by Logan Pittman
Troy softball traveled down to Jacksonville, Florida this past week to take part in the JU/UNF Spring Break Challenge. The challenge consisted of a five-game round robin tournament. The Trojans played two doubleheaders against Jacksonville and North Florida before winning the challenge in a final game against Charleston Southern, 6-3.
The Trojans started off the challenge by run-ruling Jacksonville twice in their double-header victories, 12-4 and 9-0.
Anslee Finch went a combined 5-for-7 at the plate with four RBIs and two home runs, both occurring in the second game. Leanna Johnson recorded another win after the first game, putting her nine games away from Troy’s all-time wins leader. Olivia Cato recorded her second straight shutout in game two, improving her season record to 3-1.
The Trojans split their next doubleheader against North Florida, winning the first game 12-1 and losing the second 8-6.
The Trojans combined for a total of four home runs on the day. Libby Baker recorded one of those three home runs as well as three doubles. Along with Bakers performance, Taylor McKinney had four hits with a double, a triple and a home run plus four RBIs while Kennedi Gaton had three hits and a homer in the opener.
Johnson recorded a win in game one, putting her one step closer to history. Cato recorded a loss in game two after allowing five earned runs.
Despite the recent loss, the Trojans would rally back against Charleston Southern on the final day to win the challenge.
Anslee Finch was once again the highlight for the Trojans as she hit the fourth home run of the tournament and added three more RBIs to her total. She finished the weekend with a .500 (9-for-18) batting average with four home runs and 10 total RBIs.
Johnson recorded her third win of the tournament and pushed her to only seven wins away from Trojan history. Cato would pitch the remaining two innings and earn the first save of the season by a Trojan pitcher.
Troy will travel to Montgomery, Alabama on Wednesday for a midweek clash with Alabama State before returning to Jacksonville next weekend for another tournament at North Florida.
