Marshall University Athletics
MAC East-Leading Softball Takes On Ohio
4/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MAC East-Leading Softball Takes On Ohio
4/15/2005
Junior Jessica Williams has started in all 37 games this year for the Herd. Photo by Matthew Kent Riley |
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Riding a one game lead in the Mid-American Conference East Division, the Marshall softball team squares off with cross-river rival Ohio on Saturday and Sunday in a three-game series at Dot Hicks Field.
Marshall (24-13, 9-2 MAC) took two of three in a pivotal East match-up at Miami (Ohio) last weekend. The Herd dropped the RedHawks 2-1 before falling on the same day, 3-2. It was Sunday that sent a buzz around the league, when Marshall trounced Miami, 9-0, in a five-inning Mercy Rule decision. MU swept the weekly conference awards for the second time this season as Randi Nielson (Tucson, Ariz.) and Amanda Williams (Powder Springs, Ga.) were named MAC East Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively. It was the sixth and seventh recognition for Marshall softball this season, a league-leading tally.
Nielson is tops in the league with 14 wins heading into this weekend?s play. The senior went 3-0 in three critical MAC contests en route to her second pitcher of the week nod. In her pair of wins against Miami (Ohio), the senior gave up only one earned run and six hits, including a one-hitter in game three against the RedHawks. On the week, the Tucson, Ariz., native, boasted a .36 ERA in 19 innings pitched, surrendering a mere one earned run and nine hits while walking eight. She is riding a six-game winning streak.
A two-time First-Team All-MAC honoree, A. Williams continues to make noise in the conference. The junior centerfielder has tallied a conference-high three player of the week awards this season and paces the MAC in runs (29) and doubles (12) while sitting at second in hits (47), tied with her clutch counterpart, Rachel Folden (Baldwin Park, Calif.). Folden, a freshman, is boasting a team-best .416 batting average and a MAC-best 33 RBI and 69 total bases. Folden's batting average is good enough for 28th in the country.
MU leads the MAC as a squad in batting average (.291), slugging percentage (.427), on base percentage (.350), runs (163), hits (277), RBI (149), home runs (25), total bases (407, stolen bases (69) and opposing batting average (.225).
Nationally, Marshall is 49th in slugging percentage, 33rd in doubles per game and 15th in swiped bags per contest.
Ohio (15-28, 2-9 MAC) took two of three in 2004 against MU in Athens. The Bobcats are led by Jenny Tisevich?s .342 batting average, 39 hits and 24 RBI. She is the lone Bobcat to sit above the .300 mark while the squad as a whole bats at a .244 average. OU?s pair of conference victories came against Kent State. Most recently, Ohio dropped two games against Cleveland State on Wednesday in non-conference action. In the circle, OU has utilized six different hurlers but have relied on the tandem of Zoe Heim and Michelle Sauter for the bulk of the season. Each pitcher has four wins in 2005, while Heim has a 3.19 ERA in comparison to Sauter?s 3.93.
The all-time series is deadlocked at 15 apiece. The doubleheader on Saturday begins at 1 p.m. while Sunday?s one game finale starts at 1 p.m. as well. Admission to Dot Hicks Field is free to the public.
