Troy University Athletics
Sunday, February 9
Troy, Ala.
2:30 p.m.
Troy University
3-1
6
vs
1
Tennessee State
2-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Tennessee State
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
6
1
Troy
0
1
0
0
1
4
X
6
12
0
Troy Ends Trojan Classic with Doubleheader Split
2/9/2025 8:04:00 PM | Softball
Troy, Ala. — Troy softball ended the Trojan Classic with a 6-1 win over Tennessee State and a 12-0 loss to Samford, capping off the first weekend of play before the Cardinal Clash starts next Thursday.
Taylor McKinney and McKinnon Howard each finished the day with three hits, as McKinney launched her third home run of the season. The Preseason All-Sun Belt selection is already halfway to her 2024 home run total.
The Trojans (3-2) kept the lineup turning over in the win over the Tigers (2-3), getting 12 hits and relying on a dominant performance from Esmee Ames to hold Tennessee State in check. The Bulldogs (2-2) downed Troy with a potent offense and lockdown pitching.
Troy 6, Tennessee State 1
A shutdown outing from Esmee Ames (1-0) and long balls from Taylor McKinney and Caiden Oliva fueled Troy's 6-1 win over Tennessee State. The Trojans had 12 hits, and four players had multi-hit games.
McKinney continued her torrid start to the season with a 3-for-4 showing from the plate. Starting in center field, she hit a home run and a double against the Tigers.
McKinnon Howard had three hits and an RBI, while Sissy Dunn and Cassidy Boltz each added two hits of their own. In the sixth inning, Howard's double was part of a four-run frame that extended the lead late.
After twirling three hitless innings against North Texas on Saturday, Ames got the start against the Tigers. She rolled through the Tigers lineup, pitching 6.1 innings, giving up one run and striking out three.
To start her outing against Tennessee State, Ames worked around a walk to extend her hitless innings streak to four – the streak would end at five innings later in the contest.
The Trojans pushed across a run after Boltz led off the inning with a line-drive to third base. A sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly put Boltz on third, and Howard lined an RBI single to the pitcher to give Troy a 1-0 lead.
Howard's first RBI as a Trojan came in her first Troy start, as she started in left field.
Ames allowed her first hit of the season in the third inning but escaped the frame unscathed. Although Troy loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, they couldn't capitalize.
It was business as usual for Ames in the fourth and fifth innings, and Troy extended the lead in the fifth. Taylor McKinney stepped up to lead off the frame and unloaded on a ball, sending her third homer of the season to left-center field. McKinney is the first Trojan to hit three home runs in the first four games of a season since 2016.
Troy threatened to score more in the inning after a Sissy Dunn single but settled for a 2-0 lead.
The Tigers clawed into the run column in the sixth inning, scoring one run on two hits and a walk. Although the run ended Ames' scoreless streak at 8.1 innings, she fought her way out of the sixth.
With Troy holding onto a one run lead to start bottom of the sixth, Oliva unleashed a mammoth shot to left-center field to widen the gap. The Trojans added three more runs with Howard and Makaley Boswell hitting doubles – an error by Tennessee State allowed the two more runs to score.
Tennessee State threatened in the seventh inning, putting a few runners on. Savannah Money entered the circle and earned the save – Natalie Turner hosed a runner who was trying to score on a single to seal the deal.
Samford 12, Troy 0
The Trojans dropped the nightcap 12-0 to Samford, who used an eight-run fourth inning to put the game out of reach and seal a run-rule win.
Reese Green and Sarah Beth Brake collected hits, but that was all the offense Troy could muster against Bulldogs pitcher Jordyn Partain.
In the first inning Mya Holt made quick work of the first three Bulldogs, sitting them down in just nine pitches. Making her second collegiate start, Holt went 2.1 innings, striking out one and allowing two runs.
The Trojans came out swinging in the bottom of the inning, with Taylor McKinney reaching on an error and Green bunting safely for her first career hit. However, Troy couldn't get a run across.
Samford scored two runs in the second inning, stringing together a few hits to take an early lead. The Bulldogs forced Holt out of the game in the third inning, putting two runners on.
Alyssa Faircloth (1-1) entered the game in relief and immediately worked out of the jam, inducing a flyout and punching out the second batter.
The Bulldogs extended the lead to 10-0 in the fourth inning, with four errors hurting the Trojans in the frame. Ally Fleck – a true freshman -- entered the circle in the fourth for her first Troy appearance, getting one out and allowing zero earned runs to cross.
Samford added two more runs in the fifth and worked around a hit from Brake to run-rule the Trojans.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"We went 1-1 on the day, and we were obviously disappointed on how this thing ended. We got beat pretty soundly, hats off to Samford. I really like the way we battled in game one – we left a lot of baserunners but ended up pushing it toward the end there. There was also a big home run by Caiden Oliva, it's been nice to see her step up as a freshman."
Notables
Taylor McKinney and McKinnon Howard each finished the day with three hits, as McKinney launched her third home run of the season. The Preseason All-Sun Belt selection is already halfway to her 2024 home run total.
The Trojans (3-2) kept the lineup turning over in the win over the Tigers (2-3), getting 12 hits and relying on a dominant performance from Esmee Ames to hold Tennessee State in check. The Bulldogs (2-2) downed Troy with a potent offense and lockdown pitching.
Troy 6, Tennessee State 1
A shutdown outing from Esmee Ames (1-0) and long balls from Taylor McKinney and Caiden Oliva fueled Troy's 6-1 win over Tennessee State. The Trojans had 12 hits, and four players had multi-hit games.
McKinney continued her torrid start to the season with a 3-for-4 showing from the plate. Starting in center field, she hit a home run and a double against the Tigers.
McKinnon Howard had three hits and an RBI, while Sissy Dunn and Cassidy Boltz each added two hits of their own. In the sixth inning, Howard's double was part of a four-run frame that extended the lead late.
After twirling three hitless innings against North Texas on Saturday, Ames got the start against the Tigers. She rolled through the Tigers lineup, pitching 6.1 innings, giving up one run and striking out three.
To start her outing against Tennessee State, Ames worked around a walk to extend her hitless innings streak to four – the streak would end at five innings later in the contest.
The Trojans pushed across a run after Boltz led off the inning with a line-drive to third base. A sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly put Boltz on third, and Howard lined an RBI single to the pitcher to give Troy a 1-0 lead.
Howard's first RBI as a Trojan came in her first Troy start, as she started in left field.
Ames allowed her first hit of the season in the third inning but escaped the frame unscathed. Although Troy loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, they couldn't capitalize.
It was business as usual for Ames in the fourth and fifth innings, and Troy extended the lead in the fifth. Taylor McKinney stepped up to lead off the frame and unloaded on a ball, sending her third homer of the season to left-center field. McKinney is the first Trojan to hit three home runs in the first four games of a season since 2016.
Troy threatened to score more in the inning after a Sissy Dunn single but settled for a 2-0 lead.
The Tigers clawed into the run column in the sixth inning, scoring one run on two hits and a walk. Although the run ended Ames' scoreless streak at 8.1 innings, she fought her way out of the sixth.
With Troy holding onto a one run lead to start bottom of the sixth, Oliva unleashed a mammoth shot to left-center field to widen the gap. The Trojans added three more runs with Howard and Makaley Boswell hitting doubles – an error by Tennessee State allowed the two more runs to score.
Tennessee State threatened in the seventh inning, putting a few runners on. Savannah Money entered the circle and earned the save – Natalie Turner hosed a runner who was trying to score on a single to seal the deal.
Samford 12, Troy 0
The Trojans dropped the nightcap 12-0 to Samford, who used an eight-run fourth inning to put the game out of reach and seal a run-rule win.
Reese Green and Sarah Beth Brake collected hits, but that was all the offense Troy could muster against Bulldogs pitcher Jordyn Partain.
In the first inning Mya Holt made quick work of the first three Bulldogs, sitting them down in just nine pitches. Making her second collegiate start, Holt went 2.1 innings, striking out one and allowing two runs.
The Trojans came out swinging in the bottom of the inning, with Taylor McKinney reaching on an error and Green bunting safely for her first career hit. However, Troy couldn't get a run across.
Samford scored two runs in the second inning, stringing together a few hits to take an early lead. The Bulldogs forced Holt out of the game in the third inning, putting two runners on.
Alyssa Faircloth (1-1) entered the game in relief and immediately worked out of the jam, inducing a flyout and punching out the second batter.
The Bulldogs extended the lead to 10-0 in the fourth inning, with four errors hurting the Trojans in the frame. Ally Fleck – a true freshman -- entered the circle in the fourth for her first Troy appearance, getting one out and allowing zero earned runs to cross.
Samford added two more runs in the fifth and worked around a hit from Brake to run-rule the Trojans.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"We went 1-1 on the day, and we were obviously disappointed on how this thing ended. We got beat pretty soundly, hats off to Samford. I really like the way we battled in game one – we left a lot of baserunners but ended up pushing it toward the end there. There was also a big home run by Caiden Oliva, it's been nice to see her step up as a freshman."
Notables
- Taylor McKinney extended her hit streak to eight games against Tennessee State
- Cassidy Boltz started the 2025 season with hits in 4 straight games after getting two against Tennessee State
- Troy falls to 2-3 vs Samford under head coach Eric Newell and 14-8 all-time
- Esmee Ames started the season with 8.1 scoreless innings before allowing a run in the sixth inning of the Tennessee State game
- Taylor McKinney is the first Trojan to homer three times in the first four games of a season since Becca Hartley and Hannah Day did so in 2016
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ames, Esmee (1-0)
L: Castillo,Reina (1-2)
Batting:
RBI: Baker-Rowell,Anayah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson,Jace 1
Batting:
2B: Boswell, Makaley 1 ; McKinney, Taylor 1 ; Howard, McKinnon 1
HR: McKinney, Taylor 1 ; Oliva, Caiden 1
RBI: Boswell, Makaley 1 ; McKinney, Taylor 1 ; Oliva, Caiden 1 ; Howard, McKinnon 1
SH: Brake, Sarah Beth 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Boswell, Makaley 1 ; McKinney, Taylor 2 ; Boltz, Cassidy 1 ; Oliva, Caiden 1 ; Howard, McKinnon 1
SB: Loftis, Megan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballUTL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C / UTL
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballTroy Football Press Conference (Players) - South Alabama Game
Monday, September 29
Gerad Parker Press Conference - South Alabama Game
Monday, September 29
Stuart Gore Postgame - James Madison
Sunday, September 28
Eric Newell Postgame Press Conference - Georgia Tech Fall Ball
Saturday, September 27