The Troy softball team lost both games of its doubleheader at Kennesaw State on Tuesday, March 24.
The Trojans (18-16, 4-5 Sun Belt) struggled to score runs against the Owls (23-12, 4-5 Atlantic Sun), managing just one run against the opposition in two games.
Kennesaw State’s defense did in the Trojans, holding them to only five hits and no runs in game one of the doubleheader.
Sophomore pitcher Logan Viers got the win for the Owls by pitching five strikeouts and no walks.
Every time that Troy looked as if it were in perfect position to score, Viers came up with a key strikeout or flyout.
Sophomore right fielder Taylor Denton was the first to score for Kennesaw State, batted in by junior first baseman Megan Veringa with an RBI single down the right field line in the first inning.
The Owls added three more runs in the fifth inning, as freshman pinch runner Noelle Winkles scored on an RBI double from senior center fielder Natalie Rhodes.
Denton also contributed a two-run RBI that would make the score 4-0 in favor of Kennesaw State in the bottom of the fifth.
Junior third baseman Khadija Neely led the Trojans offensively, going two-for-three, hitting a single and a double.
Kennesaw State finished out the rest of the game with the lead and came away with the shutout win.
“I thought we had a lot of quality at-bats today, but just hit a lot of hard balls right at people,” said head coach Beth Mullins. “We have to do a better job defensively of finishing out innings and closing the door.”
The Trojans tried to bounce back in the second game of the doubleheader, but were met with similar difficulty — scoring runs against the Owls.
Junior pitcher Ashley Rainey was the only Trojan to score in the game, hitting a solo homer in the top of the seventh inning that robbed Kennesaw State of a no-hitter.
Senior first baseman Michelle Phelps had the only other hit for the Trojans, hitting a single to left field.
Kennesaw State scored early in the game, with Veringa hitting a two-run homer over the right field fence to put the Owls on top in the bottom of the first inning.
Junior catcher Emily Bishop added another run in the fourth inning, hitting a solo homer to left field and making the score 3-0.
Rainey’s home run brought the score to 3-1, but it wasn’t enough to get the Trojans back in the game. With the win, Kennesaw State took the series sweep 2-0.
The Trojans returned home to face off against rival UAB on Tuesday, March 31, in a doubleheader. Troy lost the first game 5-1, but redeemed itself in the second game, winning 6-1.
Troy will face ULM next in a doubleheader at home on Friday, April 3, and on Saturday, April 4. The first game starts at 3 p.m.
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