Troy University Athletics
Troy University
ULM
Trojans Gain Control with 7-2 Win
5/13/2010 11:00:00 PM | Softball
MOBILE, Ala. - The Trojans offense would explode for the second straight day as they used eight hits to defeat the seventh seeded ULM Warhawks 7-2. The win thrusts the Trojans into the driver's seat on their side of the Sun Belt Championship bracket.
Ashlyn Williams (20-21) threw 6.0 innings and gave up two earned runs with nine strikeouts. Her strikeout of Elise West to close out the fourth inning gave Williams 1,000 K's in her career.
Troy's two seniors, Kala Moore and Rocky Paige, each posted two hits, with one of Paige's being a third inning grand slam.
"I was very pleased with our timely hitting and complete team effort," head coach Melanie Davis said. "Our two seniors stepping up with their bats was huge."
The Trojans would get on the board first in the third inning behind the bat of senior first baseman Paige. After Sarah Shields was hit by a pitch, Nikki Hollett drew a walk and Hayden Gann singled, it was Paige's time to shine for the second straight day.
With two outs and the bases loaded, Paige delivered her second home run in as many days, this one of the grand slam variety, onto the left field porch. The homer was Paige's third extra base hit of the tournament and gave her six RBI in the two games. The grand slam was the first for the Trojans since March 15, 2008 by Courtney Davis. That four run blast also came against the Warhawks and led to a 16-4 Troy victory.
The Trojans would tack on a single run in the fourth. After Marcy Sartain walked with two outs, singles by Kala Moore and Shields plated the freshman centerfielder to give the Trojans a 5-0 lead.
The Warhawks would get the run back in the bottom of the frame. Three singles including an RBI knock by Michelle Farrell-Fink put the score at 5-1.
Troy would add two more in a wild fifth inning. Gann and Paige led off with a walk and a single respectively. A sacrifice bunt Sally Ward moved both into scoring position. Sarah Harris then put down a squeeze bunt, Gann scored when the catcher dropped the ball, but pinch runner Ashley Adkins was thrown out trying to score.
The end result of the play gave Troy a 6-1 lead and put Harris on second base with two outs. Harris advanced on a wild pitch and then scored when Courtney Cherry hit an infield single. Josie Cox then pinch hit and delivered with her first career hit, a double to the left center gap, but Cherry couldn't score and Trojans stranded two and left the inning with a 7-1 lead.
ULM would add a run in the sixth inning off of a leadoff double, a walk and two singles, making the score 7-2.
Haley Hutchins would come on in the seventh and give just one hit and preserve the 7-2 victory.
"I was really proud of Haley Hutchins for pitching a strong seventh inning," Davis said. "That gives Ashlyn some much needed rest and could pay huge dividends later this week."
Kandace Causey (9-10), who threw a one-hitter against second seeded FIU yesterday, was tagged with five earned runs and five hits in 3.2 innings of work.
The Trojans will return to action on Friday at 5:30 p.m. to take on the winner of North Texas and Florida Atlantic who will play at 12:30 p.m. The Mean Green won an elimination game against FIU earlier on Thursday and the Owls fell to Louisiana-Lafayette in Thursday's nightcap.
