Trojans Claim Big Road Win

Wednesday, April 6

Mobile, AL

5:00 p.m.

Troy University

University of South Alabama

Photo by: Troy University

4/6/2011 7:07:48 PM | Softball

TROY wins for second time in last three road games

By: Travis Jarome

Box Score

MOBILE, Ala. (TroyTrojans.com) – The Troy University softball team won their second road game in three tries, defeating the University of South Alabama 2-0 in Sun Belt Conference action at Jaguar Field Wednesday afternoon.

Ashlyn Williams (10-11) picked up the victory for TROY (22-18, 3-7 Sun Belt) as she pitched a complete game two-hitter. The senior walked just three and struck out 13 in the victory. Morgan Druhan (8-4) was the hard-luck loser for South Alabama (27-8, 7-3 Sun Belt) as she pitched a complete game, allowing just two runs and three hits. She also walked four and struck out seven Trojan hitters.

The big blow for the Trojans came in the fourth inning, when they scored the only two runs of the contest.

Freshman Taylor Smartt broke up the no-hit bid by Morgan Druhan in the top of the fourth inning when she lined a double to right center field to lead off the inning. Nikki Hollett followed that up with a two-strike home run to left; her first since March 22 and her league-leading 17th of the season to give TROY a 2-0 lead. The home run was also the 30th in the career of Hollett, just a junior for the Trojans – third all-time in school history.

The Trojans did not get their third hit of the contest until the top of the seventh inning on a bloop single from Sarah Harris. After fouling off down the third base line, the junior leftfielder put one just out of the reach of the shortstop and leftfielder with just one out in the inning.

Both teams had chances early in the contest, but were unable to put any runs across through the first three innings.

Early in the contest, South Alabama threatened first, getting a runner to third with just one out in the bottom of the second inning. Christine Crocker led off the bottom of the second, reaching after a passed ball on a strikeout; before advancing all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt by Haley Richards.

The ball was field by TROY third baseman Kelly Luquette, who fired to first for the out and the meantime Crocker advanced all to third as the bag was left open. However, Williams struck out Katy Neal and Megan Collins to end the threat and the inning.

The Trojans were unable to capitalize on their first runner to reach in the top of the third inning. A pair of walks to Sarah Shields and Kortney Cooper could not advance as pinch runner Callie Rawlinson was thrown out at first; followed by a strikeout of Ashley Adkins and a pop out by Luquette.

South Alabama had another chance in the third when Jenny Stevens walked and then recorded her 24th stolen base of the season with no one out. However, after a 2-out walk to Brittany Fowler; Williams struck out Haley Hopkins to end the third and keep the game scoreless.

The Jags didn't get another hit until the bottom of the sixth inning when Haley Hopkins lined a double to right centerfield that Adkins slid to keep from reaching the wall off of Williams. However, Hopkins was unable to get past second as she was thrown out at third, attempting to steal, by Smartt to end the inning.

The only other hit came in the first inning for South Alabama when Brittany Fowler laced a single up the middle with two outs.

The Trojans return to action this weekend as they host Western Kentucky University in a pivotal Sun Belt Conference series at the Troy Softball Complex. Admission is free to all three games this weekend, with live stats and live video being provided by the Troy University Athletics Media Relations Office.

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