MONROE, La. – The Troy softball team completed a doubleheader sweep of the host Warhawks on the opening day of a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at the ULM Softball Complex on Saturday, April 17. The Trojans opened the day with a 13-2 six-inning victory before posting a 10-6 win in the second game.
 
GAME 1: TROY 13, ULM 2 (6 inn.)
 
The Trojans slammed their way to a 4-0 lead in the first inning when Anslee Finch sent a grand slam over the left centerfield wall to establish the early advantage. Jayden Mount led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run of her own on the second pitch of the frame.
 
Troy tacked on two runs in both the third and fourth innings, forging in front 8-1. Audra Thompson was responsible for both runs in the third, connecting on a two-run home run to centerfield. The fourth was highlighted by back-to-back doubles by Katie Webb and Kelly Horne.
 
Katie Lively hit the third Trojan home run of the day as part of a five-run fifth, which provided Troy with a 13-1 lead. ULM's Jessica Williams answered with an RBI single to right in the bottom of the inning, scoring Korie Kreps, to account for the second Warhawk run of the contest.
 
Mount and Kreps, who both finished 2-for-3 from the plate with a pair of runs, led the way for the ULM offense. Amber Coons was one of three Warhawk pitchers to enter the circle, tossing three innings, allowing seven runs and four hits while converting three strikeouts. Murphy Williams and Kassidy Giddens came out of the bullpen for one inning each, allowing seven hits, six runs and combining for one strikeout.
 
GAME 2: TROY 10, ULM 6
 
The Trojans (28-9, 12-3 Sun Belt) assumed a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but ULM retaliated with four runs in the bottom of the frame to draw even. The first two runs crossed the plate on a throwing error at second, allowing Madison Blount and Madelyn Fletcher to score the first two runs.
 
Two batters later, Mount reached on an error that plated Kelsey Giddens for the third Warhawk run. Kreps followed with a single to left center, scoring Mount, to tie the game at 4-4.
 
Webb pushed Troy back in front, 5-4, with a single up the middle that scored Logan Calhoun. Horne followed that with a single down the third base line to plate both Webb and Lively for the three-run advantage.
 
Troy moved its lead to 10-4 by the top of the seventh, but the Warhawks took advantage of a single from Kennedy Johnson, which brought home Andie Edwards, to score their fifth run. Blount kept the Warhawks alive with a single to center that plated Edwards, but Williams was thrown out at home to end any further threat.
 
Kreps led ULM at the plate by going 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. She was one of three Warhawks to notch an RBI along with Johnson and Blount. Gianni Hulett (4-5) tossed a complete game for ULM, surrendering 10 runs (seven earned), four walks and 15 hits to the Trojans while striking out five batters along the way.
 
The three-game series with Troy concludes on Sunday, April 18 at 12 p.m.