Troy softball bounced back from the midweek loss to nationally-ranked Auburn by coming back to take the series over the Dukes from James Madison.
The Trojans dropped game one of the series in a similar fashion to the Auburn loss, as Troy and James Madison battled into extra innings. Libby Baker stayed in the circle until the seventh inning for the Trojans despite the other side seeing several pitching changes throughout the extra-innings affair.
Neither team could get something going early on until late in the sixth. The Trojans were able to get on base after James Madison walked Taylor McKinney. After a Cassidy Boltz fly ball, McKinney stole second and third before an Anslee Finch single sent her home to get Troy on the board.
After an Audra Thompson walk, Kayden Dunn followed up with a single to center field to score Finch, making it a 2-0 ballgame for the Trojans in the bottom of the sixth. The Dukes answered back quickly in the top of the seventh off a Hallie Hall two-run home run.
The Trojans couldn’t get a hit in the seventh off Alissa Humphrey, who ended the game for James Madison. The Dukes took the lead off a KK Mathis single to send Jasmine Hall home in the top of the eighth.
The Trojans couldn’t find a run in the bottom of the eighth as James Madison forced a ground out to the James Madison shortstop that ended the game with the Dukes up 3-2.
The Trojans bounced back quickly in game two of the series, keeping the Dukes scoreless as Haley Pittman worked the circle for the Trojans.
Troy got off to a quick start, scoring four runs in the opening inning. At the first at bat of the game for the Trojans, Jade Sinness singled to center field to get the bats started. After that, the Trojans were able to load the bases off an error from the James Madison third baseman and a McKinney single.
The hits would keep coming as a Libby Baker single to left field brought Sinness home before a Cassidy Boltz single up the middle scored D’Aun Riggs. A Finch sacrifice fly ball brought home McKinney to make it 3-0 before Thompson singled to score Baker and push the lead to 4-0, all in the first inning.
The Trojans kept it up in the second inning as Sinness was walked to start the inning before she moved to third after a throwing error off a Riggs single. McKinney came up to the plate and hit a single to left field to advance Sinness home to go up 5-0 on the Dukes.
The hits calmed down after the second inning as neither team could get any runs on the board until the fifth. The fifth started with Finch hitting a fly out to right field before Thompson was hit by a pitch to advance to first. Sarah Beth Brake followed behind with the Trojan’s first home run of the weekend, scoring both her and Thompson to increase the score to 7-0 in favor of the Trojans.
The bad day for the James Madison pitching staff continued as Rebecca Muh would walk McKinney to start the sixth. McKinney came around to score on a wild pitch to end game two with the Trojans winning by run rule with a score of 8-0.
In the final game of the series, the Trojans took a bit to get the bats going in game three but would fend off James Madison to take the series.
The Dukes were able to score first in the top of the second inning as they loaded the bases off a third base error, Payton List single and a Lexi Rogers walk. The Trojans would walk consecutive batters leading to Avery Pinder advancing to home.
Troy followed the top of the second with a three-run inning to take the lead. Finch would get things started with a single to left field. The Dukes would walk Sinness before Riggs sent a ball deep into right field for the double to score Finch.
A wild pitch would allow Sinness to score and allow Riggs to advance to third. The next two batters, McKinney, Baker and Thompson would all be walked to plate a run and put the Trojans up 3-1 early in the game.
Troy kept James Madison scoreless in the top of the third before scoring two more runs in the bottom of the inning. After two quick outs, Turner would send a single to right field before stealing second.
Sinness followed behind with a double to center field to allow Turner to score. Riggs at the next at bat would single to center field and score Sinness.
James Madison was able to get one back in the fifth as Bella Henzler doubled to left center and Reed Butler followed with her own double to center to score Henzler. The Trojans were able to end the inning off a double play to get the runners out at second and first.
Troy quickly responded as Dunn started the fifth by being walked and eventually came around to score off another single from Riggs.
The Trojans kept the Dukes scoreless for the rest of the game to win 6-2 and take the series two games to one. The win improves the Trojans to 24-11 overall and 4-2 in Sun Belt Conference play.
Troy softball next plays host to Southern Miss for a three-game series on March 28, 29 and 30. The first game of the series starts Thursday, March 28 at 6 p.m. over at the Troy Softball Complex.
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