Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
UAB
Herd Softball Falls 4-3 to UAB
3/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 19, 2010
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.- The Marshall University softball team (14-11, 0-4) fell in its Conference USA home-opener 4-3 to UAB (16-7, 2-2) on Friday at Dot Hicks Field.
"Losing another one-run ball game, we can look to a number of things throughout the game that made a difference," head coach Shonda Stanton said. "On the pitching side of things, our pitchers struck out 10. What hurt us were the two walks early."
The Thundering Herd led off with a solo run in the bottom of the first when Caitlyn Jackson scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Rebecca Gamby.
UAB answered back in the top of the second with a three-run home run from Natalie Mitchell to plate Catherine Douglass and Many Lowman, giving the Blazers a 3-1 advantage.
Marshall then fell behind 4-1 in the fourth after Douglass came home on a wild pitch. Douglass would finish the game 1-for-2 and two runs scored.
The Herd would then bring in Jackson to pitch for Katie Murphree (8-7), who left the game after 3.2 innings pitched and six strikeouts. Jackson closed the game with 3.1 innings under her belt and four strikeouts.
Alisha Smith (5-4) notched the win for the Blazers after going 5.2 innings in the circle and three strikeouts along the way.
MU would not back away as the Herd rallied two-out lightning in the sixth to register two runs. Gamby would bring around Jackson for a second time in the game, on a double to left field to close the gap at 4-2.
Gamby finished the game 1-for-2 with two RBI as Jackson chipped in going 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Jazmine Valle would then make it a 4-3 ballgame with a single to left that scored Gamby. UAB would then call up Lauren Webster to get the final out of the inning. Webster registered her second save of the year after 1.1 innings of work.
"Our pitch selection was horrible at the plate," said Stanton. "I was pleased that we continued to fight and got back in the game. It was a little too late and we needed to make those adjustments earlier. Tomorrow we have to come out and do the little things to be able to overcome a one-run game."
The Herd rally fell short as MU would eventually fall 4-3.
Marshall will finish the series as it hosts a doubleheader that is slated to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
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