Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
East Carolina
Softball Knocks Off East Carolina and Kansas
2/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
GAINESVILLE, Fla.- In game one of the Florida Lipton Invitational the Marshall University softball team outlasted East Carolina 8-7 in extra innings and beat Big 12 foe Kansas, 7-3, in game two.
In game one, Marshall (6-0) sent a few balls packing as they flexed their muscles at the plate with four longballs en route to an 8-7, nine inning victory against the Pirates. Marshall used 14 players to secure the win and broke a Florida softball stadium record for most home runs scored in a single game, with four.
"With it being early in the season, a win is a win," said head coach Shonda Stanton. "I am extremely disappointed with how we could not put ECU away. I give ECU credit; they came back and did what they needed to do to make it a ball game."
ECU (1-4) recorded the first run of the game in the second as two batters reached on hit-by-pitch with two outs, before Percy Velasquez singled up the middle to plate Cristen Aona.
The Herd answered back with two-out lighting in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Jazmine Valle hit her first-career home run to bring home Bri Anna Hope, followed by Alianna Telles hitting her third homer of the season to put MU up 3-1.
The Herd wasn't finished hitting the longball as Melanie Stoehr tacked another run on the board in the bottom of the third with her first homer of the season to stretch the lead to 4-1. Stoehr would finish the game 3-for-4 at the plate, tallying one run scored and one RBI.
In the fourth, Samantha Spurlock singled to center to score pinch runner Ashley Gue from second base. Marcena Bertoldo added to the Herd's electrifying start, with a two-run shot over the left field fence to score Spurlock and extend the MU lead to 7-1.
Bertoldo would go 1-for-3 in the game with one run scored and three RBI.
"We had people step up huge," Stanton said. "Marcena is showing great senior leadership right now. I like what I am seeing out of her. In the bottom of innings people have had good quality at-bats as far as working the count, getting the walk and putting us in a position to get the game-winning run."
Faith Sutton was replaced by Marina Gusman-Brown, who left the circle after 3.2 innings of work and two strikeouts. Gusman-Brown would eventually leave the game in the fifth inning, after 1.1 innings pitched, to be replaced by Toni Paisley. Paisley (1-2) took the loss after 3.2 innings in the circle.
The Pirates notched a pair of runs in the fifth as Vanessa Moreno singled through the left side to bring home Kaui Tom and put the score at 7-2. With two outs posted and bases loaded, Christina Merrida came home on a Sissy Jimenez at-bat after Jimenez reached on a hit-by-pitch. Kai Clark closed the scoring gap to 7-5 after a two-RBI single up the middle that scored Gusman-Brown and Moreno.
Merrida would finish the game as the top ECU hitter, going 3-for-4 at the plate with one run scored.
"When we are up 7-1 we have to have better focus in sight to finish," said Stanton. "We had opportunities in regulation to make plays defensively and finish the game and we did not close it out."
Rachel Rillo relieved Caitlyn Jackson to get the final out of the fifth inning. Jackson left the circle with three strikeouts in 4.2 innings pitched. Rillo would come out in the sixth after 0.2 innings pitched. Katie Murphree (4-0) would pick up the decision for MU with three strikeouts in 3.2 innings.
The Herd faced another two-out bases loaded situation in the sixth when ECU mustered another run after Jimenez walked to push Charina Sumner home and lessen the Marshall advantage to 7-6.
ECU tied the game, 7-7, in the top of the seventh when Tom scored from second on a Marshall error. As the game went into the 8th inning, remaining play resumed with international tie-breaking rules.
Marshall would load the bases in the bottom of the ninth and would cap the game at 8-7 when Bertoldo walked to push Jessica Hughes past home plate.
In game two against Kansas (2-4), MU drew first blood on the scoreboard in the top of the second with a two-out rally. The Herd went up 3-0 when pinch runner Hughes scored on a wild pitch, followed by Valle scoring on a Melissa Loesing bunt. Loesing would then come home, unearned, on a Telles hit to the outfield which resulted in a Jayhawk fielding error.
"Offensively our team has done a good job scoring first in these early games," said Stanton. "I am proud of the all-around effort. Anytime you beat a Big 12 team it is a quality win."
Kansas would make a pitching change in the third inning as Allie Clark (1-2) replaced Alex Jones, who left after 2.0 innings pitched and two strikeouts. Clark would take the loss in 5.0 innings of work and three strikeouts.
The Herd brought the thunder in the fifth inning as they posted three runs with two outs on the board. With bases loaded, Valle plated pinch runner Taylor Thompson and Ashley Gue on a single through the right side. A Victoria Marvin single to the shortstop made it a 6-0 MU advantage as Spurlock scored on the play.
"It was also great to see our hitters put pressure on the defense with two outs and continue to score," Stanton said. "We did a good job making things happen by putting the ball in play and using our speed."
Valle went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI and one run scored.
KU broke the shutout in the bottom of the fifth after a Marshall error resulted in Rosie Hull scoring from second in an Alex Jones at-bat to put the game at 6-1. Murphree moves to a spotless 5-0 record on the season after going the distance in a six strikeout performance.
A Jessica Ferrick run on a Jayhawk error in the sixth stretched the MU lead to 7-1.
The Jayhawks wouldn't back down, as Brittany Hile homered to left field to plate Allie Clark and close the gap at 7-3. The comeback was stopped short by Marshall's defense as the Herd captured the win and it's second victory on the day.
The Herd will play next on Saturday at 10 a.m. when it faces the Campbell Camels followed by a 12:15 p.m. showdown against No. 3 Florida.
