TROY, Ala. – Southern University opened play Friday at the Trojan Classic hosted by Troy at the Troy Softball Complex with a pair of nonconference losses, falling to North Alabama, 16–4, and Middle Tennessee, 11–1.
Game 1: North Alabama 16, Southern 4
North Alabama (3-0) jumped out to an early lead and used a late offensive surge to pull away from Southern (0-2) in a six-inning decision.
The Lions plated three runs in the opening inning and followed with two more in the second to take a 5–1 advantage. Southern answered in the bottom of the second, scoring twice to trim the deficit.
Izabell Astran delivered an RBI single, while aggressive baserunning helped generate additional pressure as the Jaguars closed within 5–3.
Southern added another run in the fourth inning after
Ava Wallace tripled and later scored, cutting the margin to 5–4 and keeping the game within reach. However, North Alabama responded with a run in the fifth before breaking the game open with a 10-run sixth inning to seal the win.
Offensively, Southern collected six hits, led by Keir Miracle-Tilford, who went 2-for-3 with a double. Wallace scored twice, while Astran drove in the Jaguars' lone RBI. Southern was limited to 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
In the circle, Southern used four pitchers, with
Emma Rogers logging 3.2 innings and recording two strikeouts.
Game 2: Middle Tennessee 11, Southern 1
Southern was unable to find offensive rhythm in the nightcap as Middle Tennessee (1-2) capitalized on timely hitting and defensive miscues to secure the victory.
The Blue Raiders opened the scoring in the first inning and added two more in the second before breaking the game open with a five-run third, highlighted by a two-run double and a solo home run. Middle Tennessee scored in four of the five innings and finished with nine hits in the contest.
Southern's lone run came in the third inning when
Katiana Maldonado crossed the plate after reaching base, accounting for the Jaguars' only score. Miracle-Tilford,
Jaicee Massey, and
Jordynn Jennings each recorded hits for Southern.
Middle Tennessee pitcher Halle Klaiber limited Southern to three hits while allowing no earned runs. Southern used four pitchers in the circle, with
Hayley Hinds,
Emma Rogers,
Aaliyah Zabala, and Jennings all seeing action.
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