Troy University Athletics
Regular Season Finale at South Alabama
5/7/2010 7:00:00 PM | Softball
The Troy Trojans softball team will face the South Alabama Jaguars in a double-header on Saturday afternoon. Game times for the pivotal series are at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Jaguar Field on the South Alabama campus.
The Trojans (24-26, 10-11) are battling for conference tournament seeding this weekend against the Jaguars with a possibility of gaining the fourth spot pending outcomes in the double-header and with games around the league. For the Trojans to take the fourth-seed in the conference tournament a sweep is needed against the Jaguars, and Florida International would need to defeat Florida Atlantic twice as well.
The Trojans are not focused on the possibilities of other games playing out in their favor. However, the Trojans are focused on earning a .500 record on the season and gaining momentum heading into the conference tournament next week.
The Jaguars (19-22, 6-10) pose a serious threat to the Trojans pursuit of a .500 record. The Trojans and Jaguars faced in one game earlier this season when pitcher Ashlyn Williams held the Jaguars hitless until the top of the seventh inning. South Alabama managed to put two singles into play and scored off of a passed ball to defeat Troy 1-0.
Both teams enter the double-header on a good amount of rest. The Trojans have not hit the field since April 27th at UAB. The Jaguars had a series against Western Kentucky University scheduled for last weekend, but torrential rains through the Tennessee and Kentucky area caused cancellation of the series.
Probable starters on the mound for game one are Ashlyn Williams for the Trojans and Beth Pilgrim for the Jaguars. Williams (18-19) enters with 28 complete games on her season resume and five shutouts. She leads the Sun Belt Conference in strikeouts and sits fifth in the NCAA with 346. Pilgrim (14-11) has 198 current strikeouts on the year and 17 complete games to her credit. Her season ERA stands at 2.23.
Jaguars Field is located adjacent to The Mitchell Center basketball arena, and this site will also serve as the home of the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament next week.
