Softball Splits Final Day of Trojan Classic

Sunday, February 12

Troy, Ala.

9 a.m.

Troy University

2-1

SIUE

0-2

SIU-Edwardsville

Troy

Softball Splits Final Day of Trojan Classic

2/12/2023 5:43:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 SIUE Box Score (PDF)Belmont Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – Libby Baker hit two monster home runs and Leanna Johnson struck out a combined 15 batters as Troy split a pair of games Sunday at the Troy Softball Complex on the final day of the Trojan Classic.

Troy defeated SIU-Edwardsville, 2-1, in the morning game behind Baker's go-ahead home run in the fifth inning, while Belmont came away with a 4-2 win in eight innings in the final game of the day.

Troy 2, SIU-Edwardsville 1

Libby Baker hit a pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a 1-all deadlock and lift Troy to a 2-1 victory over SIU-Edwardsville in the opening game of Sunday's action at the Trojan Classic.

Baker's blast, the first of the season by the Trojans, sailed over the center field wall, and Leanna Johnson (2-0) came out of the bullpen to strikeout four over three shutout innings for her second victory of the season. Johnson moved within 15 wins of becoming Troy's all-time leader with her win in the circle.

SIUE (0-2) struck first in the top of first after Hayley Palm blooped a single down the line in right field, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a flare to left by Lauren Yslava.

The Trojans (2-1) tied the game in the fourth as Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year Kelly Horne lined a single to left to plate Jade Sinness, who led off the frame with a double on a frozen rope to left-center field.

True freshman Olivia Cato started in the circle for the Trojans and allowed just the one run on three hits in four innings of work; she struck out four and walked two. Sydney Baalman (0-1) went the distance for the Cougars and allowed two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and no walks.

Sinness finished 2-for-2 in the opener and was hit by a pitch, while Natalie Turner added a double and stole a base.

Belmont 4, Troy 2

Libby Baker hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs and two strikes, but Belmont scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to escape with a 4-2 victory over Troy in Sunday's final game of the Trojan Classic.

Playing with the international tiebreaker, the Bruins (3-0) got on top, 3-2, on a one-out single back up the middle and scored again on an error by the Trojan defense, one of two Troy (2-2) errors in the game – both led to unearned runs for Belmont.

The Trojans had the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning but couldn't scratch across a run; Troy also left the potential tying run at third base in both the third and fourth innings.

Belmont jumped out to a 2-0 lead scoring an unearned run in the third inning and then Kaley Varner homered off the foul pole down the left-field line in the fifth.

The Trojans cut the lead in half in the home half of the fifth inning as D'Aun Riggs ripped a triple to the wall in left-center field and came home to score on a Jade Sinness grounder to set up Baker's heroics in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Leanna Johnson (2-1) was the hard-luck loser for the Trojans in the circle despite striking out 11 Belmont hitters and issuing just one walk. Johnson was tagged with four runs, only one of which was earned over eight innings of work. Riggs paced the Trojans with a pair of hits from her leadoff spot in the lineup.

Maya Johnson (3-0) pitched the final 1.1 innings of the game to pick up the victory in the circle after Emma Summers allowed two runs on 6.2 innings to open the game.

Up Next
Troy once again hosts two other teams in a weekend round-robin as the Trojans welcome Kennesaw State and Murray State to town for the Troy Invitational.