The Troy softball team opened up conference play last weekend against Georgia Southern and dropped the series one game to two. It followed up that series with a walk-off victory over non-conference opponent Southern Mississippi.
The Trojans traveled to Statesboro, Georgia, on Saturday and split the double-header with the Eagles before losing 8-3 on Sunday.
Game one of Saturday’s action saw Georgia Southern edge Troy 3-2 behind a two-run third inning.
The Eagles were the first team on the board when Trojan senior Becca Hartley committed an error on a steal attempt, allowing the runner on third to advance to home. Troy survived a second Hartley error in the inning and recorded the final out with two runners on base.
Hartley got her run back in the top of the third with an RBI double to tie the game. The Eagles retook the lead in the bottom of the inning after outfielder Emily Snider blasted a two-run homerun, bringing in Mekhia Freeman who was walked on four pitches on the previous at-bat.
Troy brought the game to within one when lead-off batter Meg Wilson notched her fourth homerun of the season. The Trojans could not put together a rally in the seventh and dropped the contest.
Troy’s bats were alive and well in an 11-3 nightcap victory that saw the Trojans score in each inning after the first.
The Trojans struck first in the second inning, plating two runs on three hits and two batters being hit by a pitch. The sparks flew in the third inning when Troy added another run and then loaded the bases for Hartley, who sent the fourth pitch of the at-bat over the wall for a grand slam.
The Eagles scored a run in the third to get on the board and the two teams traded one-run innings up until the sixth. Up 9-3, Troy added a pair of runs in the sixth on sophomore Kaylee Hussey’s two run homerun.
Troy held the Eagles scoreless the bottom of the inning to end the game by run-rule.
Georgia Southern rallied in the sixth to win Sunday’s rubber match 8-3 to capture the series.
The Eagles scored a run in the first and third inning to go up 2-0 early. Troy tied the game in the fifth when the Trojans loaded the bases and drew a hit-by-pitch and a walk.
The Trojans took the lead momentarily in the next inning when junior Carli Kayler’s double brought across Grace Mirly from second. Georgia Southern responded with six runs on five hits, capitalizing on a walk and two errors.
The inning put the Eagles up 8-3, where the score stayed after Troy’s scoreless seventh inning.
“We have to do a better job of preventing the big inning and executing with runners in scoring position,” head coach Beth Mullins said. “It will feel good to be back in Troy for a couple of weeks and play in front of our home crowd.”
Trojan fans got some more entertaining gameplay on Wednesday, as the Stephanie Snyder hit a two-run home run to give her team its second walk-off victory of the season. This time it came at the expense of Southern Miss.
It was defensive showcase before the seventh inning at the Troy Softball Complex, as both teams refused to concede runs.
Claire Graves got the win in the circle for Troy, giving up six hits and striking out three. The majority of the outs that Troy got in the game came from 10 fly outs and seven ground outs off Graves’ pitches.
Following the victory, the Trojans now look forward to more conference play, this time against Georgia State. Game one of the three game series will be played on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Troy Softball Complex.
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