Marshall University Athletics
Softball Takes Two From Buffalo
3/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Softball Takes Two From Buffalo
3/25/2005
- Game One Box Score
- Game Two Box Score
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. ? Four home runs and two stellar pitching performances highlighted the Marshall softball team?s doubleheader sweep, 4-1 and 4-0, against Buffalo at Dot Hicks Field on Friday in Mid-American Conference.
Game One
Marshall 4, Buffalo 1
Marshall got its first win of the MAC season, 4-1, against Buffalo on Friday afternoon at Dot Hicks Field.
Marshall started off its offense right away in the first when Amanda Williams (Powder Springs, Ga.) singled to centerfield and her twin sister Jessica Williams (Powder Springs, Ga.) moved her to second via a sacrifice bunt. A fly ball to left field spelled trouble for UB as an error allotted Rachel Folden (Baldwin Park, Calif.) all the way to third and scored A. Williams for MU?s first run of the conference season.
In the second, Sara Spenia (Las Vegas, Nev.) singled to right field and Ashley Mitchell (Kennesaw, Ga.) moved her to second via another sacrifice bunt and reached third on the Bulls second error of the game. Dee Tourville (Rescue, Calif.) followed up with a RBI single to right, scoring Spenia, and moving the game to 2-0.
UB struck back in the third with a run of their own after Lauren Picciano scored off a Mary Russell RBI single.
A. Williams tallied her 39th career double in the fifth frame as the Herd still clung to a slim 2-1 lead.
That would all change, however, in the sixth. Folden picked up her first hit of the game and a pinch-running Courtney Kacenga (Sierra Vista, Ariz.) and Gina Guzzo (Virginia Beach, Va.) would score later off a Sam Rodriguez (Oakley, Calif.) double to make it a 4-1 game, which is how the contest would end.
Randi Nielson (Tucson, Ariz.) picked up the complete game win on the mound, allowing five hits and striking out four in seven innings of work. Stacey Evans took the loss for UB. A. Williams led the MU offense with two hits.
Game Two
Marshall 4, Buffalo 0
Marshall utilized four solo home runs and a solid pitching effort from Abigail Harter to take game two of the doubleheader, 4-0, at Dot Hicks Field on Friday afternoon.
A. Williams started off the home run festivities with a shot in the top of the first. The home run is her second of the year and represented her third hit of the day.
UB pitcher Sophie Barstad continued her struggles in the fourth when Leigh Wintter (Acworth, Ga.) jacked a home run over the left field fence and Guzzo followed up with one her own, this time off the brand new scoreboard in left, for a 3-0 Marshall lead.
Folden ended the Herd?s scoring run with the fourth solo shot of the game in the bottom of the sixth.
Harter threw a one-hitter to keep UB at bay. The sophomore struck out seven in the complete game shutout. Barstad took the loss for UB (4-19). Folden and Wintter each tallied two hits apiece to lead Marshall (16-11).
?It?s always good to get off to a good start in conference,? head coach Shonda Stanton said. ?We are very pleased with Randi and Abby?s performance today.?
The conclusion of the Marshall/Buffalo three-game series is set to begin at 1 p.m. tomorrow.
