Trojans Pick Up Two Wins at Bulldog Classic

Saturday, March 6

Starkville, Miss.

10:00 a.m.

Troy University

Wright State

Trojans Pick Up Two Wins at Bulldog Classic

3/6/2010 7:00:00 PM | Softball

STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Troy Trojans softball team picked up two wins on Saturday at the Bulldog Classic, defeating Wright State 3-2 and Mississippi Valley State, 4-0. The Trojans (14-5) used two great pitching performances to place themselves in a rematch with Mississippi State on Sunday for first place in the tournament.

GAME ONE

Troy used a strong outing, offensively and in the circle from Sally Ward to take their first game of the day from Wright State, 3-2. Ward threw her first career complete game, giving up just two runs on eight hits to pick up her second win of the season. She also went 1-for-1 at the plate with 2 RBI on a double and a sacrifice fly.

Wright State (5-9) plated the first run of the game with a single score in the bottom of the first inning. The Trojans gave up a one out walk that ended up costing them a run. The runner stole second then a ground out moved her to third with two down. An infield single down the third base line plated the run, giving the Raiders a 1-0 lead.

The Trojans plated two runs of their own in the third inning. Courtney Cherry led the inning off with a single to left field. Next up was Sarah Harris who put down a sacrifice bunt. The Raiders attempted to throw Cherry out at second, but the throw went into center field. As Cherry rounded second, the throw from center field hit her in the helmet, deflecting into left field, allowing Cherry to score and Harris to reach third.

Next to plate was Ward who hit a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Harris, giving Troy a 2-1 lead.

The Trojans added an insurance run in the fifth with a two out rally. With two down in the inning, Harris delivered a double to right center field. Ward was next up and she helped her own cause with a RBI double to the base of the wall in left field, giving Troy a 3-1 lead.

The Raiders got one run back in the bottom of the inning, but great outfield play by center fielder Marcy Sartain kept the Raiders to just one run. A strikeout sandwiched between a single and a walk put runners on first and second with one out. The next Raider singled to center field, but Sartain gunned down the runner from second base at the plate to get the Trojans second out.

The throw allowed the other runners to advance to second and third. Another single scored the runner from third, but for the second straight at bat, Sartain didn't allow the runner from second to score, throwing her out at the plate. In all the Raiders scored one run on three hits and a walk, making the score 3-2.

GAME TWO

The Trojans were locked into a pitcher's duel with Mississippi Valley State (5-10) in their second game.

Ashlyn Williams was perfect through 5.2 innings as she picked up her tenth win of the season in Troy's 4-0 shutout of Mississippi Valley State. Williams threw a complete game shutout, giving up just two hits and striking out 14 batters.

Courtney Cherry led the Trojans at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and 3 RBI.

Both sides went scoreless through five and a half innings, however, the Trojans finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth with four runs. Rocky Paige got things started with a one out double. After a infield single by Nikki Hollett, Belinda White was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Cherry was next up and she placed the first pitch she saw in the right center gap for a bases clearing double. The Trojans added another run when the Delta Devilettes center fielder dropped a fly ball allowing Cherry to score form second.

The Trojans will be back in action tomorrow trying to avenge an 8-0 loss to Mississippi State on Friday. The Trojans and Bulldogs will meet at 1:00 p.m. to decide first place.