The Massachusetts softball team came up short in its final non-conference contest before its Atlantic 10 schedule, getting no-hit and shutout in three out of four games against Troy.
The second matchup was a pitching duel as the Trojans (16-9) brought onto the mound sophomore pitcher Alyssa Faircloth, who entered the game having given up seven runs and four earned runs over three and a third innings against Auburn on March 5. As for the Minutewomen (5-14), they welcomed senior veteran Julianne Bolton who came in after one of the best starts in her collegiate career after going a full game with five strikeouts and only giving up two hits in a shutout win against Rider.
Over the first two innings, both pitchers were dominant as Bolton struck out four of the first six batters. Neither team scored until the fourth inning after Taylor McKinney broke the ice for the Trojans, scoring off of a wild pitch. McKinney hit a grand slam in game four of the series, putting a staple in Troy’s series sweep against UMass.
The Minutewomen only held a lead in the series during the fifth inning of the final game. Just prior to the fifth inning, UMass was trailing 3-1 with pitcher Esmee Ames coming in to replace Mya Holt for the Trojans after giving up a base hit to leadoff hitter Katharine Heslin and putting the tying run up to bat. UMass had a runner on first as Riley Kairer came in to pinch run for Heslin.
Odyssey Torres stepped up to home plate and sent a high fly ball into left field over the wall to give the Minutewomen momentum against the Trojans. The home run was Torres’ first at the collegiate level and her ninth RBI of the season. The long ball was also the second home run scored for UMass all season.
Entering the following inning with the game all tied up, the Minutewomen kept the push going. Kate Peters entered the game for Holt, making her first pitching appearance all series.
Peters opened up her pitching appearance with a walk to Sophia Thormeyer and a double to catcher Lydia Castro. This marked the end of her short appearance as UMass had two runners in scoring position and the lead just 60 feet away. Troy called on Faircloth to the mound after she had just pitched a no-hitter the day prior.
Faircloth was faced with Sarah Keagy who hit a pitch into right field, scoring Thormeyer and giving the Minutewomen a 4-3 lead and their first lead of the entire series. UMass scored three more runs throughout the inning for a 7-3 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, the UMass lead came to an end as pitcher Natalee Horton entered an extremely difficult pitching situation with the Trojans making a comeback. As the lead decreased to 7-5 and the bases loaded with one out, Horton stepped to the mound against Sarah Beth Brake who hit a homer earlier in the contest. Brake worked the count to 2-2 and took the following pitch into deep left field, sending two of Troy’s runners home, and tying the game.
As the Trojans extended their lead to 10-7 and forced 43 pitches from Horton during only a third of an inning, Bolton reentered the game, giving up another five runs in the inning. The win gave Troy the sweep and a 15-7 victory in the final contest of the series. The final game was the only game that the Minutewomen put runs on the board.
UMass is now on a six-game losing streak and have won just two out of its last 10 games.
The Minutewomen will prepare for their farewell tour of the A-10 as they kick off their first conference matchup of the season with a doubleheader of a three-game series against St. Joseph’s on Saturday, March 15. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.
Jonathan Murgida can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @jonathanmurgida.
