South Alabama Sweeps Troy in Rain-Delayed Doubleheader

Saturday, May 6

Mobile, Ala.

11 a.m.

Troy University

33-17-1, 14-8-1

South Alabama

37-13, 19-4

Troy

South Alabama

South Alabama Sweeps Troy in Rain-Delayed Doubleheader

5/6/2023 6:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 BOX SCORE - G1 (PDF)BOX SCORE - G2 (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

MOBILE, Ala. – After both sides battled through rain through the past two days, South Alabama prevailed over Troy in games two and three on Saturday, 6-0 and 7-6, respectively, to end the regular season at Jaguar Field.

The three losses to end the regular season didn't affect the Trojans' (33-18-1, 14-9-1 SBC) fourth-seed placement entering the postseason. At the same time, the Jaguars (38-13, 20-4 SBC) secured the three seed despite the victory due to divisional seedings.

Game One: South Alabama 6, Troy 0
Failure to connect with timely hits and a costly error in the bottom of the second cost Troy the series in game one of the doubleheader, 6-0.

Troy had a chance to strike early when Kelly Horne singled to center field on her second pitch with one out on the board. Libby Baker was third in the order and fought to a full count. Baker ripped one over to shortstop, allowing the Jaguars to look for a double play. After getting Horne out at second, Baker narrowly made it on base. A full-count walk by Anslee Finch advanced runners to second and third. Unfortunately, Jade Sinness stepped into the batter's box and lined one to left field to end the inning.

The deciding moment came in the bottom of the second after Victoria Ortiz batted one back to Libby Baker (2-3) in the pitcher's circle. Baker tried to make the quick throw to first but muffled the throw into the dirt, which allowed Ortiz to advance to second – advanced to third on a wild pitch by Baker after a fly out by Sasha Willems. Odalys Cordova stayed patient at the plate to earn a four-pitch walk followed by a steal to second. All of that culminated in a single to right field by Emma Kropp. The ball bumped off Finch's glove to center field, bringing in both runners, 2-0.

Both sides went silent to a 23-minute weather delay in the bottom of the fifth. The silence remained after play resumed until the bottom of the sixth. Cordova earned a walk, stole second and Kropp walked to bring Marley Sims up to bat. Sims laid a bunt down to perfection with two outs, being credited with a hit after an official review. With all the attention on Sims, Cordova scored from second while Kropp advanced, 3-0. The exclamation point came at the top of the order as Meredith Keel knocked a 3-run homer to center field for the game's final runs, 6-0.

Game Two: South Alabama 7, Troy 6
A walk-off double in the bottom of the eighth by Keel secured the series sweep between the rivals, 7-6.

History looked to repeat itself when USA got the first run of the ballgame in the bottom of the second. On the first pitch she saw, Ortiz bombed one over the right-center wall, 1-0.

The top of the third is when Troy broke the floodgates. Katelynn de Leon started the Trojans off with a single to center field – Aayannah Hughs entered to pinch run – followed by a bunt by Natalie Turner. Then, with runners on first and second, D'Aun Riggs stepped up and slap-hit it to left field. Leftfielder Bailey Welch aimed to get Hughs out at home, but it wasn't in time as Troy scored its first run of the day, 1-0, and put Turner on third and Riggs on second with no outs.

It looked as if that was the only Troy run after Horne struck out, and Baker fouled one out to the first baseman to put two outs on the board with runners on second and third. However, Taylor McKinney wanted otherwise when she smashed the scoreboard to add three runs to Troy's lead, 4-1.

The bottom of the fourth started precisely the same as the second, with a solo shot by Ortiz on her first pitch to trim the deficit to two, 4-2. The comeback continued for the Jaguars after Leanna Johnson (24-8) tried to get Willems out at first, but a misthrow kept her safe. Two singles by Cordova and Welch followed the error to load the bases and bring up Kropp. Johnson, who finished with two strikeouts, hit the next batter in Kropp to score the second run of the inning, 4-3. With only one out on the board, USA tied it, 4-4, when Keel performed a sac fly to left field, scoring Cordova.

Troy had a chance to secure the victory in the top of the seventh as Turner, on a 2-1 count, hit her first career home run over the left-center field for a 5-4 lead. However, USA clutched up in the bottom when Gabby Stagner doubled to right center and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After Ortiz was intentionally walked, Willems tapped one to Horne, who tagged out Ortiz, distracting the Trojans enough to force extra innings, 5-5.

A second chance occurred after Sinness singled through the left side on her first pitch, and Finch perfectly placed the ball in the game for a double to right center. Finch's hit scored Troy's sixth run, 6-5, in Sinness.

In the bottom of the eight, Welch opened USA's offense by forcing Turner to make a costly error at shortstop, advancing to second. Then, when Kropp earned a full count walk to put runners on first and second, USA turned to small ball, sac bunting Sims to advance both runners. Keel stepped up to bat with one out on the board and forced a full count. Johnson respected the count but delivered one that Keel liked as she smacked a walk-off double to left center, ending the extra inning game 7-6.

The next time we see the Trojans will be next weekend when they travel to compete in the Sun Belt Tournament against Texas State on Thursday at 4 p.m.