Softball Ends Series with Close Loss

Sunday, March 15

Mobile, Ala.

1 p.m.

Troy University

16-10, 0-3

South Alabama

19-11, 3-0

Troy

South Ala.

3/15/2026 3:45:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

MOBILE, Ala. – Despite outhitting South Alabama 12-5, the Troy softball team fell 5-4 in the series finale. The Trojans (16-10, 0-3 SBC) put together a strong offensive performance, but it wasn't enough to overcome a three-run first inning from the Jaguars (19-11, 3-0 SBC).

From the dish, Ella Cunningham crushed two solo home runs in the fifth and seventh innings. McKinnon Howard became the first Trojan this season to record a four-hit game, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.

Savannah Money and Abby Lovell combined to allow just three earned runs, with two solo homers proving to be the difference. Lovell struck out three batters in 3.2 innings out of the bullpen.

Troy put pressure on Ryley Harrison early, with Mia Tidmore reaching on an error before Kiley Huffman roped a single into center field. However, the Trojans couldn't push a run across.

South Alabama scored three in the bottom of the first off an RBI groundout, an error and an RBI single to take a 3-0 lead.

After singles from McKinnon Howard and Presley Ivey in the second, Tidmore drew a walk to load the bases with two outs for Boswell. Boswell drew a four-pitch walk to drive in a run and make it 3-1. Savannah Money worked a quick second inning, hanging a zero.

The Trojans continued to claw back in the third inning, as Megan Loftis ran out an infield single. Howard poked a double into the gap, and Loftis sped home to cut the deficit to 3-2. South Alabama added a solo homer to get the run back in the bottom half.

Lovell worked a clean fourth inning out of the bullpen, and the Trojans cut the deficit to just one in the top of the fifth. Cunningham crushed her first homer to center, making it a 4-3 game. Singles from Howard and Jenkins and a fielder's choice loaded the bases for Troy with two outs in the frame. However, a flyout helped South Alabama maintain its one-run lead in the fifth.

The Trojans weren't able to score in the top of the sixth inning, and South Alabama hit another solo shot to widen the lead to 5-3.

Cunningham smoked a home run to the opposite field in the top of the seventh to cut the deficit to one, and a Howard double put the pressure on late. However, the Trojans couldn't bring her around to tie the game.

Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"It was a tough one today. As you reflect, you think about yesterday and how we played poorly yesterday. Today, there was a rough first inning, but after the first inning I thought we played really well. We outhit them and in a lot of ways we outplayed them. We just dug ourselves too deep of a hole. That's disappointing and frustrating, but at the same time there are some things I see weaved in there that showed signs of growth, at least from the previous two days."

Notables

Ella Cunningham hit her fourth and fifth home runs of the season
Cunningham is the first Trojan to hit two homers in a game since Sophia Jenkins did against IU Indy on Feb. 14, 2026
Cunningham recorded her ninth multi-hit game of the season
Makaley Boswell extended her reached base streak to 26 games
Megan Loftis extended her reached base streak to 11 games
McKinnon Howard recorded her second and third extra-base hits of the season, the third and fourth of her Trojan career
Howard recorded her eighth multi-hit game of the season
Howard became the first Trojan to have four hits in a game since Reaghan Oney did on Feb. 23, 2025
Howard is now 12-for-12 on stolen base attempts this season, second on the team behind Boswell, who leads the conference with
Presley Ivey logged her fifth multi-hit game of the year