Troy University Athletics
Friday, February 20
Troy, Ala.
4 p.m.
Troy University
10-1
11
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Furman
1-10
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5
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H
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Furman
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Troy
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11
11
1
No-hitter Headlines Day One of Trojan Invitational
2/20/2026 9:51:00 PM | Softball
TROY, Ala. – Ella Cunningham threw a no-hitter and launched a home run in Troy's 1-1 day to start the Trojan Invitational. The Trojans (10-2) no-hit Furman (1-10) in an 11-2 win to start the day before falling in a close 6-5 game to Nicholls (8-3).
Cunningham's no-hitter was Troy's first since Alyssa Faircloth no-hit UMass on Mar. 7, 2025, and the first five-inning no-no since Libby Baker kept Alabama State out of the hit column on Feb. 14, 2024. The Michigan State transfer did damage from the dish as well, going 3-for-6 with a home run and two RBIs.
As a pinch-hitter in game two, Kam Munson crushed a two-out, three-run home run to cut the deficit to one against the Colonels, but the Trojans' rally came up short. Troy entered the frame down 6-1 and ended the game with the bases juiced.
TROY 11, Furman 2
Troy earned its ninth run-rule win in no-hit fashion, taking down Furman 11-2. Ella Cunningham (1-0) struck out 10 batters across five innings, earning Troy's first no-hitter since Alyssa Faircloth no-hit UMass on Mar. 7, 2025.
Cunningham was the first Trojan to strike out 10 or more batters in a game since Faircloth did against Wisconsin on Feb. 22, 2025. The southpaw worked around five walks, keeping the Paladins off the board until the fifth inning.
From the dish, Dailynn Motes went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. She roped an RBI double in the second inning and added a two-RBI single the next inning. Cunningham also helped her own cause from the dish, going 1-for-2 with an RBI base knock.
The Trojans wasted no time getting on the board after Cunningham struck out three in the first inning. Presley Ivey started it off with a walk, and Makaley Boswell ripped an RBI double down the third base line to bring her home. Troy made it 2-0 in the first when Boswell dashed home before the Trojans were caught stealing to end the inning.
Following a forty-minute rain delay, the Trojans got back to work in the second inning. Megan Loftis singled and stole second base right out of the delay, and Dailynn Motes brought her home with a double to left field.
Two more Cunningham strikeouts later, the Trojans made it 7-0 in the third. The Troy starting pitcher helped her own cause with an RBI single after a single from Boswell and a Kiley Huffman walk. Two more runs scored on a Motes single to center field, and the Trojans finished the four-run frame with an infield single off the bat of McKinnon Howard.
Cunningham punched out another two Paladins in the top of the fourth, and Troy extended the lead into run-rule territory in the bottom half. Multiple Trojan pinch-hitters reached base – Kam Munson and Lydia Kirby reached before Mya Holt scored one on an RBI single.
Amity White smoked a single to the second baseman to score two more and make it 10-0. Loftis brought White home with a sacrifice bunt, widening the lead even further.
Furman got on the board in the fifth inning after taking two hit-by-pitches and two walks. Another run came home on a passed ball to make it 11-2. However, a fielder's choice to Kirby at third base clinched Cunningham's first career no-hitter.
TROY 5, Nicholls 6
A seven-game win streak for Troy was snapped, as Nicholls withstood a late rally to hold on for a win.
Down 6-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Trojans roared back thanks in part to a three-run home run from Kam Munson. A two-out rally for Troy fell just short, as a strikeout stranded the bases loaded with the Trojans down just one.
Presley Ivey, Makaley Boswell, Ella Cunningham and Mia Tidmore each finished with two hits on the night. Cunningham annihilated her second home run of the game in the fourth inning, capping off a standout day for the pitcher and utility player.
Mya Holt kept the game close with five innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one earned run during that time.
After a quiet first inning, the Colonels struck in the second. Nicholls loaded the bases and brought two home with a single through the right side to make it 2-0. The Colonels scored three more in the third and knocked Emma Banks out of the game.
Holt entered the game, but Nicholls made it 5-0 heading into the bottom of the third. The Trojans finally got on the board in the fourth inning, as Cunningham launched a towering solo home run to right field.
Back-to-back singles helped Troy threaten further in the third, but Troy couldn't push another run across in the fourth as it remained 5-1. Nicholls added another run off an error in the fifth inning to widen the lead to 6-1.
Although Ivey and Boswell led off the fifth inning with singles, the Trojans couldn't capitalize on the opportunity.
The Trojans couldn't get anything going in the sixth inning and held Nicholls scoreless in the seventh. Boswell and Kiley Huffman hit back-to-back singles in the bottom of the seventh, and Tidmore plated a run to make it 6-2.
The Trojans rally sparked thanks to Munson's homer to straightaway center but couldn't finish the comeback late.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"Unfortunately, you're not going to win them all. I'm proud of the fight in the night game tonight, we really battled back and gave ourselves a chance to win that game with the go-ahead run on second base. Earlier in the day, to get a no-hitter and a run-rule win was amazing. In the nightcap, we kind of fell behind and did some things that were maybe a little bit uncharacteristic of us."
Notables
Cunningham's no-hitter was Troy's first since Alyssa Faircloth no-hit UMass on Mar. 7, 2025, and the first five-inning no-no since Libby Baker kept Alabama State out of the hit column on Feb. 14, 2024. The Michigan State transfer did damage from the dish as well, going 3-for-6 with a home run and two RBIs.
As a pinch-hitter in game two, Kam Munson crushed a two-out, three-run home run to cut the deficit to one against the Colonels, but the Trojans' rally came up short. Troy entered the frame down 6-1 and ended the game with the bases juiced.
TROY 11, Furman 2
Troy earned its ninth run-rule win in no-hit fashion, taking down Furman 11-2. Ella Cunningham (1-0) struck out 10 batters across five innings, earning Troy's first no-hitter since Alyssa Faircloth no-hit UMass on Mar. 7, 2025.
Cunningham was the first Trojan to strike out 10 or more batters in a game since Faircloth did against Wisconsin on Feb. 22, 2025. The southpaw worked around five walks, keeping the Paladins off the board until the fifth inning.
From the dish, Dailynn Motes went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. She roped an RBI double in the second inning and added a two-RBI single the next inning. Cunningham also helped her own cause from the dish, going 1-for-2 with an RBI base knock.
The Trojans wasted no time getting on the board after Cunningham struck out three in the first inning. Presley Ivey started it off with a walk, and Makaley Boswell ripped an RBI double down the third base line to bring her home. Troy made it 2-0 in the first when Boswell dashed home before the Trojans were caught stealing to end the inning.
Following a forty-minute rain delay, the Trojans got back to work in the second inning. Megan Loftis singled and stole second base right out of the delay, and Dailynn Motes brought her home with a double to left field.
Two more Cunningham strikeouts later, the Trojans made it 7-0 in the third. The Troy starting pitcher helped her own cause with an RBI single after a single from Boswell and a Kiley Huffman walk. Two more runs scored on a Motes single to center field, and the Trojans finished the four-run frame with an infield single off the bat of McKinnon Howard.
Cunningham punched out another two Paladins in the top of the fourth, and Troy extended the lead into run-rule territory in the bottom half. Multiple Trojan pinch-hitters reached base – Kam Munson and Lydia Kirby reached before Mya Holt scored one on an RBI single.
Amity White smoked a single to the second baseman to score two more and make it 10-0. Loftis brought White home with a sacrifice bunt, widening the lead even further.
Furman got on the board in the fifth inning after taking two hit-by-pitches and two walks. Another run came home on a passed ball to make it 11-2. However, a fielder's choice to Kirby at third base clinched Cunningham's first career no-hitter.
TROY 5, Nicholls 6
A seven-game win streak for Troy was snapped, as Nicholls withstood a late rally to hold on for a win.
Down 6-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Trojans roared back thanks in part to a three-run home run from Kam Munson. A two-out rally for Troy fell just short, as a strikeout stranded the bases loaded with the Trojans down just one.
Presley Ivey, Makaley Boswell, Ella Cunningham and Mia Tidmore each finished with two hits on the night. Cunningham annihilated her second home run of the game in the fourth inning, capping off a standout day for the pitcher and utility player.
Mya Holt kept the game close with five innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one earned run during that time.
After a quiet first inning, the Colonels struck in the second. Nicholls loaded the bases and brought two home with a single through the right side to make it 2-0. The Colonels scored three more in the third and knocked Emma Banks out of the game.
Holt entered the game, but Nicholls made it 5-0 heading into the bottom of the third. The Trojans finally got on the board in the fourth inning, as Cunningham launched a towering solo home run to right field.
Back-to-back singles helped Troy threaten further in the third, but Troy couldn't push another run across in the fourth as it remained 5-1. Nicholls added another run off an error in the fifth inning to widen the lead to 6-1.
Although Ivey and Boswell led off the fifth inning with singles, the Trojans couldn't capitalize on the opportunity.
The Trojans couldn't get anything going in the sixth inning and held Nicholls scoreless in the seventh. Boswell and Kiley Huffman hit back-to-back singles in the bottom of the seventh, and Tidmore plated a run to make it 6-2.
The Trojans rally sparked thanks to Munson's homer to straightaway center but couldn't finish the comeback late.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"Unfortunately, you're not going to win them all. I'm proud of the fight in the night game tonight, we really battled back and gave ourselves a chance to win that game with the go-ahead run on second base. Earlier in the day, to get a no-hitter and a run-rule win was amazing. In the nightcap, we kind of fell behind and did some things that were maybe a little bit uncharacteristic of us."
Notables
- Troy is 6-0 all-time against Furman
- The Trojans are 7-3-1 all-time against Nicholls
- Troy moves to 30-12 in home tournaments under head coach Eric Newell
- Troy is 6-0 when scoring in the first inning
- The Trojans ran their win streak to seven games, the longest for the team since a seven-game win streak in 2024.
- Ella Cunningham is the first player to throw a no-hitter since Alyssa Faircloth no-hit UMass on Mar. 7, 2025
- Cunningham threw Troy's first five-inning no-hitter since Libby Baker no-hit Alabama State on Feb. 14, 2024
- Cunningham is the first Troy pitcher to strike out 10 or more in a game since Faircloth did against Wisconsin on Feb. 22, 2025
- Cunningham's 10 punchouts shattered her career high of two strikeouts, which was set against IU Indy on Feb. 14
- Makaley Boswell extended her hit streak to 11 games
- Megan Loftis extended her hit streak to eight games
- Kam Munson is the first Trojan to homer in two consecutive at-bats since Cassidy Boltz did on Apr. 26, 2025, at Georgia State
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cunningham, Ella (1-0)
L: Embler, Kristyn (1-4)
Batting:
RBI: Stoltzfus, Kate 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Frino, Gianna 1 ; McCoy, Christina 1
HBP: Frino, Gianna 1 ; Stoltzfus, Kate 1
Batting:
2B: Boswell, Makaley 1 ; Motes, Dailynn 1
RBI: Howard, McKinnon 1 ; Loftis, Megan 1 ; Boswell, Makaley 1 ; Holt, Mya 1 ; White, Amity 2 ; Cunningham, Ella 1 ; Motes, Dailynn 3
SH: Loftis, Megan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Munson, Kam 1 ; Loftis, Megan 2 ; Jenkins, Sophia 1 ; Boswell, Makaley 2 ; Ivey, Presley 1 ; Holt, Mya 1 ; White, Amity 1 ; Kirby, Lydia 1 ; Cunningham, Ella 1
SB: Munson, Kam 1 ; Howard, McKinnon 1 ; Loftis, Megan 1 ; Boswell, Makaley 1 ; Holt, Mya 1 ; Kirby, Lydia 1
CS: Rochinski, Kalee 1 ; Motes, Dailynn 1
HBP: Jenkins, Sophia 2
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
3
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballUTL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
UTL
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballUTL
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballTroy vs. Campbell Game 1 (Full Highlights)
Saturday, February 21
Skylar Meade, Jimmy Janicki, and Aaron Piasecki Postgame - Campbell Game 1
Saturday, February 21
Player Postgame Press Conference (Ella Cunningham) - Furman, Nicholls
Friday, February 20
Eric Newell Postgame Press Conference (Furman, Nicholls)
Friday, February 20