Lovell carries 0.37 ERA into third weekend for softball

The Troy softball team is off to a spectacular 8-1 start this season, its best under head coach Eric Newell and the best start since beginning 8-1 in 2022. The Trojans entered the D1 Softball Mid-Major Rankings at No. 20 on Monday. 

While the team’s offense has been electric – leading the Sun Belt Conference with 77 runs and scoring 8.56 per game – Troy’s pitching has put on a show. Part of this is due to standout freshman Abby Lovell. 

Abby Lovell pitches against Radford. (Troy Athletics photo)

Last weekend against Central Arkansas and Radford, Lovell fired off 12 scoreless innings from the circle. She helped the rest of the pitching staff in only surrendering one extra-base hit over four total games at the Cardinal Clash. 

“Staying away backdoor and trusting myself overall is really empowering,” Lovell said after her outing against the Bears. “It feels really awesome to know that my teammates always have my back and know that we’re always in the game no matter what.” 

Lovell toed the rubber to start the weekend against Central Arkansas and spun her first career complete game with a five-inning shutout. Following a six-strikeout performance against North Alabama in her first career start, she punched out six batters yet again.

The Bears were only able to scrape out two hits against the southpaw. 

Against Radford the very next day, Lovell stepped out and faced the toughest test of her young career. Lovell finished the game with seven innings of scoreless ball, scattering eight hits and striking out one in the extra-inning affair. 

She went toe-to-toe with an elite Highlanders pitching staff, with Morgan Cooper earning the Big South Pitcher of the Week award in part for her performance in the contest. Big South Preseason Pitcher of the Year Dakota Redmon also stepped into the circle after four scoreless frames from Cooper. 

Heading into the season, Lovell earned plenty of recognition for her talent even as a freshman. D1 Softball tabbed her as the Sun Belt Preseason Freshman of the Year, while also naming her to their Top 100 Freshman Watchlist.  

Additionally, the Columbus, Georgia, native was named to the Softball America Preseason Freshman Watchlist.  

At Northside High School, Lovell holds both the win and strikeout record, striking out over 600 batters during her career. As a senior, she went 17-2 and sat down a staggering 219 batters via the strikeout. 

Following a midweek contest against Alabama State, Lovell and the Trojans take on four opponents in the Trojan Invitational. Kennesaw State, Nicholls, Furman and Mid-Major No. 1 Omaha travel to the Troy Softball Complex as Troy ends its 14-game homestand this weekend.