Marshall University Athletics
Softball Falls in MAC Championship
5/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Softball Falls in MAC Championship
5/15/2005
- Box Score
AKRON, Ohio ? In its first and last Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship Game, the Marshall softball team came up short, falling to Miami (Ohio), 5-2, on Sunday afternoon at Firestone Stadium.
Halle Popson singled to start off Miami, the number three seed in the tournament, in the first. A Jackie Poggendorf fielder?s choice caught Popson at first for an out before a Jessica Williams (Powder Springs, Ga.) error put another RedHawk runner on. With runners on first and second, Kristen Hays followed with an RBI-single up the middle to give Miami the 1-0 lead. Herd starter Abigail Harter (Monmouth, Ore.) intentionally walked Breanna Robinson to load the bases and snagged an out at home a batter later.
Leslie Macedo singled through the middle the next at bat to score one and despite a spectacular play at home with a throw coming in from Amanda Williams (Powder Springs, Ga.) in center to Rachel Folden (Baldwin Park, Calif.) at catcher, another runner crossed the plate, providing Marshall with an early three-run deficit.
After only hitting three home runs all season, A. Williams registered her second home run of the tournament in the bottom of the third to edge Miami?s lead to two.
Poggendorf hit a high chopper up the middle and a rushed Harter overthrew first base to advance her to second. Robinson lined another ball at Harter the next at bat to put two on for the RedHawks. The Herd then went to its ace, senior Randi Nielson (Tucson, Ariz.). Harter hurled five and a 1/3 innings, giving up six hits and four runs. Nielson forced a groundout to get MU out of the frame down by three.
The RedHawks, however, would strike again the very next inning. Macedo singled down the third base line and moved to second after a sacrifice bunt. After a groundout to Dee Tourville (Rescue, Calif.) at second moved the runner to third, Popson sliced a ball past Leigh Wintter (Acworth, Ga.) giving the Herd its third error of the game and Miami a 5-1 lead.
Sam Rodriguez (Oakley, Calif.) recorded the Herd?s second score of the game when she went deep off of Miami reliever Courtney Salmon in the bottom of the seventh as the Herd attempted a comeback. Courtney Kacenga (Sierra Vista, Ariz.) doubled off the centerfield fence, but Salmon was able to put away the top-seeded Herd a batter later.
Three errors doomed the Herd as it was out-hit by the RedHawks 7-4. The win for Miami avenges a 9-0 loss at the hands of Marshall earlier this season.
Poggendorf pitched five innings, surrendering only one run on two hits, to grab the win for the RedHawks. Harter, who is only a sophomore, ends her season at 14-10 and looks to be the heir apparent next season for a departed-Nielson. The Herd?s lone senior leaves Marshall as the second-winningest pitcher in program history.
Sara Spenia (Las Vegas, Nev.), Folden and A. Williams were all named to the all-tournament team. Poggendorf was awarded the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
"We did not play our best ball today," Head Coach Shonda Stanton said. "But it doesn't take away from what we have done this season. We have championship-caliber girls."
Unless Marshall lands an at-large bid to the NCAA Regionals, which will be announced on ESPN News between 7:30 and 8 p.m. tonight, the Herd will conclude its season at 38-20. The MAC Regular Season Champions will exit the league next year to embark on a new era in Conference USA in 2006.