ENTERPRISE — Troy knew what was at stake Tuesday: win and have a shot to play in the World Series, lose and the season comes to an abrupt halt.

Troy posted three runs in an inning on three separate occasions Tuesday to beat, and eliminate, Ashford 11-6 in the first game of the three-way tirebreaker in the Dixie Belles State Tournament in Enterprise.

“We hit the ball better today, and played much better defense,” said Troy head coach Larry Sanders. “We still had a little trouble on some double plays, but everything was better than it was yesterday. Monday was our worst game, and hopefully we have all the errors and mistakes our of our system.”

Troy led 4-1 early, but saw Ashford take advantage of three hits and three Troy errors to plate four runs and grab a 5-4 lead.

However, Troy went right back to work in the bottom of the inning. Rose Snyder picked up an RBI the hard way – by being hit by a pitch – scoring Kelsey Gibson to knot things up at 5. However, it wouldn’t stay tied for long.

Sydni Garrett followed Snyder’s hit-by-pitch with a double scoring Danielle Brown and Lexie Motes and giving Troy a lead it would never relinquish.

With the lead in hand, Troy tacked on a few insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Brown doubled in Gibson to start the scoring, and later in the inning Snyder brought home Brown with an RBI groundout. Garrett picked up third RBI of the day of the day with a single that scored Tucker Earles.

Garrett’s big day at the dish led Troy. She finished the afternoon going 2-for-2 with a double and three RBIs. Snyder and Brown each knocked in two runs for Troy, while Kate Warrick, Ashley Riley and Molly Kate Sanders each drove in one run.

With the win, Troy needs just one more to advance to the Dixie World Series in Poncatoula, La. Six members of the Belles team went to the Ponytails World Series in Alexandria, La. In 2013 and Sanders thinks his team has a shot to make another trip to bayou country.

“The girls know what it will take to win the state tournament,” Sanders said. “There are six girls that went last year and six new girls, but they are all excited.”

The title game is set for a 10 a.m. first pitch in Enterprise.