STATESBORO, Ga. ? Troy sweeps Georgia Southern softball on opening day at Eagle Field Friday. Troy won game one 6-0 and game two 7-4.
The day began with a ribbon cutting celebrating the newly renovated Eagle Field.
Game One
Troy batted around in the first inning and scored five runs off four hits enroute to a 6-0 win in game one of the opening day doubleheader.
“Their pitcher had a really good rise ball and a change-up. They are both hard to lay off of, and we didn't make the adjustment until about the fifth inning. Then we started to hit the ball a little bit, but it was too late then,” said head coach Maggie Johnson.
Ashlyn Williams was perfect the first time through the order, but freshman Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.) doubled to left field to start the fourth inning breaking up her no-hit bid.
“She has been hitting the ball since day one in the fall. We had to put her in the outfield in order to get her bat in the lineup. She has great instincts in the outfield,” stated Johnson. “She has a great eye at the plate and hits the ball consistently.”
Nina Iduate (Norcross, Ga.) followed Ennis with a single giving Georgia Southern two runners on base with no outs; however, Williams got Amanda Hall (Haddock, Ga.) to pop out to second and struck out Jenny Side (Loganville, Ga.) and Mackenzie Williams (Baxley, Ga.) to end the inning.
Freshmen Marie Fogle (Rincon, Ga.), Ennis and Mackenzie Williams made the first starts of their careers.
Game Two
Troy scored three runs in the first inning and three in the second to win 7-4 in game two of the opening day doubleheader.
“We came out confident but let it slip away,” said Johnson. “It is about intensity and keeping it up from inning one to inning seven.”
Hall had a stellar second game going three for four with two RBIs.
“She is one of the most competitive girls out there,” said Johnson. “She is one of those players that really hates to lose.”
Troy and Georgia Southern both had three run first innings. Ennis doubled to lead off the game. Robyne Siliga (Oceanside, Calif.) followed her with a one-out single. Hall drove both runs in with a two RBI single, and Side followed with a RBI single of her own to tie the game at three runs each.
Troy opened the second inning with three straight singles before Kala Moore got caught stealing for the first out of the inning. Nikki Hollett cleared the bases with a two-out homerun to give the Trojans a 6-3 advantage in the early going.
Both teams scored a run in the sixth inning to make the score 7-4. Sam Russo (Snellville, Ga.) hit a solo shot over the head of the left fielder for her first homerun of the season.
Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) came on in relief in the third and pitched five innings, walking none.
Georgia Southern returns to action Sunday at Eagle Field against Mercer. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Troy and Mercer are scheduled to play a doubleheader at Eagle Field Saturday at 1 p.m.
