Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Ohio
Softball Sweeps Ohio
4/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 13, 2010
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University softball team (20-22) swept the Ohio Bobcats (9-24) with a pair of wins at Dot Hicks Field on Tuesday. MU beat the Bobcats 4-1 in game one and would rally for a 7-6 victory in the second game later in the afternoon.
"It feels good to take two today," said head coach Shonda Stanton. "Our slappers stepped up huge. I am very pleased with them putting the ball in play. That is one of the components that we have been missing."
The Thundering Herd lit up the scoreboard in game one during the second inning with a bolt of lightning from the bat of Melanie Stoehr as the junior hammered her fourth home run of the year to right field.
MU would stretch its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third after an RBI single through the left side from Marcena Bertoldo plated Alianna Telles. Caitlyn Jackson would later score on a Bobcat wild pitch - both runs in the inning went unearned.
Jazmine Valle joined in on the hitting spree with a single through the left side in the fifth to score Jackson from second base and give the Herd a 4-0 cushion.
Katie Murphree worked five complete innings of shutout ball before the Bobcats recorded its sole run of the game in the top of the sixth as Shalene Petrich scored in a Sara Clark at-bat.
Murphree improved her record to 12-12 with the win and finished the contest with five strikeouts. Caitlin Colvin (1-5) took the loss for OU after 5.0 innings pitched. Melissa Bonner closed the final 1.0 innings for the Bobcats and recorded three strikeouts.
Game two started with the Bobcats opening on a four-run start in the first frame. One run would come in on a Deanna Hartsough sacrifice hit, then one batter later Candace Saucedo would make it a 4-0 ball game with a three-RBI long ball to left center. OU would then stretch its lead to 5-0 with a solo run in the second from Bonner.
With rally hats on in the bottom of the frame, the Herd would answer with a three run, four hit inning. A single through the right side from Stoehr would score Telles to put the Herd on the board at 5-1.
Taylor Thompson would follow with a scorched triple down the left field line to bring home Stoehr from first.
"I am really pleased after taking game one, how we battled back in game two," Stanton said. "With this group it would have been easy to be content with the split. The difference for us in the second game was our slappers. They put the ball in play in key situations and we were able to utilize their speed to advance runners in scoring position."
In its third consecutive hit, Melissa Loesing singled through the left side to plate Thompson as the Herd battled within reach at 5-3.
MU would tie it up at 5-5 in the third with an unearned run from Ashley Gue and a second unearned run from Telles off a RBI-single from Stoehr.
Stoehr would finish the game 2-for-3 at the dish, with two RBI and one run scored.
The Bobcats would then battle to take a 6-5 lead in the fourth after Clark homered to right field.
Valle would knot it up at 6-6 in the fifth with her sixth home run of the year with a jab down the left field line.
Marshall turned the score in its favor in the bottom of the sixth to take the eventual 7-6 win after Thompson scored in a Bertoldo at-bat.
Thompson finished the game 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored. Jessica Hughes also put up a 2-for-3 showing at the plate while Telles finished 1-for-3 with two runs scored.
In the circle for MU, Jackson gave a solid showing with four strikeouts in 3.0 innings pitched. In relief, Murphree would have six victims fall to the strikeout in 4.0 innings worked, as the senior edged her record to 13-12 with the win.
"We had solid pitching and made plays behind them on the mound," said Stanton. "Overall it is a great start to our non-conference tune-up. This is when we need to pick up our momentum to travel into Hattiesburg next weekend."
Saucedo would throw 3.0 innings in the circle for OU but would come out for reliever Bonner (4-7), who took the loss after 3.0 innings pitched.
Marshall softball returns to Dot Hicks Field for a doubleheader Wednesday against Wright State. First pitched is slated for 2 p.m.
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