Marshall University Athletics
Softball Slays Golden Knights
2/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Softball Slays Golden Knights
2/7/2004
- Box Score
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. ? Junior Randi Nielson (Tucson, Ariz.) fanned 11 batters as the Marshall University softball team edged Central Florida, 2-1, at Treaty Park on Saturday afternoon.
Nielson, after retiring three batters in the first inning to strikeouts, found herself in a bit of trouble early in the second when UCF?s Rachelle Schmidt?s double with two outs sent a runner headed for home only to be beat by a rocket from shortstop Jessica Williams (Powder Springs, Ga.) to keep the contest deadlocked at zero.
A pitching dual ensued, when 13 strikeouts, eight by Nielson and five by UCF?s Lindsay Enders, occurred prior to any offensive production by either squad.
UCF (5-1), however, would change that when a single, a fielder?s choice and a walk loaded the bases for the Golden Knights in the bottom of the fifth, bringing up 2003 Atlantic Sun Player of the Year Stephanie Best. Best, who batted .407 a year ago with 18 homeruns, caused the MU outfield to retreat to the fences.
Two pitches later, Best dropped a fly ball in front of a diving Sierra Davenport (Tucson, Ariz.), scoring a UCF pinch runner and giving the Knights a 1-0 lead. With bases loaded again, the Herd made two strong defensive stops, one by third baseman Leigh Wintter (Acworth, Ga.) and another by Davenport to put the Herd into the sixth.
MU (2-1) broke their silence in the sixth inning when Wintter got her second hit of the game, launching an Enders pitch over the centerfield fence to tie the game at 1-1.
UCF would loom again in the bottom of the inning after a single, a passed ball and a walk would put Golden Knights at the corners with two outs, but Nielson came up big again when her ninth strike out of the game put MU at bat going into the decisive seventh.
Lauren Scott (Hillard, Ohio) sent a two-out single to right field and after fouling off seven,Ashley Mitchell (Kennesaw, Ga.) drove a ground ball through the legs of Enders to keep MU alive and bring up the top of the lineup.
A bobble by the UCF second baseman sent J. Williams to first and brought Scott home to give the Herd its second run of the game and put runners on first and third for MU. A pick-off play at home gave the Golden Knights a much needed out and would pin Nielson against the meat of the UCF lineup in the bottom of the seventh.
After another stellar grab by Wintter for the first out, Nielson turned on the heat again, when her tenth and eleventh strikeouts put the junior hurler to double digits on the night and dealt the Golden Knights their first loss of the season.
Wintter went 2-2 with a run and a RBI for Marshall, while the Herd defense put together another spotless effort with no errors.
The Herd will now take on Bethune-Cookman in its tourney nightcap. The game is set to kickoff at 5:15 p.m. Davenport will get the start on the mound while MU will look for their third win of the season and seal up a one, two or three seed in the Triple Crown Classic championship bracket on Sunday.
Stay tuned for all updates on MU softball in the Sunshine State by logging on at www.herdzone.com.
