Seventh Inning Rally Powers Troy Past Coastal Carolina

Friday, March 11

Conway, S.C.

11:30 a.m.

Troy University

14-5, 0

Coastal Carolina

9-10, 0

Troy

Coastal Carolina

Seventh Inning Rally Powers Troy Past Coastal Carolina

3/11/2022 2:44:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

CONWAY, S.C. –Troy Softball opened Sun Belt Conference action with a win for the fifth consecutive season after a seventh-inning rally powered the Trojans past Coastal Carolina, 5-2, Friday at Charles Wade-John Lott Field.

A pair of home runs from Jade Sinness and Libby Baker was the deciding factor after the game entered the top of the seventh knotted up 2-2. With the win, the Trojans (14-5, 1-0 Sun Belt) have picked up the win in the first game of league action every season since 2018.

The Trojans struck first in the top of the second inning after Taylor McKinney launched a solo, leadoff home run into the palm trees.

Leanna Johnson (9-2) worked around a single and a hit by pitch to blank the Chanticleers (9-10, 0-1 Sun Belt) in the second and third, sending the middle of Troy's lineup to the plate in the top of the fourth.

Logan Calhoun ripped a two-out double to right-center field that plated Audra Thompson, who reached on a walk, and put the Trojans up 2-0.

However, Coastal Carolina answered with a two-run double off the bat of Madison Hudson in the bottom of the fourth to even the contest.

Johnson and Kaitlyn Beasley-Polko hung a pair of zeros in the fifth and sixth to send the game into the seventh all-tied up.

Sinness stepped into the box to leadoff the top of the seventh and smashed a long ball to hand the Trojans the lead back.

After Kelly Horne followed Sinness with a single through the right side, cleanup hitter Baker blasted a two-run long ball to tack on a pair of insurance runs for Troy.

Johnson returned to the circle in the bottom of the seventh and retired the side to earn her ninth win of the season. The junior fanned 10 Chanticleers, good for her fourth double-digit strikeout contest of the season.

Beasley-Polko (4-4) suffered the loss for Coastal Carolina after giving up five runs off nine hits and a trio of walks.

Quotable – Co-Interim Head Coach Taylor Smartt
"Today was a solid team win. I'm proud of our fight and resiliency at the plate. We had production from top to bottom, and finally in the seventh, we had multiple timely hits. Leanna was very good in the circle and kept us in the ball game!"

Notable

Libby Baker led the Trojans offensively going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.
Blake Gibson earned her second start in the cardinal and white, her first at third base.

Next Up
The Trojans and Chanticleers return to action tomorrow at 1 p.m. from Charles Wade-John Lott Field.