Troy University Athletics
Trojans Split on First Day of Sun Belt Tournament
5/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MIAMI - A late seventh inning rally was not enough as Troy fell 4-0 to Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday in the second round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament.
Freshman Felicia Hammer broke up a no-hitter by Kristal Lewellan in the fifth when she singled up the right field line.
Troy (29-39) would not record another hit until the top of the seventh when Hammer once again singled and set up the rally for the Trojans. After Hammer's hit Troy notched two more hits and loaded the bases, but were unable to score any runs to continue play.
Danyele Gomez hit a solo home run in the third with two outs to put a run on the board for Louisiana-Lafayette (46-10).
The Ragin' Cajuns extended its lead to four in the bottom of the sixth on an error by right fielder junior Amanda Ragans. Three runs scored on the play when Ragans missed the catch but no further damage was done as Lemoine was thrown out at third to end the inning.
Sophomore Angela Lopez (11-14) took the loss in the circle as she allowed one run on two hits in four innings of work.
Junior Laine Harcourt came in relief for Lopez and pitched two innings allowed two hits, three runs, none earned in nine batters faced.
Earlier in the day, the Trojans played a game that was not decided by one run for the first time in six games as it defeated the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee 4-1 in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference.
The Trojans jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as it took the win and snapped a four-game losing streak.
I think a big factor in the game was our ability to put up runs early, that's something we have struggled with especially in conference play. I know it was a relief for our pitchers to have some run support early and not have to pitch a shutout to win the ballgame,” head coach Melanie Davis said.
Troy started things early as sophomore Jessica Lyle hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score junior Angie Coteat from third.
The Trojans continued the momentum from the first into the second as once again the scoring run reach on a leadoff walk as freshman Heidi Johnson scored on a single by Ragans to extend Troy's lead to two.
Ragans ended the game two for two with one RBI and Lopez went one for three with two RBI to give Troy a solid offense throughout the game.
In the sixth, with one out and the bases loaded the Blue Raiders' Trish White singled to left field scoring Martha Davis from third for Middle Tennessee's one run.
Middle Tennessee committed four errors as only one of the Trojans four runs was earned.
Harcourt (16-20) notched the win in the circle as she went six innings allowing one run on five hits.
Troy will be back in action on Friday at 1:30 p.m. EDT in the first round of the loser's bracket at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the University Park Softball Field on the campus of FIU.
