Troy University Athletics
Troy University
Florida Atlantic
Trojans Halt Skid in Boca Raton
4/11/2010 3:00:00 AM | Softball
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Troy Trojans softball team split a Saturday doubleheader with FAU (21-19, 6-5), dropping game one 6-5 in extra innings and taking game two 4-1 to snap a five game skid. Troy (20-20, 8-7) pounded out 20 hits on the day. Ashlyn Williams threw a combined 14.1 innings striking out 24 for the Trojans. Offensively Nikki Hollett paced the Trojans, going a combined 5-for-8 with 3 RBI and one of Troy's two home runs.
GAME ONE
The Trojans would fall to FAU in game one in nine innings, 6-5. Troy's bats would come to life as the Trojans pounded out 12 hits, but stranded nine runners. Eight of Troy's had at least one hit, and Hollett paced the squad with three base knocks. The Trojans would get a hit in every inning except the eighth.
The Trojans would get an early run with a single score in the first inning. Rocky Paige, who hit in the second spot in the lineup for first time this season, got things started with a one-out single. After a Hollett fielder's choice moved Paige to second, a two-out RBI single by Sarah Shields, who found herself in the fifth spot for the first time this year, plated Paige.
Troy would add another run in the fifth inning with the top of order producing yet again. Kala Moore led the inning off with an infield single. A Paige sacrifice bunt moved her into scoring position at second base. An RBI double by the three hole hitter Hollett plated Moore and gave the Trojans a 2-0 advantage.
The Trojans would add two more insurance runs in the sixth. A Sarah Harris two run homer to straight away center after a Belinda White single gave Troy a 4-0 lead. The bomb was the third of the season for Harris.
Florida Atlantic was shut down through five innings by Williams who struck out eight and gave up just one hit in those first five, however the Owls would get on the board in the sixth, scoring four runs, all with no outs one a few tough breaks for Troy.
The first FAU batter would strike out, but a passed ball all the way to the back stop allowed her to reach first. A fielder's choice to Hollett at third in which the Trojans were unable retire the runner at second put two on with no outs. The next Owl drew a walk to load the bases.
The Owls five hole hitter then chopped a ball to Paige at first, Paige sacrificed the run for the first out of the inning by tagging the batter, however the umpire said that the tag missed and the bases remained loaded with no outs.
Next up was first baseman Rose Gressley who doubled off the right center run to plate all three and tie the game at 4-4. Williams would recover however and retire the next three Owls to get out of the inning.
Troy would threaten yet again in the seventh. After a line shot by Paige was hit straight to third baseman for the first out, Hollett delivered her third hit of the game with a single to right field, chasing FAU starter Kathryn Stauffer who gave up ten hits but didn't factor in the decision. FAU relief pitcher Taylor Fawbush walked Shields, but kept the Trojans from scoring for the third straight inning.
After a leadoff walk in the seventh, Williams came back to strike out the side and give the fans at the FAU Softball Stadium a little bit of free softball.
Both teams would get their leadoff runner on the eighth, but neither would score. Troy's runner was erased on a line drive double play. FAU's runners would be retired at home plate to finish the inning after Hayden Gann did a great job keeping a double from going to fence, then fired in a throw to the infield that was relayed to White at the plate and beat the runner by at least eight feet.
Troy would push across the go ahead run with a single score in the ninth. Moore would leadoff with a single through the left side of the infield. After a fielder's choice followed by a passed ball moved Moore to third, Gann continued her hot play from the bottom of the seventh and recorded her first hit of the game, an RBI single up the middle.
The Owls would respond and score two in bottom the inning to take game one 6-5. After Williams got two quick outs, a single followed by a double plated the first run, and then a single plated the winning run from second.
Other than the three hits in sixth and the ninth, Williams (15-15) only gave up three others. For the fourth time this season, the junior struck out 14 while pitching all 8.2 innings for her 23rd complete game of the season.
Fawbush (7-6) picked up the win for FAU, going 2.2 innings and giving up one run.
GAME TWO
The Trojans would recover in game two and put a halt to their five game skid, taking a 4-1 decision. Troy recorded eight hits as Sally Ward started for the Trojans and went 1.1 innings before being relieved by Williams.
Hollett once again led the Trojans at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run and a 2 RBI.
Troy would get on the board first again in the second game, once again with a single score in the first. Hollett delivered the run with a solo shot, her fourth home run of the year, over the left field fence.
The Owls would respond in the bottom of the inning with one thanks to two walks from Troy starter Ward. The leadoff batter would draw the first walk after the first pitch of the game was called an illegal pitch. Two consecutive fielder's choices, only one of which the lead runner was retired put runners on first and second with one out for the Owls.
A single loaded the bases and the second walk of the inning plated the tying run. Ward was able to recover and retire the next two batters to avoid further damage.
Troy would scratch across two more in the second on the strength of two runs and two errors. Courtney Cherry would leadoff with a walk. On a sacrifice attempt by White, the Owls second baseman covering first would drop the throw to put runners on first and second with no outs.
Cherry would then be retired at third for the first out on a fielder's choice and then a pop out to second base would give the Trojans two outs. Senior shortstop Moore would then deliver with a single to center. Jessica Myers miss handled the ball and allowed White to score from second for the Trojans and move Harris to third and Moore to second.
Next up was Troy's only other senior Paige who would get the second straight single on the inning and give the Trojans a 3-1 lead. Troy would run out of the inning on a double steal attempt that resulted in Paige being thrown out at second base.
FAU would get one runner on in the bottom of the second, chasing Ward in favor for game one starter Williams.
Troy would also force a pitching change with a couple of base runners in the third inning. Hollett would leadoff the inning with her second hit of the game and fifth of the day in a single. After another single by Shields, Rose Gressley (5-6) was chased in favor of Amber Barton.
Barton would get the Owls out of the inning, giving Gressley a final line of 2.1 innings pitched with three runs on six hits and one walk.
The two teams would go relatively quietly throughout the next four innings, as Williams and Barton both scattered base runners and but never allowed any runners to score.
Troy would add an insurance run in the seventh. After Moore got her fourth single of the day to leadoff the inning, she stole second base, her 24th swipe of the season. A Paige sacrifice bunt would move Moore to third and a Hollett sacrifice fly would give Troy a 4-1 lead.
Williams (16-15) got the victory in relief, going 5.2 innings on shutout softball with six hits and 10 strikeouts, giving her 306 on the year, just six away from her own single season school record of 312 set last season.
The Trojans and Owls will close out the series on Sunday with a single game scheduled for a 12:00 noon CT first pitch.
