Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Tennessee State
Tennessee State's Late Rally Beats Marshall, 9-8
2/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 22, 2009
ATHENS, Ga. - The Marshall University softball team got out to an early lead but Tennessee State battled back and took an 9-8 win in the eighth inning Sunday at the Georgia Softball Classic.
The Thundering Herd (7-6) was up as many as five runs but the Tigers (6-1) tied the game after six and won in the first extra inning.
"This was a classic case of not putting a team away," head coach Shonda Stanton said. "It's completely unacceptable and we have to do better at that in the future."
Freshman Alianna Telles (Sylmar, Calif.) started the inning reaching on a throwing error by the shortstop and stole second. Senior Joscelyn Bitner (Virginia Beach, Va.) then grounded out moving Telles to third.
Sophomore Melanie Stoehr (Tacoma, Wash.) pushed across the game's first run with a single to right field giving Marshall a 1-0 lead.
In the circle, senior Autumn Mitchell (Shady Spring, W.Va.) started the contest strong but sitting down the first three with two strikeouts after one inning.
The Herd added to its lead in the second with a three run and three hit inning. Senior Kelly Nielson (Tucson, Ariz.) singled on the first pitch from Tennessee State's Kelly Troglin.
Freshman Melissa Loesing (Grapevine, Texas) entered the game to pinch run for Nielson. Junior Marcena Bertoldo (Beaumont, Calif.) ripped a shot to second singling and placing Loesing on third.
With runners on the corners, freshman Rebecca Gamby (Mount Victory, Ohio) pinch hit for sophomore Jessica Hughes (Stillwater, Okla.). The switch paid off as Gamby doubled to center earning herself two RBIs.
The Tigers pulled Troglin after just one inning pitched giving up four hits and three earned runs as Megan Hedrick entered the game in relief.
With its back against the wall, Tennessee State responded in the bottom half of the second leading off with a Brittany Webb double to left field. Kristin Powell pinch ran for Webb and moved to third on a wild pitch by Mitchell.
Marshall was able to retire the next two batters with a ground out and a strike out but Royesha Goodman lined a shot to third that ricocheted off the bag staying in play and scoring Powell.
Senior Rachel Schmidt (Alliance, Ohio) doubled to left center and Nielson had an encore with her own double scoring Schmidt. Bertoldo reached on a throwing error allowing Nielson to come home extending the lead to 6-1 in the middle of three. Not to be outdone, the Tigers answered back with a three run inning to bring the lead back to two runs. Perkins singled to third and Bridget Metzger singled to center placing runners on second and third during the throw.
Stoehr attempted to pick off Perkins at third but the ball rolled into the outfield allowing the run to cross. Webb then popped up to Stoehr who was falling into the dug got. Since the ball entered the dugout the base runner on third score. The rally finished up with a Caitlin Eaton home run that cleared the right field wall.
Marshall plated a seventh run in the fourth as Telles walked and stole her second base of the day and advanced on another Bitner ground out to third. Jackson then was walked and stole a base herself. Telles scored when Jalisa Bradley tried to pick her off and the ball sailed into the outfield.
The three run lead would be given up in the sixth inning as the Tigers rallied to tie the game at seven. Webb, Eaton and Melanie Cruz started off with back-to-back-to-back singles loading the bases with no one out.
Goodman followed up with a fourth single scoring Webb. Nichole Vincent then singled to center scoring Cruz and Eaton tying the game. Mitchell was then pulled for junior Virginia Campbell (Barboursville, W.Va.). Mitchell went five innings with all runs earned striking out 10 batters. Campbell and the Herd managed to get out of the inning.
Sophomore Rachel Rillo (Oxnard, Calif.) entered the game in the bottom half of the seventh surrendering nothing and putting the game into extra innings. Per tournament rules, the eighth starts out with the International Tiebreaker as a runner is placed on second to start each inning.
Marshall's Telles started out on second as she was the last batter to get out from the previous inning. She took third on a wild pitch and scored when Stoehr singled to left.
The Tigers answered in the bottom as Goodman doubled to the outfield scoring Cruz. Rillo was replaced by junior Katie Murphree (Tallahassee, Fla.). Eventually, Tennessee State loaded the bases and the game winning run would be walked in with Rillo taking the loss.
Seven different Herd players finished with a hit while Stoehr and Nielson both finished with two apiece and one RBI each while Gamby lead the team with two RBIs.
Marshall will take one more trip before opening up home play as they compete in the Tennessee Softball Classic in Knoxville, Tenn. The first game against Bowling Green is set for a 1:00 p.m. EST start Saturday Feb. 28.
