Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
USF
Softball Drops Games to No. 16 Auburn, Hosts USF
2/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
TAMPA, Fla. - The Marshall Thundering Herd softball team fell to 10-3 Saturday as the team dropped a close game to No. 16 Auburn and then let a lead slip away in a lopsided loss to USF. The day makes the Herd 2-2 in the Wilson DeMarini Tournament.
Marshall rallied late against the 16th ranked Tigers, but came up short in a 5-4 contest.
In the nightcap against the hosts, USF took advantage of a five run sixth inning and a seven run seventh inning to lose 18-5 to the Bulls.
Marshall will play the consolation game against Dartmouth Sunday at 9 a.m. The Herd
You can listen to the game on Marshall's student radio station, WMUL-FM, by tuning into 88.1 in the tri-state, or online here.
No. 16 AUBURN
Zerkle made it 2-1 in the bottom of the first, coming around from a sacrifice fly hit by Katalin Lucas.
After Auburn made the score 5-1 in the top of the third, Marshall started to rally. First, in the bottom of the fifth, freshman Kylie Howard scored Rebecca Myslenski on a single up the middle to cut the lead to 5-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Lucas doubled to left, which advanced Shaelynn Braxton to third. After noticing that the Tigers were not paying attention, Braxton got a quick jump and stole home, while Lucas stole third. Later, when Emileigh Cooper was caught in a run down, Lucas came around to score and cut the Tigers lead to 5-4. However, that score would hold and Auburn would go on to get the win.
USF
Marshall started the scoring in the bottom of the second. After Kristina Braxton and Kylie Howard got on base with two singles, Elicia D'Orazio singled down the left field line, scoring Braxton from second. Zerkle then made her presence known when she sent a rocket to center field that took a hop and bounced off the wall. She reached third with a triple that scored D'Orazio and Howard and made the score 3-0.
After the Bulls responded in the next three innings, scoring six unanswered runs, Shaelynn Braxton was able to bring home Elicia D'Orazio on a grounder and Kaelynn Greene was thrown out at home to end the inning.
USF was able to convert five more runs in the top of the sixth to move the score to 11-5 USF.
However, in the next frame, Lucas responded with her second home run of the season, a shot to left center that moved the score to 11-5 Bulls.
STANTON'S STATEMENTS
Linkto Head Coach Shonda Stanton's post game.
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