Trojans Open Conference Play With Heartbreaking Loss

Friday, March 15

Conway, S.C.

5 p.m.

Troy University

20-9, 0-1-0

Coastal Carolina

18-8, 1-0-0

Troy

Coastal Carolina

Trojans Open Conference Play With Heartbreaking Loss

3/15/2024 8:18:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Athletics Communications

CONWAY, S.C. – The Troy softball team dropped their first conference game of the 2024 campaign against Coastal Carolina at St. John Stadium. The Trojans (20-9) battled back-and-forth with the Chanticleers throughout the entire game, but the long ball let Coastal Carolina (18-8) walk away with a 7-4 win.

Anslee Finch broke the deadlock early in the second inning with her first home run of the season that she blasted over the left field wall. In the bottom half of the frame, junior catcher Maddy Jennings gave the Chanticleers the lead after a three-run homer.

An RBI single by Taylor McKinney in the top of the third and a wild pitch by Nicolette Picone would allow D'Aun Riggs to come home in the fifth to tie the game, 3-3.

The bottom of the fifth was pivotal for the Chanticleers. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for senior second baseman Riley Zana who mashed a grand slam off the light post in left field to give Coastal a 7-3 lead.

Finch plated another run with hopes of sparking a comeback by smashing her second homer of the game in the top of the sixth inning, but Picone shut down the rest of the Trojans and secured the 7-4 win.

Thoughts from Coach Newell

"There was a three-run shot and a grand slam that we couldn't overcome so that isn't fun, but we had some positives. Anslee Finch hit two home runs and Haley Pittman came in and did a nice job in her inning of work. Overall, we are disappointed because we are 0-1 but tomorrow is a new day. You got to bring it every single day and, in this case, we got beat so we have to wash it pretty quickly and show up tomorrow to out-hit, out-play, out-pitch and out-defend them."

Notables

Anslee Finch blasted her first two home runs of the 2024 season. The senior outfielder now has 22 career homers in cardinal red and is now hitting .338 on the season with 11 RBIs, four doubles and two homers. Finch is now tied with current teammate Taylor McKinney for the ninth most home runs in Troy history. The pair trails Hayden Gann who is in eighth place with 24 career blasts.
Taylor McKinney went two-for-three in today's loss. The junior second baseman improves her batting average to .345 with 27 hits, 22 RBIs, five doubles and three home runs.