Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
ETSU
@HerdSB Gets Sweet Saturday Sweep
2/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
GREENVILLE, N.C. - An 11 run explosion and a strong defensive effort helped guide the Marshall University softball program to two wins against Bucknell (11-3) and East Tennessee State University (3-0) on Saturday, as the Herd improved to 8-1 this season.
Marshall won three of the four games in the Clash, including a 5-4 victory against former Conference USA rival East Carolina in 9 innings.
Marshall sophomore Morgan Zerkle had two impeccable performances for the Thundering Herd. For the weekend she had 13 hits, nine runs and eight stolen bases, including an inside the park home run. Her 5-5 performance against Bucknell was the first Herd performer with more than four hits since junior Kaelynn Greene's four hit game against Mercer last February.
AGAINST BUCKNELL
Junior Shaelynn Braxton flashed her power hitting skills in the top of the first, hitting a double to left center than drove home sophomore Morgan Zerkle and junior Kaelynn Greene to make the score 2-0. Braxton was then able to score on a single by junior Katalin Lucas. Marshall made it four in the first when senior Emileigh Cooper singled up the middle to score Lucas and complete the Herd first frame.
After two Bucknell runs in the bottom of the first, Marshall got back to work in the fourth inning, when sophomore Rebecca Myslenski drew a walk with the bases loaded, bringing around freshman Elicia D'Orazio. Lucas then hit a sacrifice fly to bring Zerkr reach home for the 6-2 lead.
Zerkle hit an inside the park home run in the top of the fifth, driving in three runs, giving the Herd a lead that the Bison could not come back from. Marshall was able to win 11-3 after six innings of play and improve to 7-1.
AGAINST ETSU
Zerkle continued her impressive day in the first, after singling, stealing second and third and then advancing home on a throwing error. Zerkle came around again in the third, after a single by Kristina Braxton again scored the sophomore. Marshall completed the scoring after junior Alyssa Woodrum was able to drive in senior Emileigh Cooper.
Marshall junior pitcher Brittanie Fowler got the win for Marshall, allowing only two hits in 5.2 innings of work.
STANTON'S STATEMENTS
Link to Coach Shonda Stanton's postgame analysis.
Morgan Zerkle on Weekend:
"I think it's just mainly that I've been preparing for this and I worked really hard all summer and this offseason and the first weekend was the first real weekend with any live hitting and this weekend really connected and showed all of our hard work is paying off."
LET'S GET SOCIAL
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NEXT UP
Marshall will compete in Tampa, Fla., in the USF Wilson DeMarini Tournament, hosted by the University of South Florida from Feb. 20-22. Marshall will play Dartmouth, USF and Auburn and will then play two games according to seeding in the tournament.
