Trojans Split with Florida A&M

Tuesday, March 29

Troy, AL

2:00 p.m.

Troy University

Florida A&M University

Photo by: Kevin Glackmeyer

3/29/2011 6:56:44 PM | Softball

Rattlers win first game, with TROY salvaging split in second game

By: Travis Jarome

Box Score (Game 1) | Box Score (Game 2)

TROY, Ala. – The Troy University softball team returned home for the first time in a week, splitting a doubleheader with Florida A&M University at the Troy Softball Complex in non-conference action Tuesday. The Trojans won the nightcap 2-0 to salvage the split, after dropping the first game of the day 6-0.

TROY struck first in the third inning of the second game when Michelle Hewett (Alford, Fla./Chipola JC) beat out an infield single to third, and advanced to second on a Kelly Luquette (St. Amant, La./St. Amant HS) sacrifice bunt. Junior Nikki Hollett (Melbourne, Australia/Wesley College) then hit a two-strike pitch up the middle to score Hewett easily from second for a 1-0 lead.

Hayden Gann (Hoover, Ala./Hoover HS) followed Hollett with single up the middle, then recorded her first stolen base of the season and the eighth of her career with Taylor Smartt (Troy, Ala./Charles Henderson HS) at the plate. Two pitches later, Smartt hit a one-strike pitch high in the air to center to score Hollett for the 2-0 Trojans' lead.

The Trojans were able to hold Florida A&M at bay for the majority of the contest, threatening in the top of the sixth when opposing pitcher Whitney Robinson drove a ball to the wall that Kortney Cooper (Dothan, Ala./Northview HS) was able to snag up against the fence. From that point, Ashlyn Williams (Hattiesburg, Miss./Oak Grove HS) shut the door on the Rattlers to pick up her second save of the season.

Morgan Grove (Tampa, Fla./Tallahassee CC) worked four innings in the nightcap to improve to 7-3 on the season, allowing just two hits in the contest. Williams worked three in relief with five strikeouts and allowing just one hit.

In the second game of the day Florida A&M struck first in the third inning, as the Rattlers scored all four of their runs in their inning after the second out was made. After Williams struck out the first two batters in the inning, the next two batters in the inning reached via a walk from the senior lefthander. The Trojans looked to be out of the inning on a ground ball hit to short, but Luquette was unable to handle the ball and the bases were loaded with two outs for Florida A&M.

The Rattlers were able to get their first runs across on a Taylor West single up the middle to score both Britany Doty and Aria Stewart, as Michelle Hewett (Alford, Fla./Chipola JC) came up throwing but had her throw cut off in the infield. The final two runs of the inning scored when Erika Garcia tripled to right over the head of Sarah Harris (Surrey, BC, Canada/Semiahoo Secondary) to plate West and Corin Gordon for the 4-0 lead.

Florida A&M added to the lead in the top of the seventh when Whitney Robinson took a pitch from Haley Hutchins (McCalla, Ala./Brookwood HS) and drove the ball down the right field line. The ball hit the top of the fence and bounced over for the two two-run pinch hit home run for Florida A&M.

The Trojans return to action in Sun Belt Conference play this weekend as they travel to Miami to face the Golden Panthers of FIU. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 3 pm (CST).

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