Alabama
Troy
Softball Earns 5-2 Comeback Victory Over Troy Tuesday
4/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - A pair of solo home runs gave Troy an early 2-0 lead Tuesday in Tuscaloosa, but a defensive error by the Trojans ultimately led to four unearned runs and a fifth run in the next inning capped the 5-2 comeback win for Alabama.
Alabama (36-10) saw a lot of early offensive opportunities slip by, leaving two stranded in the first inning and four in the second as Troy (29-20) took advantage by taking the early 2-0 lead on a pair of solo homers. A fielding error by Troy in the bottom of the fifth with the bases loaded allowed two runs to score, tying the game, and a two-run single by Jadyn Spencer later in the inning gave the Tide the lead. Chandler Dare accounted for the Tide's third and final RBI of the day, capping a 2-4 performance out of the two hole with a sixth-inning RBI single. Senior Leslie Jury (8-3) pitched 2.1 innings in relief to earn the win, allowing just one hit and one walk.
Troy starter Jaycee Affeldt (15-9) threw 130 pitches in the complete game effort, as just one of her five runs allowed was earned in the tough-luck loss. Becca Hartley and Michelle Phelps went a combined 3-7 with each hitting a solo home run.
The two teams were scoreless until the top of the fourth, as Phelps led off the inning with a solo homer to left, giving the Trojans the 1-0 lead. Troy doubled its lead with two out in the top of the fifth with another solo home run, this time off the bat of Hartley. That ended Sydney Littlejohn's start in the circle as Jury entered in relief facing a two-run deficit.
In the bottom half of the fifth inning, Alabama quickly loaded the bases with nobody out. A grounder to the third baseman led to a force out attempt at home but the catcher dropped the ball, allowing a pair of runs to score and tie the game at 2-2. Later with two out and a pair of runners in scoring position, Spencer poked a double down the right field line to tack on two more unearned runs and give the Tide a 4-2 lead.
Dare added some insurance in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single through the left side to make it 5-2. Troy would get two on base in the top of the seventh to bring the potential tying run to the plate but a high fly ball to center field went for the final out as the Tide earned the 5-2 comeback victory.
Next up, Alabama hosts its final SEC home series of the season, welcoming the 11th-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols (35-11, 11-7 SEC). The weekend series starts on Thursday, April 23 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN with Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza on the call.
Thursday, April 23 - 7 p.m. CT (ESPN)
Friday, April 24 - 6:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, April 25 - 2 p.m. CT
