Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
UAB
Thundering Herd and Blazers Divide Doubleheader Saturday
4/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 18, 2009
Box Score Game One Box Score Game Two
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Marshall University softball team split its Saturday doubleheader against UAB falling in game one and taking game two at George Wade Park in Birmingham, Ala.
The Thundering Herd (24-14, 9-5) lost game one by a final of 4-0 against the Blazers (13-28, 5-15) before coming out strong in game two picking up a win, 7-1.
"Today's first game can be summed up in a walk, hit batter and two errors and then on the offensive side of things not making the adjustments we needed to make," head coach Shonda Stanton. "As a team that's batting .300 there's no reason we should get shut out. Then you look at game two we were able to play our strengths: we got on base and stole some bases and that's the type of team we are.
"I'll take the split but we missed an opportunity in the hunt for the regular season title and the girls need to know what we're playing for and know we missed a chance today. We have to come out tomorrow and get back some of that momentum."
The rubber game will be played Sunday and is slated for a 2 p.m. EST start. Gametracker will be available for the contest.
GAME ONE
UAB jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third starting with Natalie Mitchell being hit by a pitch and Martina Landrum walking for the second time in as many of at-bats. The bases would become loaded with one out as Caley Walden had a bunt single down the third base line.
During Catherine's Douglas's at-bat, freshman catcher Rebecca Gamby (Mount Victory, Ohio) attempted to throw out Mitchell at third hitting her causing the ball to spin around the infield allowing her to score and Ladrum to move to third.
Following a strikeout from senior Autumn Mitchell (Shady Spring, W.Va.), Amanda Allen reached on a fielding error by Mitchell scoring Landrum but Waldren would be caught going to third on the play being thrown out.
In the sixth, the Blazers expanded its lead with a two run shot from Laura Callaway. Before the home run Amanda Allen doubled to left center followed by the home run that went to dead center to give the team a 4-0 edge and the victory.
Mitchell struck out Many Lowman for the second out of the sixth to record her 200th strikeout as a member of the Herd. In the contest, she struck out eight batters with four hits and two earned runs.
GAME TWO
The Herd jumped out early in the top half of the second stanza plating two runs starting with a single to right by Gamby. Freshman Melissa Loesing (Grapevine, Texas) entered at first to run for Gamby.
Loesing stole second before junior Marcena Bertoldo (Beaumont, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to tie the school career record of 35. Bertoldo went on to steal second putting runners on second and third with no outs.
Senior Rachael Sofie (Everett, Wash.) grounded out to second but because of a heads up play by Loesing, who came home on the throw scored on a throwing error by Lindsey Croft. Bertoldo came around to score on the next at-bat as senior Kelly Nielson (Tucson, Ariz.) laid a sacrifice bunt down the third base line.
UAB wasted no time responding cutting the lead in half with a solo shot from Callaway, who hit a home run in game one, putting the game at 2-1 after two innings.
In the top half of the sixth, Marshall pushed its lead out to four runs as junior Caitlyn Jackson (Ontario, Calif.) and sophomore Melanie Stoehr (Tacoma, Wash.) hit back-to-back doubles as Stoehr picked up the RBI.
Senior Rachel Schmidt (Alliance, Ohio) who entered the game for Gamby at first, walked causing the Blazers to remove Croft for Sara Swepston to come into the game to pitch. Bertoldo then moved the runners with a sacrifice bunt.
Stoehr came home to score on Sofie's at-bat as a wild pitch went to the back stop and moved Schmidt to third. Schmidt scored as Sofie singled up the middle putting the game at 5-1.
The Herd added two more runs in the seventh as freshman Alianna Telles (Sylmar, Calif.) singled and stole second which was followed up by an infield single by senior Joscelyn Bitner (Virginia Beach, Va.). Telles stole base marked the 100th of the season for Marshall.
On a steal attempt by Bitner, Telles leaned off third causing Mitchell to throw the ball into the dugout allowing Telles to come home and move Bitner to third. Bitner came home on a single by Stoehr and leading the game 7-1.
To end the game, junior Katie Murphree (Tallahassee, Fla.) struck out two batters to pick up her ninth win and eighth complete game. She finished up with seven strikeouts on the day and allowed one run on three hits.
