Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
North Texas
Herd Drops Series Finale to Mean Green
4/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 13, 2014
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall softball (17-26, 6-9 C-USA) lost the final game of a three-game series against North Texas (27-15, 12-5 C-USA) Sunday at Dot Hicks Field. The Thundering Herd was held to just three hits in the 8-2 defeat.
"You've got to give credit to North Texas," coach Shonda Stanton said. "They're a good ball club. Anytime you extend an inning and give them four or five outs, they're going to capitalize on that, and they did."
Sophomore Katalin Lucas (Agua Dulce, Calif.) homered for the second time this weekend, when she hit a two-run shot over the left field wall for her fifth long ball of the season.
Freshman Jordan Dixon (Edmond, Okla.) took the loss for the Herd, but surrendered just two hits until the sixth inning. She moved into the ninth slot in the single-season record book with 165 strikeouts after recording five Ks on Sunday.
Marshall will travel to Wright State for a non-conference doubleheader Wednesday beginning at 3 p.m.
North Texas 8, Marshall 2
North Texas loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the second, but Marshall was able to limit the damage. After recording two outs, the Herd surrendered a bases-loaded walk to allow a Mean Green runner to cross the plate before Dixon induced a popup to end the inning with the Herd trailing 1-0.
In the top of the fourth, North Texas crushed a solo home run to left field to extend the lead to 2-0.
Senior Savanah Webster (Las Vegas, Nev.) connected for a one-out double in the bottom half of the inning before Lucas drew a walk to give Marshall two base runners, but the Herd was unable to bring them around to score.
North Texas capitalized on two errors and three hits to add four runs in the top of the sixth. All four runs were unearned during an offensive surge that gave the Mean Green a 6-0 lead.
The Mean Green added more insurance in the top of the seventh when an error in the outfield allowed UNT batter Taylor Schoblocher to come all the way around and Danielle Hoff from first to plate two runs for the Mean Green.
Marshall showed some life in the bottom of the seventh when sophomore Raquel Escareno (Wellington, Colo.) ledoff the inning with a walk. Lucas drove her home with a two-run blast to put the Herd on the board for the first time in the contest at 8-2, but the Mean Green strung together three outs to end the game.
North Texas outhit Marshall 5-to-3. The Herd committed four errors, while North Texas committed one.
