Softball Sweeps Day Two of Troy Invitational

Saturday, February 18

Troy, Ala.

2 p.m.

Troy University

5-2

Murray State

3-4

Murray State

Troy

Softball Sweeps Day Two of Troy Invitational

2/18/2023 8:29:00 PM | Softball

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

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – Troy combined for 10 extra-base hits and did not allow an earned run in a pair of victories Saturday over Murray State and Kennesaw State on day two of the Troy Invitational at the Troy Softball Complex.

Olivia Cato, Libby Baker and Haley Pittman combined to shutout Murray State, 6-0, in the opener, while Audra Thompson and Anslee Finch had two extra-base hits each. In the nightcap, Taylor McKinney homered, and Leanna Johnson struck out seven in 7-2 victory over Kennesaw State.

McKinney finished 4-for-6 on the day with three RBIs, while Thompson was 4-for-6 with three doubles.

The Trojans (6-2) have won all four games this weekend and will go for the clean sweep on Sunday when they host Kennesaw State for a third time; first pitch is set for noon.

Troy 6, Murray State 0

Troy scored in four of its six innings, including a 3-spot in the bottom of the sixth to race past Murray State, 6-0, in its opening game of the day.

Audra Thompson had a pair of doubles, Anslee Finch tripled twice and Natalie Turner stole two bases to pace the Trojans' offensive attack.

The Thompson-Finch combo struck in the second inning to put the Trojans on the board as Thompson's double to left-center field cashed in Finch's one-out triple. Troy added single runs in the third and fourth innings on an RBI single from Libby Baker and a wild pitch that allowed Thompson to score.

True freshman Olivia Cato (1-0) tossed four scoreless innings in the circle to record her first collegiate win. She struck out one, walked two and allowed just one hit before turning the ball over to Baker, who tossed two scoreless frames, while Haley Pittman tossed a scoreless seventh.

Finch opened the 3-run sixth with a triple to right-center and scored on a single back up the middle by Taylor McKinney. Following a passed ball, a costly Racers' error allowed the final two runs to score.

Hannah James (1-3) took the loss for the Racers as she was charged with three runs on five hits in four innings. Lily Fischer led Murray State with two of its four hits in the game.

Troy 7, Kennesaw State 2

Troy put up a pair of crooked numbers with three runs in the first and four in the fourth and rode the arm of ace Leanna Johnson in the circle in a 7-2 win over Kennesaw State to close out the day.

Johnson (4-1) lowered her ERA to 0.68 on the season as she didn't allow an earned run and struck out seven in six innings of work. She walked seven and scattered four hits as she pulled with 13 victories of becoming Troy's all-time wins leader.

Taylor McKinney went 3-for-3 from the plate with a pair of RBIs, including a monster home run to deep center field to lead off the fourth inning. Audra Thompson followed with a double down the third-base line and D'Aun Riggs delivered a two-out RBI single down the line in left. A costly error by the Kennesaw State right fielder allowed another run to score, and Anslee Finch made the error sting a little more with an infield single to plate the fourth run of the frame.

Finch put the Trojans on the board in the first inning, scoring Riggs with a grounder to third before Libby Baker and Kelly Horne followed with back-to-back ringing doubles off the wall. McKinney capped the scoring with a sharp single back up the middle.

The Owls scored both their runs in the fifth inning as they took advantage of a pair of Trojan errors, which occurred on the same play, and a wild pitch.

Kenley Hilleary (0-1) was charged with the loss for Kennesaw State after she allowed five runs – two earned – on six hits in 3.1 innings.