Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
UNC Greensboro
5-0 Start for @HerdSB
2/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Marshall Thundering Herd softball team swept the Charleston Challenge and moved to an undefeated 5-0 to start its season with an 8-0 run-rule victory after six innings over UNC Greensboro. Marshall now has its best start since the 2010 season, when it started 7-0.
AGAINST THE SPARTANS
Marshall would get on the board in the bottom of the first, with junior Shaelynn Braxton connecting on a bunt that brought a speeding Morgan Zerkle home from third, just beating the tag at the plate. The run was Zerkle's fifth of the season.
Marshall would get its first home run of the season off the bat of junior catcher/short-stop Katalin Lucas. After fouling off a few pitches, Lucas blasted the ball to deep left-center field. The ball cleared the deep outfield with plenty of room to spare to make the score 2-0.
Zerkle would be at it again in the fifth, when she doubled to right-center, then advanced all the way home on a throwing error. Kylie Howard added an RBI in the inning, bringing home Kaelynn Greene. Raquel Escareno would then bring Howard home with an RBI double. Katalin Lucas then brought home pinch-runner Madi Marshall to close out the highly productive inning.
The last two Marshall runs of the game put the run rule into effect. Zerkle brought home Emileigh Cooper to make the score 7-0 and then Zerkle scored the clinching run on a wild throw by the UNCG catcher.
Jordan Dixon moved to 4-0 on the season, pitching the complete game shutout. She also threw nine strikeouts, increasing her season total to 42.
STANTON'S STATEMENTS
LET'S GET SOCIAL
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NEXT UP
Marshall will compete in East Carolina's Pirate Snow Invitational in Greenville, N.C. The Herd will play Towson on Friday, Feb. 13, ETSU and the hosts ECU on Saturday the 14th and then finish the weekend against Towson at 2 p.m. Sunday. Marshall and ECU are familiar with each other, with ECU leaving Conference USA after last season.
