Thompson’s Walk-Off Homer Rallies Troy Past No. 25 Louisiana

Friday, April 21

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

30-13-1, 11-4-1

Louisiana

34-13, 14-2

Louisiana

Troy

Photo by: Troy University

Thompson’s Walk-Off Homer Rallies Troy Past No. 25 Louisiana

4/21/2023 10:24:00 PM | Softball

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – Audra Thompson hit a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally Troy past No. 25 Louisiana, 8-7, in the Sun Belt series opener Friday night at the Troy Softball Complex.

Troy (30-13-1, 11-4-1 SBC) rallied from down 4-0 and 7-4 to hand Louisiana (34-13, 14-2) just its second league loss of the season and snap a 10-game losing streak to the Cajuns. In fact, Troy had won just once in the previous 20 meetings with Louisiana prior to Friday. The Trojans now have a prime opportunity to snap one of the nation's most impressive streaks as the Cajuns have won 78 straight Sun Belt Conference series.

"I couldn't be more proud of this team and the battle they showed," head coach Eric Newell said. "We struggled a little bit defensively, but the resiliency of our offense and the grit this team showed, how exciting. That one is up there on the memory chart for me."

Libby Baker, who earned the win in the circle, opened the seventh inning with her eighth double of the season to set the table for Thompson following a strikeout and a groundout. After getting ahead in the count 2-0, Thompson tattooed Meghan Schorman's offering deep into the night sky down the left-field line for her third home run of the season and the game-winner.

"This team is a group of fighters," Thompson said. "We're going to pick each other up, and that's what we did for each other tonight, always responding. I was just looking for a hit to be short to the ball and make contact; I was excited for myself and our team; we did it as a team.

Louisiana struck for four unearned runs thanks to a pair of Troy errors in the third inning, but the Trojans answered back in the home half of the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Baker, her 11^th of the season, and a two-run double by Thompson following a Cajun error.

The tie was short-lived as Karly Heath hit her 12^th home run of the season with two outs in the fifth, Alexa Langeliers added her 10^th homer in the sixth, and Louisiana added another unearned run to build a 7-4 advantage.

The Trojans battled right back in the bottom of the frame as Anslee Finch led off the inning drawing a walk, and the second Cajun error of the ball game put two on with one out. Then, following a pop up, an unlikely hero stepped to the plate.

Natalie Turner, who entered as a defensive replacement earlier in the game, fell behind in the count 0-2 before punching a single to right-center to plate a run; it was just her second hit since February 24. Jade Sinness followed with a single back up the middle to plate Kennedi Gaton and close the gap to 7-6 heading into the seventh.

Baker (2-1) held the Cajuns to just one hit over 1.2 innings of relief after she opened the game as the first baseman. Leanna Johnson started in the circle for the Trojans and was the victim of poor defense, allowing four unearned runs on five hits in three innings. Brookelyn Cannon stemmed the flow between Johnson and Baker, allowing three runs – two earned – in 2.1 innings.

The Trojans chased Louisiana starter Sam Landy after 3.1 innings, and Sinness touched her for the RBI single in the sixth after she reentered the ball game in a save situation for Kendra Lamb, who allowed two unearned runs in 2.1 innings. Schorman (12-6) took the loss for the Cajuns after allowing two runs in two-thirds of an inning.

Kelly Horne continued her late-season resurgence with two hits and a walk in her four-plate appearances as she moved back into the two-hole in the lineup.

Troy will look to win its first-ever series against Louisiana in game two of the series Saturday at 2 p.m.