Troy University Athletics
Troy University
Louisiana State University
Troy Set to Travel to Purple and Gold Challenge
3/8/2012 1:17:00 PM | Softball
The Troy softball team hits the road for the third-straight weekend as the Trojans take on LSU and Mississippi Valley State twice this weekend.
Live Stats
BATON ROUGE, La. - Off to the best start in program history, the Troy softball team travels to Baton Rouge, La. for the final non-conference tournament of the year as the Trojans take on both LSU and Mississippi Valley State, twice, at the Purple and Gold Challenge.
Troy (16-2) enters this weekend with on five-game winning streak and the Trojans have won their last 11 out of 12 contests. The Trojans went 5-0 at last weekend's Red and Blue Classic in Oxford, Miss. and blanked Chattanooga, 6-0, in last Sunday's championships game.
Troy also brings 17-innings scoreless streak by opponents to the Purple and Gold Challenge. Troy last allowed a run to cross the plate, in the fourth inning of the Chattanooga game last Saturday. Troy was down 8-0 in that contest, but scored nine runs in the final four innings to beat the Lady Mocs, 9-8, in eight innings.
The tournament victory at the Red and Blue Classic, gave Troy its second tournament championship of the 2012 seaon, as the Trojans went 5-0 at the Southeastern Lion Classic to start off the regular season.
LSU (11-7) returns home after a 1-3 weekend at The Preview hosted by USA Softball in Oklahoma City, Okla. LSU defeated Oklahoma State, 7-4, last Saturday, but the Tigers were shutout by eighth-ranked Oklahoma, twice, and fell to the Cowboys, 1-0 in ten innings, last Sunday.
Mississippi Valley State (9-9) is coming off a tournament win at the Tiny Lader HBCU Classic in Conyers, Ga. Like Troy, the Devilettes enter this weekend on a five-game winning streak.
Troy takes on the host team, LSU, at 7:30 p.m. at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge. On Saturday, the Trojans face Mississippi Valley State at 11:00 a.m. and then take on LSU, once again, at 1:30 p.m. Troy and the Devilettes play Sunday at 11:00 a.m. to close out the Purple and Gold Challenge.
Gameday Storylines
- This weekend, Troy travels to Baton Rouge, La. for the Purple and Gold Challenge. The Trojans will face LSU and Missisippi Valley State twice in the the three-day tourament.
- Last weekend, the Trojans picked up their second tournament victory of the year by with a perfect 5-0 record at the Red and Blue Classic in Oxford, Miss.
- Troy's 16-2 record gives the Trojans their best start in program history. Troy's previous best start came in 1998 when the Trojans started off 10-0.
- Freshman pitcher Ashley Rainey was named Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season, after the Tuscaloosa, Ala. native picked up three of Troy's five victories, last weekend.
- Jaycee Affeldt picked up her second complete game of the season, as the freshman notched her first career complete game in Troy's 5-1 win over Ole Miss.
- The Trojans' win over Ole Miss gave Troy it's first win over an SEC opponent since 2010 when Troy defeated South Carolina, 4-3, at the Gamecock Invitational at Columbia, S.C.
- Senior Michelle Hewett carries a team-high 12-game hitting streak into the Purple and Gold Challenge.
