Troy University Athletics
Sunday, March 23
Hattiesburg, Miss.
12 p.m.
Troy University
21-12, 0
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Southern Miss
16-16, 0
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Troy
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Southern Miss
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Troy Avoids Sweep with Win Over Southern Miss
3/23/2025 3:28:00 PM | Softball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Troy softball beat Southern Miss 6-2 on Sunday afternoon to avoid the series sweep and head back home with an even conference record. Alyssa Faircloth (10-4) led the Trojans (21-12, 3-3 SBC) past the Golden Eagles (16-16, 3-3 SBC) with a strong outing, carrying a shutout into the seventh inning.
In her fourth start of Sun Belt Conference play, Faircloth pitched 6.2 innings, allowing two runs and striking out four batters. She passed 100 strikeouts on the season – Faircloth is the first pitcher since Leanna Johnson in 2023 to reach the mark.
Kayden Dunn blasted a home run to left field in the seventh inning, going 1-for-3 on the afternoon. Her seven home runs in 2025 lead Troy.
Hitting from the leadoff spot for the first time this season, Mia Tidmore went 1-for-3, driving an RBI triple to left field in the seventh and working a 10-pitch at-bat to start the game.
While the Trojans offense couldn't put any runners on base in the first three innings, Faircloth rolled through the Southern Miss lineup.
She got through the first inning in seven pitches and struck out two batters in the second inning to reach the 100-strikeout mark. Although the Golden Eagles hit two singles in the third inning, Faircloth recorded a huge strikeout to stand runners on second and third.
The Trojans broke through in the fourth inning, starting with a Taylor McKinney walk. Following the free pass, Boswell poked a ball into center field. The Southern Miss center fielder misplayed it, allowing McKinney to score.
The Trojans scored another run on an error in the fifth inning, extending the lead to 2-0 after Southern Miss botched a fielder's choice. Mya Holt, making her first collegiate start in the field, reached on a hit by pitch before racing home on the error.
Entering as a pinch hitter, Sarah Beth Brake hit a sacrifice fly to push the fifth inning lead even further. McKinney reached on an infield single to plate another run and give the Trojans a 4-0 lead.
Faircloth struck out one more as part of a one-two-three fifth inning. She kept Southern Miss at bay again in the sixth inning, working around a walk.
In the seventh inning, Dunn added an insurance run, slicing a home run to left field. The Trojans piled on, scoring another run on Tidmore's RBI triple.
Faircloth walked three batters in the seventh inning and lost the shutout on a single up the middle. Esmee Ames stepped into the circle, needing just one out to end the game. Holt caught the flyout in right field to end the game.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"It's nice to get back to our winning ways. This was a tough weekend for us, but Sunday is always the most important day we talk about on the coaching staff. You're either going for a sweep, you're going for the series win or you're trying to survive. Southern Miss had knocked us in the mouth on Friday and Saturday, but we had leads in both those games and couldn't hang on. To play our best softball on Sunday and come back to fight and have a different demeanor was big for us."
Notables
In her fourth start of Sun Belt Conference play, Faircloth pitched 6.2 innings, allowing two runs and striking out four batters. She passed 100 strikeouts on the season – Faircloth is the first pitcher since Leanna Johnson in 2023 to reach the mark.
Kayden Dunn blasted a home run to left field in the seventh inning, going 1-for-3 on the afternoon. Her seven home runs in 2025 lead Troy.
Hitting from the leadoff spot for the first time this season, Mia Tidmore went 1-for-3, driving an RBI triple to left field in the seventh and working a 10-pitch at-bat to start the game.
While the Trojans offense couldn't put any runners on base in the first three innings, Faircloth rolled through the Southern Miss lineup.
She got through the first inning in seven pitches and struck out two batters in the second inning to reach the 100-strikeout mark. Although the Golden Eagles hit two singles in the third inning, Faircloth recorded a huge strikeout to stand runners on second and third.
The Trojans broke through in the fourth inning, starting with a Taylor McKinney walk. Following the free pass, Boswell poked a ball into center field. The Southern Miss center fielder misplayed it, allowing McKinney to score.
The Trojans scored another run on an error in the fifth inning, extending the lead to 2-0 after Southern Miss botched a fielder's choice. Mya Holt, making her first collegiate start in the field, reached on a hit by pitch before racing home on the error.
Entering as a pinch hitter, Sarah Beth Brake hit a sacrifice fly to push the fifth inning lead even further. McKinney reached on an infield single to plate another run and give the Trojans a 4-0 lead.
Faircloth struck out one more as part of a one-two-three fifth inning. She kept Southern Miss at bay again in the sixth inning, working around a walk.
In the seventh inning, Dunn added an insurance run, slicing a home run to left field. The Trojans piled on, scoring another run on Tidmore's RBI triple.
Faircloth walked three batters in the seventh inning and lost the shutout on a single up the middle. Esmee Ames stepped into the circle, needing just one out to end the game. Holt caught the flyout in right field to end the game.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"It's nice to get back to our winning ways. This was a tough weekend for us, but Sunday is always the most important day we talk about on the coaching staff. You're either going for a sweep, you're going for the series win or you're trying to survive. Southern Miss had knocked us in the mouth on Friday and Saturday, but we had leads in both those games and couldn't hang on. To play our best softball on Sunday and come back to fight and have a different demeanor was big for us."
Notables
- Troy improved to 2-2 against left-handed starting pitchers this season
- Mya Holt made her first collegiate start in the field
- Alyssa Faircloth eclipsed 100 strikeouts on the season – she's the first pitcher to reach the mark since Leanna Johnson in 2023
- Taylor McKinney extended her hit streak to 11 games, the longest by a Troy player this season
- Kayden Dunn hit her seventh home run of 2025, widening her team-leading total
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Faircloth, Alyssa (10-4)
L: Jana Lee (7-7)
Batting:
3B: Tidmore, Mia 1
HR: Dunn, Kayden 1
RBI: Tidmore, Mia 1 ; Brake, Sarah Beth 1 ; McKinney, Taylor 1 ; Dunn, Kayden 1
SH: Turner, Natalie 1
SF: Brake, Sarah Beth 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McKinney, Taylor 1 ; Holt, Mya 1 ; Dunn, Kayden 1 ; Loftis, Megan 1 ; Howard, McKinnon 2
SB: Howard, McKinnon 2
HBP: Holt, Mya 1 ; Green, Reese 1
Batting:
RBI: Hannah Christian 2
SH: Kayce Bennett 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Carlee Durham 1 ; Shelby Allen 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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