Trojan senior Jason Bernard led the Troy State baseball team with a two-hit complete game on the mound in its 4-1 victory over ETSU at Riddle-Pace Field on Friday in Troy, Ala.
Bernard (2-0) allowed only one run, a sixth inning homerun by ETSU right fielder Nate Copeland, in nine innings for the Trojans.
The Panama City, Fla., native also had eight strikeouts while facing 31 batters.
Troy State (3-2) opened up the scoring in the bottom of the third inning with Drew Miller’s RBI double scoring catcher Lance Newman.
Senior shortstop Casey Smith, a native of Cottonwood, Ala., doubled down the right field line to drive in three runs for the Trojans in the following inning, putting them up 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth.
Newman, Wade Miller and Tim Ellis all scored for Troy State.
Freshman pitcher Matt Hensley received the loss for the Buccaneers (1-3) after allowing four earned runs and six hits in three and two-thirds innings.
Reliever Josh Kite also made an appearance for ETSU. Kite allowed one hit and threw four strikeouts against 12 batters.
On Saturday, in the second game of the three game series, ETSU evened up the set.
The Trojans took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the second inning.
Senior Jonathan Smithers doubled to right field scoring Collin Holder.
Holder reached on an error by Buc left fielder Tim Turner.
Smithers then moved to third after a single by center fielder Ellis.
Senior Ryan Peterson then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Smithers from third, putting Troy State ahead 2-0.
ETSU scored its first run of the game when Copeland doubled down the right field line and scored second baseman Ryan Hyder in the top of the fourth inning.
First baseman Chad Boruff then put the Bucs ahead 3-2 with a fifth-inning two-run homer.
The Buc’s final run came in the top of the seventh inning when Kirk Keithley came home as a result of a Jeremy Terry RBI double.
Junior Reid Casey (1-0) pitched a complete game and earned the win for ETSU.
Casey allowed two runs and eight hits while facing 36 batters.
Junior transfer Aaron Hunt suffered his first loss on the mound for the Trojans, allowing eight hits and all four of the Buc’s runs.
Hunt also threw eight strikeouts while facing 29 batters in seven innings.
Reliever Shawn Andrews, a sophomore from Pickering, Ontario, finished the game for Troy State.
Andrews had three strikeouts and allowed two hits in two innings.
Bucs next face Georgia State Feb. 17-18.

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