Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Softball Controls WV State in Fall Opener
9/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Sept. 25, 2011
Huntington, W.Va. - The Marshall softball team opened up its fall schedule with a healthy start by defeating West Virginia State twice in the Sunday double-header. In game one The Herd handed the Yellow Jackets a 14-3 defeat behind Erika Bennett's (Hereford, Ariz./Miami Dade College) five-inning, six hit pitching performance. Game two ended in a 5-0 victory for MU, showcasing Jessica Ferrick's (Centreville, Va./Centreville HS) seven-inning shutout.
The Yellow Jackets opened up game one immediately in the first inning, posting three runs. Bennett gave up two singles, followed by a triple to WV State's Mallory Hilton, who scored on a throwing error. MU struck back in the bottom half of the inning, tallying two runs of their own. Taylor Thompson (Graham, Wash./Graham Kapowsin HS) singled to start the run and continued Marshall's love for base running by stealing second. Jazmine Valle (Lake Elsinore, Calif./Temescal Canyon HS) drove in the first Marshall RBI on a hit towards the Yellow Jacket shortstop. Valle would later score on the second error of the inning.
The game continued with several scoreless innings until the fourth inning when Marshall posted two more runs. Jazmine Valle and Jessica Hughes (Stillwater, Oklahoma/Stillwater HS) led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Kristina Braxton (Woodbridge, Va./Hylton HS) drove in a run with a ground-rule double, followed by a RBI groundout by Amanda Lara (Homestead, Fla./Miami Dade College).
MU poured on six additional runs in the fifth inning with runs-batted-in by Rebecca Gamby's (Mount Victory, Ohio/Upper Sandusky HS), Alysia Hively (Clay, W.Va./Clay County HS), Samantha Spurlock (Huntington, W.Va./Huntington HS), and Taylor Thompson, alongside a wild pitch by Yellow Jacket pitcher.
Due to the structure of fall games, The Herd finished off game one by scoring four additional runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Marshall finished the game with 14 runs on 13 hits and one error. Alysia Hively led the squad with four RBI's by going 2-for-5 at the plate. Kaelynn Green (Eastvale, Calif./Eleanore Roosevelt) also recorded two RBI's and tallied two hits in four plate appearances.
The Herd opened up game two with a run in the first inning as Kaelynn Greene drove a single to the outfield and advanced on an error to second. Rebecca Gamby then hit a sac fly two batters later to drive home game two's first RBI.
MU tacked on three more runs in the third when Melissa Loesing (Grapevine, Texas/Sunrise Mountain HS) led off the inning with a bunt single. Loesing stole second, then stole third while Kaelynn Greene, who walked, stole second. Alianna Telles (Sylmar, Calif./Sylmar HS) hit a sac fly to left field, scoring Loesing and advancing Greene. Rebecca Gamby delivered again with a double to right center scoring Greene from third. Marshall would score one more in the inning due to a Yellow Jacket error.
Rebecca Gamby put her stamp on the day one more time in the fifth inning by hitting a one-out bomb to right field, giving The Herd the 5-0 victory in game two.
Marshall recorded nine hits in game two and zero errors. Gamby tallied three more RBI's, going two-of-two at the plate. Jazine Valle and Alianna Telles each recorded an RBI as well.
Coach Shonda Stanton was pleased with the talent shown throughout the entire lineup. "We split our roster into two teams and felt both groups had a strong showing. Today was another example of the depth and competition we have at all positions."
Stanton continued about her pitchers, "Erika Bennett really settled after the 1st inning in game one and we have been pleased with the progress she has made working hard in the off-season. Jessica Ferrick came in relief and then cruised along pitching a complete game shutout in game two. She did a great job of getting ahead of hitters and mixing speeds to keep them off balance. Ferrick is such a committed student-athlete and it was great to see her reap the benefit of that commitment."
Marshall goes on the road to face the Ohio Bobcats on Sunday, October 2.
