Marshall University Athletics
No. 11 Tennessee Next Challenge for Softball
4/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
No. 11 Tennessee Next Challenge for Softball
4/26/2005
The Marshall softball team will likely get its chance at one of the greatest pitchers in the country when it treks to No. 11 Tennessee on Wednesday for a doubleheader against the Vols in Knoxville.
Marshall (30-15, 15-3 MAC) swept Ball State on Monday, 2-1 and 7-4, in Mid-American Conference action in Muncie. Herd freshman Rachel Folden (Baldwin Park, Calif.) is on an absolute tear as of late. The catcher has four home runs in her last five games and is now batting at a .434 average. Folden, who was named MAC East Player of the Week for the second time this season on Monday, put together one of the finest Marshall performances in recent memory in game two against the Cardinals when she went 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a home run en route to five RBI. On the mound, MU senior ace Randi Nielson (Tucson, Ariz.) continues to build on her growing legacy. The four-year starter is 16-6 this season with a 2.17 ERA.
Ranked No. 11 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, Tennessee (48-11, 14-8 SEC) dropped two of three to Southeastern Conference-leading Georgia last weekend. The Vols are led by the nation?s winningest pitcher, Monica Abbott. Abbott is tops in wins with 34 while boasting a .65 ERA with 437 strikeouts and 19 shutouts. Sarah Fetke leads UT with a .500 batting average while the Vols as a team are fourth in Division I with a .335 mark. Quite possibly most impressive is the batting average that UT holds its opponent to, as opposing batters are hitting a bitter .145. Tennessee is also the top defensive squad in the country according to fielding percentage and the fourth in ERA with a .82. MU trails the all-time series 1-2.
The match-up was scheduled earlier for Feb. 23 before inclement weather pushed the date back.
The doubleheader in Knoxville begins at 2 p.m. on Tennessee Field at Tyson Park.
