Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Valparaiso
Softball Splits With Valparaiso
3/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 9, 2010
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.- Katie Murphree struck out eight Valparaiso batters to help propel the Marshall University softball team (14-7) to a 8-0, five inning shutout in game one on Tuesday afternoon. The Herd would then fall 6-4 to the Crusaders (13-5) in the second game at Dot Hicks Field.
"It is great how we came out in game one and got the run rule," head coach Shonda Stanton said. "I am excited for this team. We finished our preseason part of the season and I am pleased with where we are and what we have learned about our program."
Game one saw a Marshall squad that thundered two runs in the first, as Rebecca Gamby pushed Caitlyn Jackson across the plate on a squirrelly double to left. Gamby would then advance to third on a Valparaiso error. Jessica Hughes would make it a 2-0 MU lead with a single to the shortstop that allowed Gamby to score.
The Thundering Herd would manufacture three runs in the fourth to hold a 5-0 cushion heading into the stretch. With bases loaded and no outs, Marcena Bertoldo would come home, unearned, on a Jackson reach on balls.
The Crusaders would then bring in Shaleigh Jansen in for relief for Alex Lagesse (5-2) - who would leave the game after 3.0 innings and take the eventual loss. Jansen would finish the game with four strikeouts in 1.0 innings of work.
With two outs and bases still loaded, Alianna Telles and Melissa Loesing would both score, unearned, in an Alysia Hively at-bat that saw Hively strike out and reach first on a passed ball. In the fourth, the Herd had nine batters see the box, with two reaching on third-strike passed balls and three reaching on walks.
Marshall would continue the offensive tear when it tacked on the final three runs in the fifth to seal the 8-0 mercy rule.
Telles singled to right field, plating Bertoldo, and would score unearned, alongside Loesing, after a VU error. Loesing finished the game 2-for-2 with two runs scored.
Murphree went the distance for her second shutout of the season, striking out eight batters along the way while allowing just one VU hit.
Valparaiso would fight back in game two, to take a late rally 6-4 win to split Tuesday's doubleheader.
The Herd put an impressive four runs on the board in the second, with the first coming off a Jazmine Valle sacrifice fly that brought home Samantha Spurlock. Telles stretched the lead to 3-0 on a double to right that pushed around Bertoldo and Victoria Marvin. Telles would then score on an RBI single to center field from Jackson to put MU up 4-0.
"The difficult thing to accept is that after you mercy a team and then put up four runs in the second inning that you do not score any more the rest of the game," said Stanton. "We did not attack enough offensively. Slow bats mean weak ground balls and lazy liners. That is what we saw."
VU would answer back with two runs of its own in the top of the third when Jordan Rutkowski doubled to right center to score Sara Strickland and Jennifer Hermanson.
The Crusaders would then take a 5-4 lead in the fourth after Kelsey Phalen led off with a homer to right center, followed by Tori Brown home run that plated Lisa DeBruzzi three batters later.
Valparaiso wasn't done as it tallied its sixth run of the game in the fifth when Rutkowski hit a sacrifice fly that had Telles scaling the left field fence only to see Strickland score, unearned, and give the Crusaders a 6-4 lead.
Marshall was unable to mount a comeback and Jackson (3-3) would garner the loss for the Herd after 3.1 innings of work and five strikeouts. Rachel Rillo would close the game with 3.2 innings in the circle and five strikeouts of her own.
"Heading into this weekend we are going to see a similar style of pitching," Stanton said. "Conference is going to be a battle every day. UTEP is hot right now and is definitely swinging it. I am excited about the matchup; we have two great teams that are going to be fighting it out in El Paso."
Marshall softball will open its Conference USA schedule on Saturday in a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. (EST) at UTEP. The Herd will then play at 2 p.m. (EST) on Sunday.
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