Troy University Athletics
Troy Wins Two Run-rule Contests to End Weekend
2/16/2025 4:34:00 PM | Softball
Troy, Ala. – Troy softball closed the Cardinal Clash with two run-rule wins, beating Eastern Illinois and Alabama State. The Troy (7-3) offense raked, scoring a combined 24 runs in the contests.
To start the morning, Troy beat the Panthers (3-7) 10-2 in six innings. The Trojans followed it up with an explosive 14-0 victory over the Hornets (0-10) in five innings.
Out of Troy's top performers, Sissy Dunn, Annie Orman and McKinnon Howard all stood out. In the doubleheader, Dunn went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and a moonshot to left-center field. Orman finished the day 4-for-5 with five RBIs and three doubles, and Howard went a perfect 4-for-4.
Troy 10, Eastern Illinois 2
Troy used an explosive seven-run fifth inning to secure a 10-2 run-rule victory over Eastern Illinois. Five Trojans had multi-hit games, and the Trojans had a season-high 13 hits as a team.
In just her third start of the season, McKinnon Howard collected her second three-hit game of the season. She went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run. The sophomore outfielder raised her batting average to .733 in 2025.
Taylor McKinney, Sissy Dunn, Sarah Beth Brake and Annie Orman all recorded two-hit games in the rout. Dunn demolished a home run as part of a 2-for-3, two RBI game -- Orman kept her torrid streak at the plate going with two RBIs of her own.
Money, taking the circle for her first start of the season, struck out the side in the first inning. She doubled her career-high in strikeouts, punching out six Panthers over 4.2 innings.
A McKinney hit didn't amount to anything in the bottom of the first, and Money went back out there. After another one-two-three inning from Money, the Trojans struck in the bottom of the second inning.
Orman continued to be a nightmare for the Panthers after going 2-for-3 with four RBIs in the last matchup against Eastern Illinois. She crushed an RBI double to left-center field, scoring Sarah Beth Brake and giving Troy a 1-0 lead.
While the Panthers got a leadoff single, Troy quickly took it off the board with a smooth double play.
The Trojans widened the lead in the third – Dunn launched a solo home run to make it 2-0 Troy. She hit her first dinger of 2025 after hitting two last season.
Eastern Illinois clawed back into the game in the fourth inning, tying things up 2-2 off three hits. The Panthers loaded the bases with two outs in the frame, but Money left the runners stranded with her fifth strikeout.
Money left the game with two outs in the fifth inning. She recorded her sixth punchout of the day before Alyssa Faircloth stepped into the circle. Faircloth struck out the batter, leaving runners on second and third.
Troy broke the game open in the fifth inning, scoring seven runs. To start the rally, Howard legged out a single. The Trojans loaded the bases and kept the line moving, scoring six runs on a hit-by-pitch, sacrifice fly and three singles.
After batting around in the inning, Howard came back to the plate and slapped an RBI single to the pitcher. Troy took a commanding 9-2 lead to the sixth inning.
Faircloth sat down the Panthers in order and the offense went right back to it, loading the bases as McKinney, Caiden Oliva and Dunn all reached safely.
With two outs in the inning, Makaley Boswell drew a walk-off walk to secure the 10-2 win.
Troy 14, Alabama State 0
In a 14-0 win over Alabama State, Troy's offense continued to score runs at a breakneck pace. The Trojans' 12-run first inning fueled the victory – Troy hadn't scored 12 runs in an inning since at least 2004.
Troy's first inning was the first time since 2016 that the school scored 11 or more runs in an inning. Additionally, the game marked the first time since May 10, 2024, that every starter scored a run.
Cassidy Boltz went 2-for-2 in the win, driving in three RBIs and scoring a run. Making the start at catcher, Caiden Oliva went 2-for-2 with one RBI and a walk.
Mya Holt (3-1) got the start at pitcher, firing three scoreless innings and only surrendering one hit.
Holt sat down the first three Hornets in order to start the game, and a hit-by-pitch got the Troy offense going in the first inning. After Natalie Turner took the free base and got a steal, Caiden Oliva drew a walk.
Sissy Dunn singled to the middle to score Turner, and Cassidy Boltz threaded a single through the left side to score Oliva. For the second time of the day, Annie Orman crushed a double. Two runners scored on the play to widen the lead to 4-0.
After Troy loaded the bases again in the first, Oliva and Dunn hit back-to-back singles to score two more runs and keep the line moving. Cassidy Boltz followed it up by smacking a long single off the wall, scoring two more to make it an 11-0 game.
Orman hit her second RBI double of the inning to push across Troy's 12th run of the frame. After the huge inning, Troy switched up its entire lineup to get freshman players experience.
Ally Fleck made her second appearance of the season, holding the Hornets scoreless for two innings to close out the game.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"It was a good day to be a Troy Trojan. I'm excited to get two wins, push the record to 7-3, and keep moving along. We just talked about being very disciplined at the plate and passing the bat. It's about not being selfish. Today, offensively, we did what we needed to do."
Notables
To start the morning, Troy beat the Panthers (3-7) 10-2 in six innings. The Trojans followed it up with an explosive 14-0 victory over the Hornets (0-10) in five innings.
Out of Troy's top performers, Sissy Dunn, Annie Orman and McKinnon Howard all stood out. In the doubleheader, Dunn went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and a moonshot to left-center field. Orman finished the day 4-for-5 with five RBIs and three doubles, and Howard went a perfect 4-for-4.
Troy 10, Eastern Illinois 2
Troy used an explosive seven-run fifth inning to secure a 10-2 run-rule victory over Eastern Illinois. Five Trojans had multi-hit games, and the Trojans had a season-high 13 hits as a team.
In just her third start of the season, McKinnon Howard collected her second three-hit game of the season. She went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run. The sophomore outfielder raised her batting average to .733 in 2025.
Taylor McKinney, Sissy Dunn, Sarah Beth Brake and Annie Orman all recorded two-hit games in the rout. Dunn demolished a home run as part of a 2-for-3, two RBI game -- Orman kept her torrid streak at the plate going with two RBIs of her own.
Money, taking the circle for her first start of the season, struck out the side in the first inning. She doubled her career-high in strikeouts, punching out six Panthers over 4.2 innings.
A McKinney hit didn't amount to anything in the bottom of the first, and Money went back out there. After another one-two-three inning from Money, the Trojans struck in the bottom of the second inning.
Orman continued to be a nightmare for the Panthers after going 2-for-3 with four RBIs in the last matchup against Eastern Illinois. She crushed an RBI double to left-center field, scoring Sarah Beth Brake and giving Troy a 1-0 lead.
While the Panthers got a leadoff single, Troy quickly took it off the board with a smooth double play.
The Trojans widened the lead in the third – Dunn launched a solo home run to make it 2-0 Troy. She hit her first dinger of 2025 after hitting two last season.
Eastern Illinois clawed back into the game in the fourth inning, tying things up 2-2 off three hits. The Panthers loaded the bases with two outs in the frame, but Money left the runners stranded with her fifth strikeout.
Money left the game with two outs in the fifth inning. She recorded her sixth punchout of the day before Alyssa Faircloth stepped into the circle. Faircloth struck out the batter, leaving runners on second and third.
Troy broke the game open in the fifth inning, scoring seven runs. To start the rally, Howard legged out a single. The Trojans loaded the bases and kept the line moving, scoring six runs on a hit-by-pitch, sacrifice fly and three singles.
After batting around in the inning, Howard came back to the plate and slapped an RBI single to the pitcher. Troy took a commanding 9-2 lead to the sixth inning.
Faircloth sat down the Panthers in order and the offense went right back to it, loading the bases as McKinney, Caiden Oliva and Dunn all reached safely.
With two outs in the inning, Makaley Boswell drew a walk-off walk to secure the 10-2 win.
Troy 14, Alabama State 0
In a 14-0 win over Alabama State, Troy's offense continued to score runs at a breakneck pace. The Trojans' 12-run first inning fueled the victory – Troy hadn't scored 12 runs in an inning since at least 2004.
Troy's first inning was the first time since 2016 that the school scored 11 or more runs in an inning. Additionally, the game marked the first time since May 10, 2024, that every starter scored a run.
Cassidy Boltz went 2-for-2 in the win, driving in three RBIs and scoring a run. Making the start at catcher, Caiden Oliva went 2-for-2 with one RBI and a walk.
Mya Holt (3-1) got the start at pitcher, firing three scoreless innings and only surrendering one hit.
Holt sat down the first three Hornets in order to start the game, and a hit-by-pitch got the Troy offense going in the first inning. After Natalie Turner took the free base and got a steal, Caiden Oliva drew a walk.
Sissy Dunn singled to the middle to score Turner, and Cassidy Boltz threaded a single through the left side to score Oliva. For the second time of the day, Annie Orman crushed a double. Two runners scored on the play to widen the lead to 4-0.
After Troy loaded the bases again in the first, Oliva and Dunn hit back-to-back singles to score two more runs and keep the line moving. Cassidy Boltz followed it up by smacking a long single off the wall, scoring two more to make it an 11-0 game.
Orman hit her second RBI double of the inning to push across Troy's 12th run of the frame. After the huge inning, Troy switched up its entire lineup to get freshman players experience.
Ally Fleck made her second appearance of the season, holding the Hornets scoreless for two innings to close out the game.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"It was a good day to be a Troy Trojan. I'm excited to get two wins, push the record to 7-3, and keep moving along. We just talked about being very disciplined at the plate and passing the bat. It's about not being selfish. Today, offensively, we did what we needed to do."
Notables
- Kayden Dunn hit her first home run of 2025 against Eastern Illinois
- Savannah Money set a career high in strikeouts against the Panthers, punching out six batters. Her previous career high of three was set on Apr. 13, 2024, against ULM
- McKinnon Howard had her second three-hit game of the season against EIU – it was just her third start of the season
- The Trojans secured their first run-rule victory of the season and first since May 9, 2024, against Coastal Carolina
- Troy set a season-high 13 team hits against Eastern Illinois
- Troy is 24-for-24 on stolen base attempts this season
- All of Troy's starters scored a run against Alabama State. The last time that happened was Mar. 10, 2024 at Long Island
- Troy's 12-run first inning was the first since at least 2004
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C / UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
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