Troy University Athletics
Thursday, April 2
Lafayette, La.
4 p.m.
Troy University
23-12, 5-5
5
at
4
Louisiana
20-17, 3-7
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Troy
2
0
0
0
1
2
0
5
8
0
Louisiana
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
4
9
2
Troy Holds off Louisiana Rally to Win Series Opener
4/2/2026 7:32:00 PM | Softball
LAFAYETTE, La. – The Troy softball team opened its series at Louisiana with a 5-4 win – the Trojans' (23-12, 5-5 SBC) fourth-ever win at the Ragin' Cajuns (20-17, 3-7 SBC) home stadium.
Troy got off to a quick start with a two-run shot off the bat of Ella Cunningham in the first inning and staved off a late rally from Louisiana. The Trojans added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings to help fight off two late homers.
Makaley Boswell earned her 100th career hit in the game, going 1-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base. Presley Ivey roped an RBI double in the fifth inning as part of a 1-for-4 game, and both Megan Loftis and Mia Tidmore turned in multi-hit games from the ends of the lineup.
Abby Lovell went six innings in her start, holding Louisiana scoreless until the sixth. In relief, Cunningham earned her second save of the year, closing out the game.
Troy got started quickly in the first inning, as Mia Tidmore slapped a single and advanced to second on an error to start the game. With two outs in the inning, Cunningham ripped an opposite-field home run to put the Trojans up 2-0.
Although Louisiana got a leadoff single as well, Lovell worked out of the inning unharmed after the Trojans caught a runner stealing. In the second inning, a walk and a Megan Loftis single put runners on the corners with two outs. However, the Trojans couldn't extend the lead.
Following a leadoff walk in the bottom of the second, Lovell struck out back-to-back hitters and forced a flyout to hold the lead. The Trojans were able to put pressure on again in the third inning.
Kiley Huffman flew out to right field, but a Ragin' Cajuns illegal substitution gave her another chance, and she bounced a single to the shortstop. Cunningham took a hit-by-pitch, but Louisiana ace Sage Hoover was able to get out of the inning.
Lovell spun another scoreless inning in the third, working around a single and a walk. She worked a one-two-three inning in the fourth to keep the Cajuns off the board.
Two walks in the fifth put a Trojan in scoring position again – Ivey delivered, smoking an RBI double down the right-field line to make it 3-0. Lovell fought through more traffic on the basepaths to work her fifth straight scoreless inning.
A pinch-hit walk by Amity White got Troy started in the sixth. Boswell brought home a run to make it 4-0 with her 100th career hit, and one more scored on a groundout from Huffman.
Louisiana hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to 5-2, but Lovell closed out the inning to protect the lead. Another two-run homer in the seventh knocked Lovell out of the game, but Cunningham closed it out with a flyout and a popout.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"It's always a great environment when you come to Lafayette, their fans always get into it. I'm so proud of our team and our effort. Abby pitched really well, whether you say she ran out of gas or whatever, and Ella did a great job in a stressful situation and got the save. We talk to our team all the time about never knowing how many runs it's going to take to win a ballgame, and today it was five. Louisiana was really pushing us at the end, and it was good to win a close game on the road in a tough environment."
Notables
Troy got off to a quick start with a two-run shot off the bat of Ella Cunningham in the first inning and staved off a late rally from Louisiana. The Trojans added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings to help fight off two late homers.
Makaley Boswell earned her 100th career hit in the game, going 1-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base. Presley Ivey roped an RBI double in the fifth inning as part of a 1-for-4 game, and both Megan Loftis and Mia Tidmore turned in multi-hit games from the ends of the lineup.
Abby Lovell went six innings in her start, holding Louisiana scoreless until the sixth. In relief, Cunningham earned her second save of the year, closing out the game.
Troy got started quickly in the first inning, as Mia Tidmore slapped a single and advanced to second on an error to start the game. With two outs in the inning, Cunningham ripped an opposite-field home run to put the Trojans up 2-0.
Although Louisiana got a leadoff single as well, Lovell worked out of the inning unharmed after the Trojans caught a runner stealing. In the second inning, a walk and a Megan Loftis single put runners on the corners with two outs. However, the Trojans couldn't extend the lead.
Following a leadoff walk in the bottom of the second, Lovell struck out back-to-back hitters and forced a flyout to hold the lead. The Trojans were able to put pressure on again in the third inning.
Kiley Huffman flew out to right field, but a Ragin' Cajuns illegal substitution gave her another chance, and she bounced a single to the shortstop. Cunningham took a hit-by-pitch, but Louisiana ace Sage Hoover was able to get out of the inning.
Lovell spun another scoreless inning in the third, working around a single and a walk. She worked a one-two-three inning in the fourth to keep the Cajuns off the board.
Two walks in the fifth put a Trojan in scoring position again – Ivey delivered, smoking an RBI double down the right-field line to make it 3-0. Lovell fought through more traffic on the basepaths to work her fifth straight scoreless inning.
A pinch-hit walk by Amity White got Troy started in the sixth. Boswell brought home a run to make it 4-0 with her 100th career hit, and one more scored on a groundout from Huffman.
Louisiana hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to 5-2, but Lovell closed out the inning to protect the lead. Another two-run homer in the seventh knocked Lovell out of the game, but Cunningham closed it out with a flyout and a popout.
Quotable: Head Coach Eric Newell
"It's always a great environment when you come to Lafayette, their fans always get into it. I'm so proud of our team and our effort. Abby pitched really well, whether you say she ran out of gas or whatever, and Ella did a great job in a stressful situation and got the save. We talk to our team all the time about never knowing how many runs it's going to take to win a ballgame, and today it was five. Louisiana was really pushing us at the end, and it was good to win a close game on the road in a tough environment."
Notables
- Troy is 11-52 all-time against Louisiana
- The Trojans are 4-30 on the road against the Ragin' Cajuns
- Makaley Boswell earned her 100th career hit in the contest
- Ella Cunningham hit her team-leading seventh home run of the season
- Cunningham is the first Trojan to homer in consecutive games since Boswell did on Mar. 10 and 13 against Alabama State and South Alabama
- Cunningham recorded her eighth multi-RBI game of the year
- Cunningham recorded her second save of the year
- Megan Loftis logged her third multi-hit game of the season
- Boswell stole her team-leading 16th base of the season
- Mia Tidmore recorded her seventh multi-hit game on the year
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lovell, Abby (7-4)
L: Sage Hoover (6-8)
S: Cunningham, Ella (2)
Batting:
2B: Ivey, Presley 1
HR: Cunningham, Ella 1
RBI: Boswell, Makaley 1 ; Huffman, Kiley 1 ; Cunningham, Ella 2 ; Ivey, Presley 1
SH: Kirby, Lydia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tidmore, Mia 2 ; Boswell, Makaley 1 ; Cunningham, Ella 1 ; Loftis, Megan 1
SB: Boswell, Makaley 1 ; Loftis, Megan 1
HBP: Cunningham, Ella 1
Batting:
2B: Mia Norwood 1
HR: Brooke Otto 1 ; Emily Smith 1
RBI: Brooke Otto 2 ; Emily Smith 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Kennedy Marceaux 1 ; Brooke Otto 1 ; Cecilia Vasquez 1 ; Emily Smith 1
CS: Kennedy Marceaux 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
UTL
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballTroy vs. Arkansas State - Game 1 (Full Highlights)
Friday, April 03
Skylar Meade, Josh Pyne & Benjamin Stubbs Postgame - Arkansas State Game 1
Friday, April 03
Troy at Louisiana Game 1 Highlights
Thursday, April 02
Player Postgame Press Conference (Ella Cunningham, Makaley Boswell) - Louisiana
Thursday, April 02