Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Tulsa
Tulsa Takes Two from Softball 9-1 (5); 2-1
3/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 12, 2011
TULSA, Okla.- Opening weekend of Conference USA action saw the Marshall University softball team drop a pair of games to Tulsa, 9-1 in five and 2-1 in game two during Saturday's doubleheader at the Hardesty Complex.
Tulsa moves to 16-7 and 2-0 in Conference USA after the pair of wins.
Game One
The Thundering Herd (10-12, 0-2 C-USA) was put in a six-run deficit in the early goings of the first stanza as a pair of sacrifice flies brought home two, followed by a single to center from Shelby Blanton plating Skylar Swanson. Cassidy Bowen followed in the next at-bat for a three-run homer to center to give the Golden Hurricane a 6-0 lead.
Marshall then called up Rachel Rillo in relief of Natalee Pulver, who drops to 3-5 with the loss. Erika Bennett logged an inning after relieving Rillo in the fourth - who saw the most time in the circle with 2.1 innings of work.
Melanie Stoehr chalked up run for the Herd in the top of the second with her third long ball this season, 17th of her career, to break up the shutout for a 6-1 score heading into the bottom of the second.
The board remained unscathed through the next two innings before Tulsa tallied an additional three runs on as many hits and two MU errors to edge a 9-1 advantage in the bottom of the fourth. The Herd was unable to rally back, eventually falling 9-1 in five innings.
Aimee Creger threw a solid five innings for TU, improving to 8-1 on the year after fanning 11 Marshall batters in the appearance.
Game Two
A pitching duel of a scoreless five complete frames started the second game of the twin-bill, as Andi Williamson (5-6) went head-to-head against TU's Jordan Kinard (3-4).
Williamson and the Herd defense held strong with a double play highlighting the first inning. On the offensive side, Jessica Hughes notched two stolen bases after getting on via a bunt in the third.
Alianna Telles broke the shutout when she roped a triple to the right field pocket to tally her second on the year, fifth in her career to tie for fifth-most in Marshall's history for the category. She then scored one batter later on a Hurricane wild pitch, giving the Herd a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.
The Herd turned another double play, 5-3, in the sixth, killing the Hurricane's threat of scoring with runners in scoring position. The double play is the team's fifth this season but would not be enough to retire the inning as a bases loaded walk scored one followed by another coming home on a wild pitch, giving Tulsa a 2-1 lead.
Williamson struck out one batter after 5.2 innings of work in the loss as Pulver came in to log the final out of the sixth. Kinard took the win after going the distance and striking out five.
Marshall softball will close the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. (EST), fans are reminded that daylight savings is in effect at 2 a.m. (EST) on Sunday.
