Troy University Athletics
Trojans Clip Warhawks Wings
3/14/2009 5:00:00 AM | Softball
Troy, AL - The Troy Trojans softball team knocked off ULM twice on Saturday. The Trojans took the first two games of the series, winning game one 5-4 and game two 9-0.
"You couldn't ask for a better start to conference play," Trojans head coach Melanie Davis said.
Game two was highlighted by home runs. Tasha Elmore went yard twice in the game, and one of her home runs was followed by Nikki Hollett for back-to-back shots.
"It was really huge for Tasha to come around with her bat," Davis said. "It's good to see her get her bat back on track in conference play. Nikki's follow-up home run was big too. I told Nikki early on that statistically after a home run the next batter will pop-up for an out because they try to hit the ball deep too. Nikki came up to me after her home run and told me ?Coach, I'm not a statistic anymore'. I was proud of both of them and our whole team for how we hit the ball today."
Troy (22-6, 5-0) got off to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Trojans added three in the third and three more in the fifth to earn the second run-rule victory of the season.
Allison Moore took the mound for Troy in game two. Moore struck out three, and allowed three hits in the game. Moore also walked two batters.
The stat of the day however for Moore was her ability to work out of a bases loaded situation in the second inning. Moore gave up a hit to start the inning to Megan Miller. The next batter was walked on base, and a sacrifice bunt moved the two in scoring position. Moore hit Roxane Cassel to load the bases, but responded resiliently with a strikeout against ULM shortstop Jessica Olguin.
Ashlyn Williams took the mound in game one, and she had a strikingly similar scenario that Moore faced. The difference was that Williams had to work out of a bases loaded situation in back-to-back innings.
The Warhawks (8-18, 2-3) loaded the bases in the third and fourth innings, but Williams and the Trojans defense kept ULM scoreless until the sixth.
The top of the sixth began with Troy leading 5-0. Seven ULM batters later, the Trojans lead was cut to one run.
"Taking nothing away from ULM, but I felt like we had a letdown like we may have had the game won," Davis said. "They taught us a lesson, and we almost learned it the hard way. They hit the ball very well, and you can't quit against any Sun Belt Conference opponent."
The Warhawks punched in four runs on four hits to make for a very interesting contest, but the Trojans would have no part of the comeback and put the Warhawks away in the seventh.
Hillary Hughes and Hayden Gann led the Trojans at the plate in game one with doubles.
Williams pitched the distance and struck out 11 batters. Williams allowed four runs on nine hits and walked two batters.
The Trojans and Warhawks will play the third game of the series on Sunday morning. The game, originally scheduled for 1 p.m., has been bumped to 9 a.m. due to weather concerns throughout the afternoon.
