Troy University Athletics
Troy University
1-0
UT Martin
1-1
Troy splits opening day of the Trojan Invitational
2/9/2024 9:27:00 PM | Softball
TROY, Ala. – Troy softball opened the 2024 season by splitting day one of the Trojan Invitational at the Troy Softball Complex. The Trojans defeated UT Martin, 7-4, in the opening game before falling to North Alabama, 7-4, in the nightcap.
"You're never going to hear me say that I'm satisfied with a split or with a loss, but there were a lot of positives in today's games," head coach Eric Newell said. "We got the first win against UT Martin and then got punched in the face there in the first inning against North Alabama. I saw a lot of positives intertwined in the day, like when we had 13 hits against North Alabama, so we swung the bat well through the day "
Jade Sinness and D'Aun Riggs led the Trojans offensively, knocking in 40 percent of Troy's runs between the two games. Sinness finished opening day batting 4-6 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Riggs hit 6-9 on the day, scoring three runs while knocking in another.
Libby Baker and Haley Pittman added impressive appearances from the circle. Baker earned the win in the circle after pitching five innings and striking out three batters. The senior showed off her two-way ability in the second game, going 3-4 from the plate with a booming double and two base knocks.
Pittman entered both games at the start of the sixth inning, respectively. The Montgomery, Alabama native pitched 3.2 total shutout frames, only allowing one hit between her two appearances.
Game One: Troy 7, UT Martin 4
Troy drew three walks in the bottom of the first inning to get an early 1-0 lead. The Trojans continued their patient approach in the next frame, seeing a total of 42 pitches in the first two innings. Troy strung together a series of base hits to bring in two more runs.
UT Martin tied the game in the top of the fourth inning at 3-3, scoring two runs off RBI singles by Alli Robinson and Kaci Fuller. However, the Trojans blew the game open in the bottom of the frame and didn't look back.
A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases early for Troy. Sinness stepped up to the plate and blasted a two-run double to the wall. Taylor McKinney joined in on the action with an RBI single and Audra Thompson brought the last runner in with a sacrifice fly.
The Skyhawks scored one more run in the fifth inning before Haley Pittman entered and shut down their hopes of making a late rally. The senior southpaw threw two scoreless innings in relief and ended the game with two strikeouts.
Game Two: North Alabama 7, Troy 4
The Trojans found themselves in early trouble, loading the bases with a walk and a pair of base knocks. Senior infielder Haven Kirby stepped into the box and blasted a grand slam to give UNA a 4-0 lead. Thompson added a run in the bottom of the opening frame with an RBI single that kept the game in reach for the Trojans.
Troy rallied in the third inning, hitting four straight base hits to plate another run, cutting UNA's lead down to 5-2. However, Kirby mashed her second homer of the game in the fifth inning to increase the Lions' lead to four runs.
Savannah Money pitched 3.1 innings in relief and allowed two runs on four hits in her collegiate debut. The true freshman entered the game in the third inning and did not allow a hit until Kirby's solo shot in the fifth.
Pittman made her second appearance of the day for the Trojans, relieving Money in the sixth and pitching 1.2 shutdown innings.
Troy had a chance to rally in the bottom of the seventh, however junior pitcher Alivia Wilken entered the game for UNA and retired the next three batters to give the Lions the 7-4 win. This game was Wilken's second career Division I appearance, pitching a perfect game in her first start against Samford earlier in the day.
Notables
- Troy had six true freshmen make their collegiate debut on opening day.
- Freshman Makaley Boswell earned her first career hit with an infield single.
- The Trojans had 22 total hits on the day, averaging 11 hits per game.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Baker, Libby (1-0)
L: KLINE,L (0-1)
S: Pittman, Haley (1)
Batting:
2B: DREILING,K 1
RBI: FULLER,K 1 ; DREILING,K 1 ; GUTIERREZ,A 1 ; ROBINSON,A 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BLUME,A 1 ; WARD,C 1 ; HARLEY,K 1 ; ROBINSON,A 1
SB: BLUME,A 1 ; BLANTON,A 1
Batting:
2B: Sinness, Jade 1
RBI: Riggs, D'Aun 1 ; Sinness, Jade 3 ; McKinney, Taylor 1 ; Thompson, Audra 2
SF: Sinness, Jade 1 ; Thompson, Audra 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Riggs, D'Aun 2 ; Sinness, Jade 2 ; Turner, Natalie 2 ; Boswell, Makaley 1
SB: McKinney, Taylor 1 ; Turner, Natalie 1 ; Boswell, Makaley 2
