Troy’s Dixie Ponytails team opened sub-district play with an 8-3 win over Elba on Saturday night.

Playing the host team, a trio of Troy pitchers held Elba hitless during the contest, while pounding out seven hits of their own.

Kasee Carter, Brittany Knotts and Jodi Long combined to pick up the win for Troy. Carter started, striking out all six batters she faced. Elba got one run in the third off Knotts and two runs off Long in the fifth.

Long forced both Elba’s Shamba Jones and Courtney Richardson to ground out to second base and struck out Brittany Johnson to close the game for Troy.

The three pitchers combined to strike out 12 batters, while walking four and hitting three.

Scoreless in the top of the second, Elba walked both Hannah Spann and Kelli Ann Sanders to lead off the inning. Both runners would score off a double by Courtney Hester. Hester was 2-for-2 on the night, also adding a single in the third.

Troy pushed the lead to five runs in the third as Carter led off with a single and Knotts, Freeman and Sanders were all walked.

Freeman and Spann each scored in the fifth and Long added one run in the sixth to cap off the scoring for Troy.

Long, Carter, Knotts, Freeman and Whitney Sanders all added hits for Troy.