Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Western Kentucky
Cooper's Walk-Off Highlights @HerdSB Series vs WKU
3/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - A rainy weekend in Huntington did not deter the Marshall and Western Kentucky softball teams from completing a three game Conference USA series this weekend.
After the first game of the series was halted Friday due to rain, the game resumed Saturday and all three games were able to be completed. Marshall was able to win the first game, thanks to a walk-off home run. The Lady Toppers won the other two games on Saturday.
The first game of the series actually started on Friday and was a pitcher's duel, with Marshall sophomore Jordan Dixon and the Lady Toppers Miranda Kramer combining to throw 28 strikeouts during the course of the game.
The pitchers kept the game scoreless as well until the bottom of the 10th inning. With Marshall senior Emileigh Cooper at the plate, with sophomore Rebecca Myslenski at first base, the game was halted with two outs and a strike. Play was officially suspended at 4:30 p.m. and Friday and resumed at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Immediately after the game resumed, Cooper was able to battle at the plate and hit a two run walk-off home run to give the Thundering Herd a delayed win, 2-0. Dixon picked up the win, throwing 13 strikeouts and only allowing five hits in 10.5 innings of work.
Western Kentucky got off to a quick lead in the second when Larissa Franklin was able to bring a run home on a single to center field.
Marshall would not reply until the bottom of the fourth, when Cooper singled, sending junior Shaelynn Braxton to third. Braxton then caught the Toppers off guard and stole home to tie the game.
Western Kentucky put two more runs in the board, one each in the fifth and sixth. In the seventh, Marshall was able to bring it to within one run, when Cooper walked on four pitches with the bases loaded to make the score 3-2. Unfortunately for Marshall, Kramer was able to strike junior Raquel Escareno out on the next at-bat, ending the game.
Marshall's game three was marred by four costly errors that helped to prolong several innings for Western Kentucky, helping the team to a 9-5 win. However, there were bright spots in the game for Marshall, with Braxton going 2-3 with two RBI and a run. Freshman Elicia D'Orazio also had a strong day offensively, going 2-4 with two runs and one RBI. Junior Katalin Lucas also drove in a run.
STANTON'S STATEMENTS
Link to coach Shonda Stanton's postgame.
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NEXT UP
Marshall will next take on regional nonconference rivals Ohio in a doubleheader Thursday, March 19 at 2 and 4 p.m. The Herd will then continue its Conference USA season when it travels to Charlotte for a three game series on Saturday and Sunday.
