Trojans Withstand Rally by Nicholls State

Saturday, February 26

Hattiesburg, MS

9:00 a.m.

Troy University

Nicholls State University

Photo by: Troy University

2/26/2011 11:24:58 AM | Softball

Taylor Smartt and Hayden Gann homer in victory

By: Travis Jarome

Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – For the third consecutive weekend, the Troy University softball team won their opening game of a tournament; this time defeating Nicholls State 9-7 in the opening game of the Southern Miss Invitational Saturday morning.

The Trojans held for the victory, leading by five runs heading into the seventh inning. Nicholls State scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh, and had the bases loaded before the final out was recorded for the Trojan victory.

Freshman Taylor Smartt (Troy, Ala./Charles Henderson HS) connected for her first collegiate home run and junior Hayden Gann (Hoover, Ala./Hoover HS) connected on her third home run on the season to give the Trojans all the offensive firepower they would need in the opening game of the tournament.

Gann finished the day a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate, with three runs scored and three runs batted in. Meanwhile, Smartt went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and three runs batted in for the Trojans. The only other Trojans with multiple hits was junior Nikki Hollett, who finished the day 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored.

Troy (8-3) started off quickly against Nicholls State, plating two runs in the top of the first inning. Junior Nikki Hollett (Melbourne, Australia/Wesley College) got the inning going with a two-out double to left. That was followed by a Gann single through the right side to score Hollett. After Gann advanced to second on the throw home, she scored on a fielding error by the shortstop off the bat of Sarah Shields (Schereville, Ind./Lake Central HS) to conclude the scoring in the top of the first inning.

After Nicholls State trimmed the lead to 2-1, the Trojans erupted for five runs in the top half of third inning to pull away. Hollett led off the inning with a single up the middle, following a dropped foul ball by the third baseman. It didn't take her long to get around the bases, as Gann drilled her third home run of the season to left, pushing the score to 4-1 in favor of the Trojans.

Shields followed the home run by reaching for the second consecutive at-bat on a fielding error, advancing all the way to second on an error by the leftfielder. After Callie Rawlinson (Auburn, Ala./Lee-Scott Academy) was inserted to run, Smartt knocked her in on the first pitch with a single to right center to extend the lead to 5-1 in the third. Smartt would then scored on a Randi Ashworth (Crosby, Texas/Tallahassee CC) double to center; followed by a single to center by freshman Kacie McAllister (Dothan, Ala./Dothan HS) to score Ashworth and conclude the five-run third inning.

The Trojans added a pair of runs in the fourth inning when Gann reached with a single through the left side, followed by Smartt's first career home run – a two-run shot to left center to push the lead to 9-1 at the time.

The Trojans return to action shortly against Mississippi Valley State in the second game of the Southern Miss Invitational. Live stats are available by clicking here.

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