy’s bats went quiet, Rider had a rhythm. When the sixth inning arrived, everything changed.
The No. 2 seed Trojans turned a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead with a burst that started with Sean Darnell opening the frame with a walk in a ten-pitch at-bat. Hit batters followed. loading the bases and setting the table for Josh Pyne. who delivered a bases-clearing double into the right-center gap to flip the score in Troy’s favor.
What looked like a small rally became a knockdown. Troy added another walk by Blake Cavill and an RBI single by Jimmy Janicki to reload the bases for Drew Nelson. Nelson mirrored Pyne with a base-clearing two-bagger to deep centerfield. The Trojans tacked on two more runs in the frame on an RBI single by Jabe Boroff and an RBI fielder’s choice by Aaron Piasecki. finishing the inning with nine runs.
Rider’s starter. Kyle Batt. had held Troy to two runs through 4.2 innings. allowing six hits and two walks while striking out one. Those two runs came with runners on the corners and one out in the second and fifth innings—Houston Markham beating out what could have been an inning-ending double play ball in the second. and Janicki doing the same in the fifth.
Even with Rider out-hitting Troy 15-14, the Trojans made the harder moments count. Troy drew 10 walks and five hit-by-pitches, while its pitching staff issued just two walks and did not hit a batter.
The game kept tilting toward Troy after the sixth. On the mound. Hayden Smith held the Broncs in check through the first two innings before Rider pushed across two runs in the third and one more in the fourth. Those runs were built from a pair of hits. a walk. and a sacrifice fly in the third. then three consecutive singles in the fourth. Troy responded when it mattered most: the bullpen held Rider to one more run in the sixth before Rider’s late push.
In the eighth, Troy widened the gap when a leadoff walk to Boroff set up a four-run frame. Markham and Piasecki each delivered doubles, Janicki added an RBI single, and Meier lifted a sacrifice fly into foul territory down the left-field line.
That paved the way for the final score. With Troy leading 15-4, Rider plated three runs in the ninth. Those late runs came on five hits against Tate Farquar, before Brady Richardson came in to record the final out.
Smith started for Troy and gave way to Matt Dill in the fourth. Dill tossed 2.1 innings with two hits and one run. Zach Crotchfelt got the final two outs of the sixth to earn the win, striking out one. Noah Thigpen pitched two scoreless frames with a pair of strikeouts.
The elimination victory mattered beyond the scoreboard. Troy’s 15 runs were its most in an NCAA Tournament game since a 16-7 win over Wright State in the 1995 NCAA Play-In. It was also the most it had scored in an NCAA Regional game. topping a previous 11-8 win over Boston College in the 2023 Tuscaloosa Regional.
Just as significant: this was Troy’s first regional win after losing the opener. The Trojans had been 0-3 following their Regional opener.
The way the Trojans hit throughout the run also stood out. Troy had all nine starters record a hit since May 23, 2025, in last year’s Sun Belt Tournament against Old Dominion. In this game. Troy scored nine runs in the sixth—its third nine-run inning of the season. after doing it against Mercer (Feb. 14) and Alabama State (Mar. 31). Troy scored 15 runs without a home run. its most runs in an NCAA Tournament game without one since a 15-3 win over App State on April 8. 2018.
Individual momentum kept building. With two hits including a double. Josh Pyne tied Mississippi State’s Noah Sullivan as the NCAA’s active career leader in hits (291) and leads all active players in career doubles (21). Steven Meier extended his hitting streak to five games and his reached base streak to 16. Meier also drew his 45th hit-by-pitch of his Troy career, tying William Sullivan for the program record. Aaron Piasecki extended his hitting streak to seven games and his reached base streak to 13. while Janicki tallied three RBIs to finish with 76 on the season—fourth-most in Troy history. trailing Brooks Bryan (85 – 2025). Joey Denison (81 – 2018). and Shane Lewis (77 – 2023). Zach Crotchfelt earned his team-leading sixth win of the season.
Now Troy turns to what comes next in the Gainesville Regional. Troy faces the loser of Saturday night’s game between No. 1 seed Florida and No. 2 seed Miami at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday.
Troy University Rider Gainesville Regional NCAA baseball nine-run sixth elimination game Sean Darnell Josh Pyne Drew Nelson Jimmy Janicki