Troy University Athletics
Sunday, March 29
Troy, Ala.
12 p.m.
Troy University
22-12, 4-5
10
vs
2
Southern Miss
25-14, 6-3
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Southern Miss
0
0
0
0
2
0
2
3
1
Troy
0
0
0
0
3
7
10
9
0
Troy Offense Explodes to Run-rule Southern Miss
3/29/2026 2:48:00 PM | Softball
TROY, Ala. – After heading into the bottom of the fifth inning down 2-0, the Troy softball team used a go-ahead, pinch-hit three-run homer from Ella Cunningham and a seven-run sixth inning to run-rule Southern Miss 10-2.
With two outs and two runners on in the fifth inning, Cunningham stepped into the box and bashed the long ball to turn the tide. After Abby Lovell held the lead in her fifth consecutive complete game, the Trojans exploded for a seven-run inning to walk it off.
Mia Tidmore crushed two doubles in her 2-for-4 performance, driving in three RBIs with her walk-off hit. Kiley Huffman and McKinnon Howard also logged two-hit games against the Golden Eagles.
From the circle, Abby Lovell worked her fifth straight Sun Belt Conference complete game, throwing six innings with seven strikeouts and two runs allowed. She's the first Trojan since Leanna Johnson in 2023 to throw five straight complete games in Sun Belt play.
Both pitchers worked quick first innings, as Lovell struck out two batters in the top of the first inning. Lovell punched out two more in a quick second inning, rolling through the Southern Miss lineup.
A hit-by-pitch and a single off the bat of Howard helped the Trojans put pressure on in the second, but a flyout double play ended the inning. In the third, Lovell kept it going by working around a walk to hang another zero. Lovell struck out two more in the fourth inning, bringing her total to seven strikeouts.
The Golden Eagles struck first in the fifth inning, hitting a two-run homer after taking a walk to break up the no-no and take a 2-0 lead. The Trojan bats came out hot in the bottom of the fifth, with Presley Ivey and Howard hitting back-to-back singles.
With two outs, Cunningham stepped into the box as a pinch-hitter and delivered the go-ahead homer with a blast to center field to make it 3-2. Lovell worked around a double in the top of the sixth inning to protect the lead.
The Trojans' offense kept their momentum going in the sixth, as Mia Tidmore led off the inning with a double. Huffman moved her over to third with a single, and Rochinski brought a run home with an RBI single.
A bases-loaded walk from Lydia Kirby made it 5-2 Trojans, and Troy added on with a Southern Miss error. Another walk by Megan Loftis gave the Trojans their fourth run of the inning. Tidmore ended the inning like she started it, smoking a double to unload the bases and walk it off.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"I'm really proud of the way our girls responded today. In the circle we played well, defensively we played pretty well and in a really tight game, offensively we did what we needed to do and got the explosion in the bottom of the sixth. I could name a lot of girls, but up and down the lineup, they did really well. I'm proud of them, it was a great response and hopefully something we can build on going forward in conference play."
Notables
With two outs and two runners on in the fifth inning, Cunningham stepped into the box and bashed the long ball to turn the tide. After Abby Lovell held the lead in her fifth consecutive complete game, the Trojans exploded for a seven-run inning to walk it off.
Mia Tidmore crushed two doubles in her 2-for-4 performance, driving in three RBIs with her walk-off hit. Kiley Huffman and McKinnon Howard also logged two-hit games against the Golden Eagles.
From the circle, Abby Lovell worked her fifth straight Sun Belt Conference complete game, throwing six innings with seven strikeouts and two runs allowed. She's the first Trojan since Leanna Johnson in 2023 to throw five straight complete games in Sun Belt play.
Both pitchers worked quick first innings, as Lovell struck out two batters in the top of the first inning. Lovell punched out two more in a quick second inning, rolling through the Southern Miss lineup.
A hit-by-pitch and a single off the bat of Howard helped the Trojans put pressure on in the second, but a flyout double play ended the inning. In the third, Lovell kept it going by working around a walk to hang another zero. Lovell struck out two more in the fourth inning, bringing her total to seven strikeouts.
The Golden Eagles struck first in the fifth inning, hitting a two-run homer after taking a walk to break up the no-no and take a 2-0 lead. The Trojan bats came out hot in the bottom of the fifth, with Presley Ivey and Howard hitting back-to-back singles.
With two outs, Cunningham stepped into the box as a pinch-hitter and delivered the go-ahead homer with a blast to center field to make it 3-2. Lovell worked around a double in the top of the sixth inning to protect the lead.
The Trojans' offense kept their momentum going in the sixth, as Mia Tidmore led off the inning with a double. Huffman moved her over to third with a single, and Rochinski brought a run home with an RBI single.
A bases-loaded walk from Lydia Kirby made it 5-2 Trojans, and Troy added on with a Southern Miss error. Another walk by Megan Loftis gave the Trojans their fourth run of the inning. Tidmore ended the inning like she started it, smoking a double to unload the bases and walk it off.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"I'm really proud of the way our girls responded today. In the circle we played well, defensively we played pretty well and in a really tight game, offensively we did what we needed to do and got the explosion in the bottom of the sixth. I could name a lot of girls, but up and down the lineup, they did really well. I'm proud of them, it was a great response and hopefully something we can build on going forward in conference play."
Notables
- Troy is 21-10 all-time against Southern Miss
- The Trojans are 16-4 at the Troy Softball Complex this season
- The Trojans won their 11th run-rule game this season, passing 2025's total
- Abby Lovell threw her fifth complete games in five Sun Belt Conference starts – she's the first Trojan to work five complete games in conference play since Leanna Johnson in 2023
- McKinnon Howard logged her 10th multi-hit game of the season
- Ella Cunningham hit her sixth home run of the season, tying Makaley Boswell for the team lead
- Cunningham recorded her seventh multi-RBI game of the year
- Kiley Huffman logged her 10th multi-hit game of the season
- Mia Tidmore hit her fourth and fifth career doubles
- Tidmore recorded her seventh multi-hit game of the season
- Tidmore logged her second multi-RBI game of the year
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lovell, Abby (6-4)
L: Giardina, Kayla (11-5)
Batting:
2B: Hays, Jolie 1
HR: Johnson, Madison 1
RBI: Johnson, Madison 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Gordon-Sivley, Kinsley 1 ; Johnson, Madison 1
SB: McManus, Nealy 1
Batting:
2B: Tidmore, Mia 2
HR: Cunningham, Ella 1
RBI: Loftis, Megan 1 ; Tidmore, Mia 3 ; Kirby, Lydia 1 ; Cunningham, Ella 3 ; Munson, Kam 1 ; Rochinski, Kalee 1
SH: Kirby, Lydia 1 ; Ivey, Presley 1
SF: Munson, Kam 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Howard, McKinnon 2 ; Loftis, Megan 1 ; Tidmore, Mia 1 ; Kirby, Lydia 1 ; Cunningham, Ella 1 ; Huffman, Kiley 1 ; Ivey, Presley 1 ; Munson, Kam 1 ; Rochinski, Kalee 1
CS: Huffman, Kiley 1
HBP: Ivey, Presley 1
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
1
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballPlayer Postgame Press Conference (Ella Cunningham, Abby Lovell) - Southern Miss
Sunday, March 29
Eric Newell Postgame Press Conference (USM Game 3)
Sunday, March 29
Troy vs. Southern Miss - G3 (Full Highlights)
Sunday, March 29
Skylar Meade Postgame - Georgia Southern Game 2
Saturday, March 28