Troy Splits on Opening Day of Tiger Invitational

Friday, February 22

Auburn, Ala.

11:30 AM

Troy University

10-3

Eastern Illinois

3-8

Troy

Eastern Illinois

Troy Splits on Opening Day of Tiger Invitational

2/22/2019 10:01:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game One Box Score (PDF)Game Two Box Score (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

AUBURN, Alabama – Troy traveled to Auburn, Alabama to participate in the Tiger Invitational. On opening day of play Troy downed Eastern Illinois, 3-0, before dropping an extra inning heartbreaker to North Dakota State, 3-2.

Bailey Taylor and Brooke Echols lead the team with a pair of RBIs while Katie Lively added another RBI to her career.

Game One: Troy 3, EIU 0

Troy (10-3) struck first in the top of the third. Talia Truitt got aboard in a bunt single. Katie Webb followed with a double to left center to put runners in scoring position for Bailey Taylor. Taylor scored both runners with a single through the left side.

The Trojans added another run in the top of the fifth to cap off their lead for good. Webb led off the inning with a single to center field. Allie Miller checked in to run for Webb and scored on a groundout by Katie Lively.

Leanna Johnson (6-1) allowed just two hits and one walk and recorded 14 strikeouts. Johnson eclipsed the 50-strikeout mark for the season after her fourth in the game.

McKenna Coffman (1-1) pitched all seven innings for the Panthers (3-8) giving up seven hits and two walks in her first loss of the season.

Game Two: North Dakota State 3, Troy 2
Brooke Echols sent the game into extra innings with a dramatic two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, but North Dakota State escaped with the victory with an unearned run in the ninth inning of the game.

Maddie Hansen gave North Dakota State (5-5) a 2-0 lead in the top of the seventh inning with a home run to left but the Trojans answered right back in the home half of the frame. Bailey Taylor led off the inning with a single to left field setting up the dramatics for Echols.

Following a scoreless eighth, Madyson Camacho, who was placed on second due to international tie breaker rule, advanced to third off of a sacrifice bunt that led to a throwing error. Hansen followed with a single to right field to plate Camacho for what proved to be the winning run.

Troy got runners on the corners in the home half of the ninth, but the Trojans were unable to capitalize and suffered their first extra-innings loss of the season.

The Bison struck first in the top of the fourth on a double to right center by Cara Beatty forcing in an unearned run following a Troy error.

Annie Willis (4-2) suffered the hard-luck loss for the Trojans despite recording nine strikeouts and not allowing a walk. KK Leddy (4-3) earned her fourth win of the season for NDSU after scattering five hits and two runs.

Troy looks to bounce back Saturday with two more games at the Auburn Invitational. The Trojans open against Eastern Illinois at 9 a.m. and wrap the day against Villanova at 11:30 a.m.