Marshall University Athletics
Herd Softball Suffers First Conference Loss
3/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Herd Softball Suffers First Conference Loss
3/23/2003
- MU-UB 3
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.- Marshall never found its offensive rythmn in the final contest of a three game Mid-American Conference series with the University at Buffalo. The Herd could only manage four hits and fell to the Bulls, 3-0.
?We?ve been such an offensive threat and I was disappointed that we did not make any adjustments at the plate and couldn?t get anything going offensively,? head coach Shonda Stanton said. ?On the other side of the ball, we can?t be walking batters and giving runs to any team in this conference.?
Buffalo (7-10, 1-2) struck early scoring two runs off two hits and a pair of hit batsmen in the first inning. That would be all they needed as the Bulls? starting pitcher Stacey Evans went the distance scattering four hits. The Bulls used two walks and a single base hit to add an insurance run in the fifth.
Marshall?s normally powerful offensive lineup could not find the holes as they continued to put the ball in play, but came up empty. Numerous defensive lineup changes throughout the game showed the Herd?s versatility, but couldn?t solve its offensive woes.
De?Shaun Drake (Spring Valley, Calif.) was the lone bright spot for the Herd, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Amanda Williams (Powder Springs, Ga.) and Courtney Kacenga (Sierra Vista, Ariz.) had MU?s only other hits.
Sarah Chamberlain (Moses Lake, Wash.) fell to 3-5 on the mound as she suffered the loss for the Herd. Drake and Randi Nielson (Tucson, Ariz.) tossed three innings in relief and gave up only a single hit between them. Stacey Evans improved her record to 5-6 on the mound for the Bulls.
Marshall (21-9, 2-1) will continue MAC play as they head to Ypsilanti, Mich. on Wednesday, March 26th to take on Eastern Michigan University in a doubleheader at 2:00 p.m.
