Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Campbell
Herd Softball Tops Campbell; Falls to No. 3 Florida
2/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 20, 2010
GAINESVILLE, Fla.- The Marshall University softball team moves to 7-1 overall after finishing Saturday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium with a 5-3 win over Campbell and an 8-0, five-inning defeat at the hands of No. 3 Florida.
Saturday's first game against Campbell (1-5-1) moved the Herd to 7-0 after a 5-3 win against the Camels. CU tallied two runs in the opening frame to jumpstart the game. Katie Hinton scored in a Cassie Webb at-bat on a Marshall error, followed by Amanda Miller singling to center field to plate Lauren Stephan and put CU ahead 2-0. Both runs went unearned.
MU closed the gap in the second when pinch runner Taylor Thompson stole second and third to get in scoring position. Ashley Gue brought her home on a sacrifice bunt to pull the Herd within reach at 2-1.
"Taylor did a great job coming off the bench and using her speed to put us on the board," said head coach Shonda Stanton. "She made an excellent read on Gue's bunt to score on the throw."
Thompson finished the game with two stolen bases - her second time to accomplish the feat this season; with the last single-game pair coming against Kansas.
CU would fight back in the third bringing home a run on a Marshall error to extend the Camel lead to 3-1.
"After a defensive miscue, Jessica Hughes made a great over-the-shoulder catch," said Stanton. "That kept us in the ball game and gave us the chance to win."
Rachel Rillo would come out of the circle in the third inning, and be relieved by Caitlyn Jackson. Rillo left the game after 2.0 innings of work and two strikeouts. Katie Murphree would later replace Jackson in the seventh inning, as Jackson would take the win in the four-strikeout performance and move to 2-0 on the season. Murphree's appearance is her first save of the season.
The Herd capitalized the bases in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead. With bases loaded, a Victoria Marvin reach on hit-by-pitch would push Melanie Stoehr across the plate. Samantha Spurlock would score in the next at-bat on a wild pitch to tie the game at 3-3.
MU runners would advance around the bases again, with Gue scoring on a wild pitch. Melissa Loesing then scored what would be the final run of the game in an Alianna Telles at-bat, to cap the score at 5-3. Loesing's run went unearned.
Gue finished the game 1-for-2 with one run scored and one RBI.
Brittany Arnn came in to pitch for Christina Melton (1-2) in the fourth. Melton would take the loss after 3.0 innings of work and two strikeouts. Arnn finished the game with 3.0 innings pitched.
Game two featured a matchup against No. 3 Florida (7-1), which saw the Herd take its first loss of the season to move to 7-1 overall.
The Gators put up two runs in the first when Brittany Schutte tripled to left field to plate Aja Paculba. Schutte would score in the next at-bat on a Francesca Enea double to center.
Michelle Moultrie stretched the UF lead to 3-0 in the fourth with a solo home run to center.
"Our inability to bunt hurt us from staying in the game early," said Stanton. "The unfortunate thing is that we had two runners on and Melanie did a nice job and her hit was a foot away from tying the ball game in the top of the fifth. Their center fielder went back and made a good catch at the wall."
The Gators wouldn't back down as they tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the fifth to mercy rule MU 8-0. Schutte doubled down the right field line to plate Paculba followed by an Enea homer to center to score Schutte and put the game at 6-0.
Enea would go 2-for-3 with one run scored and three RBI.
Jackson then came in relief for the Herd, as Murphree left the game with four strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work. Murphree is now 5-1 this season. Jackson would close the game for MU in 0.2 innings pitched.
Kelsey Bruder homered to right center to allow UF to hit through the lineup. Paculba followed with a single to left field to plate Lauren Heil and force the 8-0 mercy rule.
"A team like Florida comes out and swings and puts you away," said Stanton. "We had our opportunities early and we failed to execute. That hurt us."
Jackson finished the game as the top MU hitter, going 2-for-3 in the box.
Marshall will play its final game over the weekend on Sunday at 10 a.m., when the Thundering Herd faces Kansas.
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