TROY, Ala. – On Friday, June 5, the Troy Trojans defeated the Little Rock Trojans 12-2 at Riddle-Pace Field. The win for Troy puts them one win away from the 2026 College World Series in Omaha.
Troy head coach Skylar Meade talked about the win and the atmosphere at Riddle-Pace Field.
“We appreciate all of the Trojan fans for what they did today,” said Meade. “We enjoyed this one, but the work is not done.
Troy puts together a major, five-run second inning for a huge early lead
Little Rock took a quick 1-0 lead after a Blake Simpson RBI knock. However, Troy provided a strong response in the second inning to take the lead.
The big inning started with a Drew Nelson RBI triple to tie the game up at 1-1. Sean Darnell then hit a sacrifice fly that scored Nelson and gave Troy a 2-1 lead.
Troy ended up hitting back-to-back home runs after their first two runs of the game.
First, Aaron Piasecki hit his 10th home run of the season. It was a two-run shot that made it 4-1. Then, third baseman Josh Pyne hit a solo home run to make it a 5-1 game.
Jabe Boroff hits two home runs, including a grand slam
Jabe Boroff has been a major power threat during the NCAA Tournament. He was the Gainesville Regional Most Outstanding Player.
The power continued in game one of the Troy super regional. He had two home runs in the 12-2 win over Little Rock.
Boroff had a two-run home run in the sixth inning to extend Troy’s lead to 8-2. Then, in the eighth inning, he had his second home run of the game, which was a grand slam. This made it a 12-2 game, and Troy would cruise on to victory.
Doubles Alley ? Jabe Ruth pic.twitter.com/J5sXeBWvj2
— Troy Baseball ⚔️ (@TroyTrojansBSB) June 5, 2026
Boroff talked about his big grand slam against Little Rock after the game.
“When I saw it go out, I saw people in doubles’ alley throwing beverages, and their shirts were off,” said Boroff. “It was awesome and an amazing feeling.”
Zach Crotchfelt had an efficient relief outing
After Troy starting pitcher Benjamin Stubbs exited the game, left-handed pitcher Zach Crotchfelt entered the game in the seventh inning.
The senior from Jackson, N.J. put together an efficient relief outing with 19 total pitches in two innings of work. Over that stretch, Crotchfelt had two strikeouts and allowed just one hit. The southpaw gave up no runs to Little Rock and had no walks as well.
Crotchfelt transferred to Troy after playing for the Texas Tech Red Raiders last season. He has been a big-time addition for the Trojans in 2026.
Up next for Troy
The Troy Trojans are one win away from a College World Series berth, and the Little Rock Trojans are now facing elimination. The first pitch for game two of the Troy super regional is at 3 p.m. ET. The game will be on ESPN2.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Troy catcher/utility Jabe Boroff (8) during an NCAA baseball game on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Troy, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
