Troy University Athletics
Troy University
Mississippi Valley State University
LSU, Mississippi Valley State Nip Trojans
3/10/2012 5:02:00 PM | Softball
The Trojans only collected four hits and scored one run in two games at the Purple and Gold Challenge on Saturday.
Box Score vs. Mississippi Valley State
Box Score vs. LSU
BATON ROUGE, La. – Saturday, the Troy softball struggled at the plate as the Trojans fell, 2-1, to Mississippi Valley State and, 1-0, to the LSU Tigers.
Against the Devilettes, Troy left eight runners on base in 11 innings and did not get a hit until the top of the sixth inning.
In the loss to LSU (14-7) , the Trojans mustered just one hit off LSU starter Rachele Fico who pitched her eighth complete game of the season.
Troy (16-5) will look to revenge its loss Mississippi Valley State as Trojan play the Devilettes in the final game of the 2012 Purple and Gold Challenge, at 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning at Tiger Park.
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MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE 2, TROY 1 (11 innings)
In the first game of the day, Sarah Thomas held MVSU (10-10) scoreless through the first five innings, as the freshman struck out seven Devilettes, walking three and allowing three hits.
But, Lorenz would match Thomas as the junior held Troy scoreless through the first nine innings. Lorenz struck out three and allowed just two hits.
A Kelly Luquette single up the middle in the top of the sixth broke up the no-hit bid by Lorenz and gave the Trojans just their second base runner of the day.
But, in the top of the 10th, Sarah Shields sliced a double to left center to plate Hayden Gann from third, which gave Troy its first lead of the day. The Trojans would leave runners on first and second though, as Bailey Blake and Luquette were retired to end the inning.
Mississippi Valley State scratched a run in the bottom of the tenth off a two-out RBI single up the middle on a full count by Alex Robertson to plate pinch runner Megan Martinez to tie the game at 1-1.
Troy would leave runners on the first and second in the top of the 11th, as Lorenz stuck out Hannah Renn, then forced a foul out off the bat of Luquette to end the inning.
The Devilettes would capitalize on Troy's missed opportunity in the bottom of the 11th. MVSU designated player Shana Ladner's one-out ground ball to second was enough to bring home Alexandra Sullivan, who just slid past the tag of Troy catcher McAllister to give the Devilettes the victory.
The extra inning loss for the Trojans was the first of the season, as Troy was 3-0 in extra-inning games this season entering Saturday.
Jaycee Affeldt (5-3) took the loss, as the freshman pitched 5.1 innings in relief of Troy starter Sarah Thomas. Affeldt gave up two the runs, but none were earned due to the international tiebreaker. The Maple Ridge, B.C., Canada native struck out four in the longest relief outing of her career.
Troy starter Sarah Thomas picked up the no decision as she pitched the first five innings, allowing no runs and just three hits. The freshman struck out seven in her outing, just one off a career-high.
Lorenz (6-6) went the distance for the Devilettes, pitching all ten innings surrendering just one run and three hits.
At the plate the Trojans would notch just three hits in 33 at-bats. Troy left eight runners on base, including four in extra innings. Affeldt, Shields, and Luquette all picked up a hit a piece in the loss.
The loss to the Devilettes also saw the end to Michelle Hewett's 13-game hitting streak, as the senior went 0-for-4 at the plate.
LSU 1, TROY 0
Troy starter Ashley Rainey held LSU off the board for six innings, but in the seventh the Tigers bat got hot as LSU pounded three of its six hits in the frame.
The Tuscaloosa, Ala. native was helped by her defense as Troy shortstop Bailey Blake and Troy left fielder Kacie McAllister made two highlight reel stops in the third and sixth inning, respectively.
LSU first baseman Dylan Supak led off the inning with an infield single. The Trojans forced out Supak on the very next at-bat, as Kailey McCasland's attempted sacrifice bunt was corralled by Hayden Gann and tossed to second for the first out of the inning.
After Rainey got a pop up off the pat of LSU designated player Heidi Pizer, catcher Morgan Russell lifted a double over the head of Troy third baseman Taylor Smartt down the left field line to give LSU runners at second and third.
Two pitches later, pinch hitter Ashleigh Kuhn knocked a single to left field that scored McCasland to give the Tigers a 1-0 win.
Rainey (6-2) went 6.2 innings taking the loss, as the freshman scattered six hits. The freshman struck out one and walked one in her eighth start of the season.
LSU pitcher Rachele Fico (7-3) picked up the win for the Tigers, as the junior tied a career-high in strikeouts with 10 in the one-hit shutout.
Kelly Luquette's single in the top of the fifth inning was Troy's lone hit against the Tigers.
