Troy Bats Come Alive to Salvage Split

Tuesday, April 10

Troy, Ala.

3:00 p.m.

Troy University

Kennesaw State University

4/10/2012 7:43:00 PM | Softball

By: Matt Mays

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

TROY, Ala. – The Troy softball team rebounded from a tough, 1-0, loss in game one to run-rule Kennesaw State, 8-0, in game two of the two teams' doubleheader on Tuesday at the Troy Softball Complex.

Ashley Rainey and Jaycee Affeldt each threw complete games for the Trojans, with Affeldt throwing her first career shutout. Rainey was more than effective, giving up just one unearned run on four hits, but she was tagged with the loss as Troy was shutout for the third straight game.

The Trojan bats came to life in game two as Troy pounded out 10 hits, taking advantage of baserunners for the first time on the day. Troy had chances to score in game one, stranding nine baserunners, including six in scoring position, but they capitalized on their chances in game two.

The Trojans return to the diamond on Thursday for a single game at Florida A&M. Troy will then travel to Florida Atlantic for a three-game Sun Belt series on Saturday and Sunday.

For more information on Troy Athletics, be sure to visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find Troy on Twitter at @TroyAthletics or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TroyAthletics. For in-game updates from the diamond, follow Troy Softball on Twitter at @TroySBall.

GAME ONE – Kennesaw State 1, Troy 0

Rainey (12-8) took another tough loss as she held Kennesaw State to four hits and one unearned run over a complete game effort as Troy fell to the Owls, 1-0, in game one of Tuesday's doubleheader.

Abbey Mixon (6-4) was equally impressive for the Owls, giving up six hits over 6.1 innings, but she worked out of jams all day.

Troy stranded nine baserunners on the day, but was unable to get a timely hit as they stranded six of them in scoring position. Michelle Hewett led the Trojans with two hits including a seventh-inning double. Jaycee Affeldt also doubled for the Trojans.

The Owls scratched across the lone score they needed in the second inning thanks in large part to a Troy error. A leadoff single and a one-out walk placed runners on first and second for KSU, and Troy seemed to be getting out of it as Jensen Hackett hit a weak grounder to Rainey at the mound.

Rainey cut down the lead runner at third, but as Taylor Smartt tried to go to first base for the double play, she sailed the throw and sent KSU runners to second and third. The Owls nine-hole hitter, Carly Van Auken, then delivered an RBI single to give KSU the 1-0 lead on an unearned run.

The Trojans had their chances as they stranded seven runners in the first five innings, including one in scoring position in each frame – two at third base.

The sixth inning was the first that the Trojans didn't leave a runner in scoring position, but they did strand Sarah Shields at first base after she reached on a Kennesaw State error.

The Trojans mounted a rally in the seventh inning as Hewett delivered a one-out double, chasing Mixon in favor of Jessica Cross. However, Cross got Kelly Luquette and Hannah Renn to ground out on first pitches to pick up her first save of the season.

GAME TWO – Troy 8, Kennesaw State 0 (6 inn.)

The Trojans got another pitching gem, this time from Jaycee Affeldt (7-6) who threw a four-hit, complete-game shutout and was the beneficiary of some much needed run support.

Troy exploded for 10 hits in the contest off of Amanda Henderson (10-7) who entered fifth in the nation in strikeouts with 150 in 104.1 innings.

Gann exploded for three hits off the Owls ace while Kelly Luquette also had two hits.

The second game seemed to be much of the same as the Trojans stranded three runners in scoring position in the first three innings, but they took advantage of Kennesaw State mistakes in the fourth inning to take a 3-0 lead.

Troy loaded the bases with nobody out on a leadoff single from Hayden Gann, a walk by Sarah Shields and an error on Henderson that allowed Hollett to reach first base. Another error by Henderson allowed Gann to score to break open the scoreless tie.

Sarah Harris, who did not play in game one, then delivered a one-out two-RBI double, scoring pinch-runner Madison Rich and Hollett, to give Troy a 3-0 lead after four innings complete.

Troy added an insurance run in the fifth inning with a couple of two-out hits. Gann got it started with a two-out single and came home when Shields delivered an RBI double to give Troy a 4-0 lead.

The Trojans added four more runs in the sixth inning to finish off the game. Henderson was lifted to begin the inning in favor of Monica Vickery who struggled for the Owls.

Hewett, Renn and Gann all had hits for the Trojans in the frame while Luquette and Renn each picked up an RBI and Gann grabbed two on a game-ending double.