Troy University Athletics
Sunday, March 8
Fort Myers, Fla.
10 a.m.
Troy University
15-7
5
at
4
Florida Gulf Coast
6-17
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Troy
0
0
0
0
0
3
2
5
11
1
FGCU
1
1
2
0
0
0
0
4
5
1
Softball Stages Four-run Comeback to Take Series
3/8/2026 2:13:00 PM | Softball
FORT MYERS, Fla. – A two-run, go-ahead shot to left field off the bat of Makaley Boswell gave Troy a 5-4 win over Florida Gulf Coast. After falling behind 4-0, the Trojans (15-7) put together a frenzied comeback in the last two innings to take the series win over the Eagles (6-17).
The seventh-inning home run from Boswell was a part of a stellar 3-for-4 game, her 13th multi-hit game of the season. Kiley Huffman and pinch-hitters Jasmine Lawrence and Kam Munson came through with RBI singles in Troy's three-run sixth inning.
Emma Banks (3-1) earned the win after firing four scoreless innings, striking out two and scattering one hit. She shut down an Eagles offense that scored four runs in the first three innings to keep the Trojans in the game.
In the sixth inning, Troy began the comeback after a Lydia Kirby walk and a single from Boswell put runners on first and second with none out in the sixth. Huffman and Lawrence put Troy on the board, as both punched singles through the right side to make it 4-2.
Munson rolled a single down the third base line to cut the deficit to just one, and Troy loaded the bases with still no outs. A lineout double play ended the inning for the Trojans with FGCU holding its 4-3 lead before Boswell flipped the script.
To start the game, FGCU took an early lead, scoring on a sacrifice fly in the first inning to go up 1-0. Mya Holt entered the circle in relief of Esmee Ames after consecutive walks in the second inning.
Although Megan Loftis got Troy's first hit of the game in the third, the Trojans weren't able to manufacture the run. The Eagles added two more runs in the bottom of the frame off an error.
Despite a leadoff single from Boswell in the fourth, Troy couldn't cut into the deficit. Banks came in to pitch in the bottom of the fourth, hanging Troy's first zero of the game and striking out one.
McKinnon Howard led off the fifth inning with a bunt single, and a sacrifice bunt from Kalee Rochinski moved her over to second base. However, Troy couldn't get on the board. Banks came out in the bottom of the fifth and struck out another in a scoreless frame.
Banks kept it close with a third consecutive scoreless frame, sending it to the top of the seventh inning following Troy's sixth-inning outburst. In the seventh, Loftis crushed her second single of the middle to get it started. However, she was nabbed on the basepaths for the first out of the inning.
Boswell's shot to left field gave the Trojans the late lead, and Banks went out trying to close the game. She forced three straight flyouts to Huffman in right field to end it.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"That was an emotional game. We really struggled in all aspects of the game early – defensively, I didn't think we were sharp, from the circle, I didn't think we were sharp and we weren't getting any hits. We talk about playing a hard seven innings, and we played a hard seven innings. We didn't give up, and we grinded it out. The bench played a key role in this game, and I'm super proud of that. We had a lot of leadership late in that game, and I'm proud of the win."
Notables
The seventh-inning home run from Boswell was a part of a stellar 3-for-4 game, her 13th multi-hit game of the season. Kiley Huffman and pinch-hitters Jasmine Lawrence and Kam Munson came through with RBI singles in Troy's three-run sixth inning.
Emma Banks (3-1) earned the win after firing four scoreless innings, striking out two and scattering one hit. She shut down an Eagles offense that scored four runs in the first three innings to keep the Trojans in the game.
In the sixth inning, Troy began the comeback after a Lydia Kirby walk and a single from Boswell put runners on first and second with none out in the sixth. Huffman and Lawrence put Troy on the board, as both punched singles through the right side to make it 4-2.
Munson rolled a single down the third base line to cut the deficit to just one, and Troy loaded the bases with still no outs. A lineout double play ended the inning for the Trojans with FGCU holding its 4-3 lead before Boswell flipped the script.
To start the game, FGCU took an early lead, scoring on a sacrifice fly in the first inning to go up 1-0. Mya Holt entered the circle in relief of Esmee Ames after consecutive walks in the second inning.
Although Megan Loftis got Troy's first hit of the game in the third, the Trojans weren't able to manufacture the run. The Eagles added two more runs in the bottom of the frame off an error.
Despite a leadoff single from Boswell in the fourth, Troy couldn't cut into the deficit. Banks came in to pitch in the bottom of the fourth, hanging Troy's first zero of the game and striking out one.
McKinnon Howard led off the fifth inning with a bunt single, and a sacrifice bunt from Kalee Rochinski moved her over to second base. However, Troy couldn't get on the board. Banks came out in the bottom of the fifth and struck out another in a scoreless frame.
Banks kept it close with a third consecutive scoreless frame, sending it to the top of the seventh inning following Troy's sixth-inning outburst. In the seventh, Loftis crushed her second single of the middle to get it started. However, she was nabbed on the basepaths for the first out of the inning.
Boswell's shot to left field gave the Trojans the late lead, and Banks went out trying to close the game. She forced three straight flyouts to Huffman in right field to end it.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"That was an emotional game. We really struggled in all aspects of the game early – defensively, I didn't think we were sharp, from the circle, I didn't think we were sharp and we weren't getting any hits. We talk about playing a hard seven innings, and we played a hard seven innings. We didn't give up, and we grinded it out. The bench played a key role in this game, and I'm super proud of that. We had a lot of leadership late in that game, and I'm proud of the win."
Notables
- Troy is 3-2 all-time against Florida Gulf Coast
- Troy completed a four-run comeback in a win for the first time since Apr. 5, 2025, vs. Louisiana
- The Trojans improve to 2-4 in one-run games this season
- Makaley Boswell extended her on-base streak to 22 games
- Boswell is now 12-for-12 on stolen base attempts this season, leading the team in steals
- Boswell logged her 13th multi-hit game of the season
- Boswell hit her third home run of the season
- McKinnon Howard logged her sixth multi-hit game of the season
- In her first at-bat since Feb. 22 against Furman, freshman Jasmine Lawrence recorded her first hit and RBI since the season opener
- Megan Loftis recorded the first multi-hit game of her career
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Banks, Emma (3-1)
L: Bacoulis, Julia (2-6)
Batting:
HR: Boswell, Makaley 1
RBI: Boswell, Makaley 2 ; Huffman, Kiley 1 ; Lawrence, Jasmine 1 ; Munson, Kam 1
SH: Rochinski, Kalee 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Boswell, Makaley 2 ; Huffman, Kiley 1 ; Ivey, Presley 2
SB: Boswell, Makaley 1 ; Lawrence, Jasmine 1
CS: Loftis, Megan 1
Batting:
2B: Leiti, Mackenzie 1
RBI: Meek, Tiffany 1 ; Thompson, Ally 1
SH: Williams, K'Mari 1
SF: Meek, Tiffany 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Meek, Tiffany 1 ; Black, Olivia 1 ; Drijvers, Sietske 1 ; Wiggs, Parris 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
PH/dp
AB
2
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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P
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/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTL
/ SoftballUTL
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
C
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