2013 TROY TROJANS SOFTBALL
1996 NCAA TOURNAMENT By Jim Egan Troy Messenger The magical season of the Lady Trojans came to a halt as the Troy State softball team was eliminated from the NCAA Division I Regionals. The Trojans (47-22-1) took an 8-0 beating from the Arizona Wildcats, who are ranked second in the nation. Arizona jolted out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. All the runs were unearned due to back-to-back dropped fly balls, and another baserunner scored on an RBI single by Krista Gomez. The second inning was even more horrifying for the Lady Trojans. The highlight of the inning was when All-America Jenny Dalton crushed a grand slam home run, giving the Wildcats an 8-0 cushion. The winning pitcher was Wildcat ace Carrie Nolan, who earned her 11th complete game shutout of the year. The loser was Shawn Starling (15-6), who was pulled out of the game before completing two innings. Jean Salkeld came in to relieve Starling, but the damage had already been done. The TSU offense sputtered, so the game was called after five innings due to the eight-run rule. The Lady Trojans then played and lost to South Florida, 6-5 in eight innings, in the loser’s bracket of the tournament. South Florida drew first blood by scoring four runs in the second inning. Lauren McClendon ripped an RBI-double and later scored on Teresa Palladino’s slap-single. Wright drove in another run with a bloop hit and Melissa Sigmon scored on a throwing error. The Trojans answered back in the third with a run when Michele Falk scored on Mitzi McLendon’s infield single. TSU took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth on three hits and three errors. Staci Boyette doubled in pinch-runner Sherry Bodnar and later scored when USF’s McClendon dropped a sure out at first base. Troy’s McClendon scored the tying run when a fielder’s choice ground ball was misplayed at second. Jill Buckley gave the Trojans the lead when she raced home as McClendon dropped another ball at first. USF tied the game back at five in the top of the sixth when Rhonda Wooder scored on Wright’s suicide squeeze bunt. #1 Arizona Arizona #4 Troy State #2 Florida St. #3 South Fla.
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Florida St. Arizona
#3 South Fla. #4 Troy State
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Neither team could score again until the top of the eighth, when Wright drove in her third run of the game on a deep fly to center that scored Wooder from third to make the score 6-5 in favor of USF. The Lady Trojans tried to make a desperate comeback but failed. The Trojans had a small rally started with two out but a controversial call at third base ended the Trojans’ season in a heartbeat. Barbara Sherwood dove into second to avoid a line drive double play and was apparently held down by Wooder, USF’s second baseman. The third base umpire initially displayed the obstruction signal, prompting Sherwood to be signalled to third by coach Melanie Davis. However, a controversial call interpretation of the obstruction rule involving double jeopardy resulted in Sherwood being called out, ending the Lady Trojans rally. Monica Triner earned the win in relief. Triner allowed four runs on seven hits in four-and-one-third innings of action. USF’s starter, Jennifer Thompson, came back in the eighth inning to get the save. Shawn Starling, TSU’s third pitcher of the game, was saddled with her second loss of the tournament.
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1996 NCAA West Regional @TroyAthletics
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