Marshall University Athletics
Softball Splits Doubleheader with UNC-Greensboro
3/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Softball Splits Doubleheader with UNC-Greensboro
3/18/2003
Greensboro, N.Car.--For the second consecutive day, the Marshall University softball team split a doubleheader, this time against the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. The Thundering Herd took the first game 3-0 while the Spartans won the second contest 6-2. With the split, Marshall moves to 19-8 on the year. UNC-Greensboro moves to 17-4 on the season.
In the first game, Marshall coasted to a 3-0 victory behind the stellar pitching of Randi Nielson and a three run fifth inning.
After a scoreless first four innings, the Thundering Herd scored all the runs they would need after posting three runs on the board in the fifth.
Sierra Davenport opened the scoring by laying a perfect bunt down the third base line. The Spartans third baseman, trying to throw out Davenport at first, fired the ball into right field, allowing Courtney Kacenga to score. Amanda Williams added to the lead when her single scored Jessica Williams to give MU a 2-0 lead. The scoring ended when Sierra Davenport stole home when the Spartans attempted to throw out A. Williams stealing second.
The three runs were more than enough for Nielson as she pitched her ninth complete game, and fourth shutout, of the season. Nielson allowed only two hits in the game and did not allow a single Spartan runner to advance into scoring position.
The victory moved her record to 11-2 on the season and was her fourth shutout of the year.
A. Williams led the Thundering Herd attack in game one, going three for four with a RBI.
The Thundering Herd were aided in game one by four UNC-Greensboro errors.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Spartans used five unanswered runs to grab an early lead on Marshall and pull out a 6-3 victory.
Marshall grabbed the lead early in the second game, as A. Williams belted a home run to left-center field to give MU a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
However, the Spartans answered with a pair of runs in the first and second innings, and tallied a single run in the third, to grab a commanding 5-1 lead.
Christine Sweeny put the Spartans ahead in the first inning when she doubled to score two UNCG runners. Penny Thompson extended the lead in the second inning when she hit a two run blast over the right field wall to give UNCG a 4-1 lead.
After a single run by UNCG in the third, MU cut the lead to 5-2 when Sara Spenia hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Drake in the fourth inning.
However, UNCG managed to push the lead back to four in the bottom of the inning and Marshall managed only one run the rest of the way to fall to the Spartans 6-3.
The game was called in the sixth inning due to darkness.
MU pitcher Sarah Chamberlin allowed five runs and six hits in 2.1 innings of work to take the loss.
Amber Watson picked up the complete game victory in the second game, allowing three runs on five hits.
Marshall will return to action when they open conference play against the University at Buffalo with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, in Huntington, W.Va.
