Marshall University Athletics
Softball Advances to First-Ever MAC Championship Game
8/3/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 14, 2005
AKRON, Ohio - Riding on a four-hit complete game performance by senior Randi Nielson (Tucson, Ariz.), the top-seeded Marshall softball team dropped No. 2 Central Michigan, 6-2, to advance to the Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship Game on Saturday afternoon at Firestone Stadium.
Things couldn't have started any better for the Herd in the top of the first as Amanda Williams (Powder Springs, Ga.) drove the first pitch of the game deep over the centerfield fence for an early 1-0 MU lead.
The junior three-time First Team All-MAC selection would come up big again the following inning. After Dee Tourville (Rescue, Calif.) walked, Courtney Kacenga (Sierra Vista, Ariz.) singled and advanced on the throw to put runners on second and third. With a full count and two outs, A. Williams would follow with a two-RBI single a batter later to give Marshall the 3-0 lead. The lead led to a removal of yesterday's winning pitcher Jill DeRoche and the entrance of Jessica Garvin.
A pair of walks issued by Herd starter Randi Nielson (Tucson, Ariz.) and an Amy Hudson slow groundout gave CMU its first run of the day and a 3-1 score.
The Herd would double its run output in the fourth. An error by the Chippewa shortstop resulted in Tourville getting on first and a walk to Kacenga and a wild pitch gave the Herd two more in scoring position. Noelle Adams (Wheeling, W.Va.) scored Tourville on a fielder's choice before a Rachel Folden (Baldwin Park, Calif.) base hit scored two more.
With the score 6-1, CMU's Jacque Benedict scored on a solo home run to bring the lead to within four which is where it would stay as the Herd defeated the Chippewas for only the second time in program history.
In a rematch of yesterday's starters, Nielson came out on top, giving up only two runs on four hits for her 21st win of 2005. DeRoche took the loss for CMU.
The Herd will take on No. 3 Miami (Ohio) at 5 p.m. in the tournament finale. Marshall has defeated the RedHawks two out of three times this season. The game will be the last for MU as it moves to Conference USA next season.
