Softball rides 11-game win streak

Hanna Cooper The Trojan softball team finished up its eight-game homestand with a series sweep over Georgia State. A late-game offensive push powered Troy past Georgia State, 3-1, to extend its win streak to nine games Friday afternoon at the Troy Softball Complex. Back-to-back doubles by Stephanie Snyder and Kaylee Hussey put Troy on the board first in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kaylee Chapman singled to right field to score two more and solidify the win for the Trojans. Georgia State tried to answer in the top of the seventh when Kristin Hawkins led off with a home run over the left field wall, but Leanna Johnson and the Trojan defense sat down the next three batters to earn their ninth straight victory. Johnson held the Panthers scoreless through the first sixth innings of play and picked up the win after scattering three hits and sitting down seven batters. Game two of the series began on Saturday but was suspended due to lightning. The game resumed Sunday with the score tied and one out in the top half of the seventh inning. The pitchers dueled until the bottom of the 11th inning when Kelly Horne ripped a walk-off single up the middle to score Grace Mirly, who pinch ran for Bailey Taylor after Taylor led off with a single. Johnson's dominance in the circle continued onto the series finale when she threw her first career no-hitter to complete the series sweep over Georgia State. The freshman fanned nine batters through seven innings of work to pick up her fourth win of the week. Troy struck first in the bottom of the first inning, scoring two runs with hits by Talia Truitt, Katie Webb and Stephanie Snyder. Troy's scoring was capped off by a leadoff home run by Kaylee Chapman in the bottom of the fourth inning. The long ball to left field was Chapman's first career home run. "I was so proud of the fight we showed today," Head Coach Beth Mullins said."Our pitching and defense did a great job of keeping us in that first game and giving us a chance to walk it off. “I am so proud of the way that both Annie and Leanna pitched this weekend!" The sweep was the third straight for Troy in Sun Belt Conference play as the team has now won 11 consecutive games overall. The Trojans have swept back-to-back-to-back conference series for the first time since 2005 when Troy was a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Johnson's no-hitter was the first tossed by a Trojan since current assistant coach Jaycee Affeldt threw one against Tennessee State in 2014. The Trojans are back in action on Friday,April 12 traveling to Statesboro, Georgia to visit Georgia Southern for a weekend series. First pitch on Friday night is set for 4:30 p.m.