Trojans Take Series Opener

Friday, April 11

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

27-17, 6-7

Georgia Southern

25-16, 9-4

Georgia Southern

Troy

4/11/2025 8:11:00 PM | Softball

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – The Troy softball team took the series opener from Georgia Southern with a 2-0 win, as Alyssa Faircloth shut out the Eagles (25-16, 9-4 SBC). The Trojans (27-17, 6-7 SBC) hit two home runs in the pitcher's duel.

Faircloth squared off with two-time Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week Maddie Johnson, firing her third shutout of the season. She held the Eagles to just one hit over seven innings, striking out five batters.

Taylor McKinney went 2-for-3 in the contest, driving a solo shot to center field to give the Trojans an insurance run in the sixth inning. The homer pushed her into sole possession of fifth place in Troy career home runs, with 35.

Annie Orman provided the only other run of the contest, crushing a home run to left field in the second inning. She finished the game 1-for-2 and has homered in two straight games.

Faircloth worked around a leadoff walk in the first inning, striking out a batter in the process. In the bottom of the inning, McKinney slapped a single to left field to extend her on-base streak to 27 games.

In the second inning, Faircloth struck out another batter as part of a scoreless frame. Orman continued her hot streak with a towering home run to left field, giving Troy an early 1-0 lead.

Despite surrendering a leadoff single, Faircloth logged her third strikeout and escaped the inning. Mia Tidmore ended the top of the third inning by throwing out a runner trying to take second – her first baserunner thrown out this season.

Following another scoreless frame from Faircloth, Johnson went out and spun a one-two-three inning.

In the fifth inning, Faircloth worked out of a jam to keep Troy's lead intact. The pitcher's duel continued as Georgia Southern worked around a leadoff walk to end the inning.

Taylor McKinney extended Troy's lead to 2-0 in the sixth inning, roping a solo shot to straightaway center field.

Faircloth closed out the shutout in the seventh inning with two strikeouts, stranding a runner at first base.

Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"Big win tonight, Georgia Southern came in tonight on top [of the Sun Belt standings] and we really just challenged our girls to play good softball tonight. We pitched it well, we defended well and we executed when we needed to. Obviously we're not going to be happy too many times with three hits, but when two of those three hits are home runs and you hold the other team scoreless, you're going to be pretty happy with that."

Notables

Alyssa Faircloth threw her third shutout of the season, and Troy's ninth as a team – the Trojans nine shutouts lead the Sun Belt Conference
Taylor McKinney extended her on-base streak to 27 games with a first inning hit
Annie Orman hit her fifth home run in the past eight games – she's homered in two straight contests
Mia Tidmore threw out a baserunner trying to take second, her first runner caught stealing of the season
McKinney reached double-digit home runs this season with her sixth inning homer – she moves into sole possession of fifth place in Troy career home runs