Marshall University Athletics
Softball Splits in Second Day of Marshall Spring Classic
3/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Softball Splits in Second Day of Marshall Spring Classic
3/16/2002
Huntington, W.Va.- The Marshall University softball team split a pair of games in the second round of the Marshall University Spring Classic presented by Hampton Inn today. Marshall (7-11) defeated Oakland University in the first game of the day 4-3, after a four hour rain delay. The Herd then dropped the second contest to the University of Dayton, 5-3.
?I was excited at how we came out ready to play after the long delay,? head coach Shonda Stanton said. ?I?ve been so pleased with this group of young ladies and how they?ve given us everything they have.?
The Herd played the role of the visiting team in the tournament format against Oakland and jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Kelli Hall (Huntington, W.Va.) singled to score Vanessa Clarkson (Moreno Valley, Calif.). The Grizzlies? Jessica Burns laid down a bunt single and later came in to score on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at one in the bottom of the third.
The game remained deadlocked until the seventh when Marshall scored three runs on three hits and capitalized on two Oakland errors. The Grizzlies would not go away as they came back to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but fell short, as the Herd came away with the win 4-3.
In the second contest Marshall found themselves down 1-0 to Dayton in the fourth, before Karri Britt (Huntington, W.Va.) doubled to score Carrie Dean (Paradise, Calif.). The Flyers went ahead for a short time in the top of the fifth, but the Herd answered with two runs of their own. Clarkson laced an RBI single and another Marshall run scored on a fielders choice. Dayton, however had the last laugh as they scored three in the bottom of the sixth and held the Herd to take the victory, 5-3.
?We just didn?t have the level of intensity we needed in this game,? Stanton said.
Play will continue tomorrow in the third and final day of the Marshall University Spring Classic presented by Hampton Inn. Marshall is scheduled to play at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to wrap up the tournament.
