Troy University Athletics
Trojans Take Series With Marathon Win
3/22/2009 5:00:00 AM | Softball
MIAMI - The Troy Trojans softball team knocked off the FIU Golden Panthers to take the series on Sunday afternoon. Troy had multiple clutch performances on the team to get the win in the 11th inning, 5-2.
"I have to give a hats off to the entire team on this one," Trojans head coach Melanie Davis said. "This was a total team effort from start to finish. We achieved our team goal of scoring first, and we put the pressure on them."
The Trojans (25-7) jumped out to an early lead in the contest, scoring a run in the top of the first inning.
Troy didn't score again until the top of the 11th.
"We had a lot of scoring opportunities, but their defense held us and the wind was a factor as well," Davis said.
FIU knocked in their first run of the day in the fifth inning which pushed the game into extra innings.
"When they scored to tie things up it was a little bit of a momentum swing," Davis said. "But our kids stayed tough to the end of the game, and that is phenomenal."
The Trojans started the top of the 11th with Heidi Johnson on second base. Johnson was placed on second by the international tie-breaker rule that came in effect in the 10th inning. Leadoff hitter Hayden Gann scored Johnson to take the lead. A Tasha Elmore sacrifice bunt moved Gann to third, and Rocky Paige got on base by an error. Nikki Hollett followed with a walk, and Felicia Hammer followed up by reaching base on a fielder's choice. Gann scored on the play, and the Trojans still had the bases loaded.
Freshman Sarah Shields came to the plate with an opportunity to add insurance for the Trojans. She did just that with a two-run double down the left field line pushing Troy's lead to 5-1.
The Trojans held the Golden Panthers in the bottom half of the inning, but not before giving up a run. Jessica Landau singled home the second run of the day for FIU leading to the final score.
FIU had opportunities to win the game in earlier innings, but the Trojans defense stepped up when needed each time.
Desiree Fink, who went 4-of-5 on the day, could not bring home a runner at third with just one out in the 11th. Fink got behind in the pitching count against Ashlyn Williams, before grounding out to Troy's first baseman Gann for the unassisted out. Gann made the tag halfway down the first base line, holding the runner Soberon at third to keep FIU from scoring the winning run.
The Trojans responded with the four-run 11th inning explosion for the extra inning, series-clinching victory.
"You have got to give credit to Ashlyn Williams," Davis said. "In the last 24 hours she threw a total of 21 innings, and to be able to keep a quality offensive team like FIU off balance speaks for her abilities."
Williams (now 17-5) went the distance, striking out 14 batters in the game and earned the win.
