Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Florida Atlantic
@HerdSB Loses Two at #24 FAU
4/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game One Box (PDF)
Game Two Box (PDF)
BOCA RATON, FLA. - Marshall softball fell in both games Saturday to #24 FAU, 9-1 and 8-0. Marshall drops to 22-22 overall and 6-8 in Conference USA. FAU improves to 35-7 and 12-2 in conference play.
Game One: FAU 9, Marshall 1 - 6 Innings
The Owls scored early with three runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead and held it the rest of the way in the first game of the doubleheader. The Herd offense recorded just three hits off of Owl's ace Kylee Hanson.
"FAU is a top 25 team for a reason," Herd Coach Shonda Stanton said. "Hanson is a true ace in the circle and shows great leadership."
All three of Marshall's hits went for extra bases. The only one to cross the plate was senior Raquel Escareno (Wellington, Colo.) who hit her eighth home run of the season to lead off the second inning. It was her 21st home run of her career ranking her ninth all-time.
Junior pitcher Jordan Dixon (Edmond, Okla.) responded well after allowing the three runs in the first. She went on to retire the next nine batters in a row, including all three by the strikeout in the second inning. FAU finally grabbed another base hit in the fourth inning but then sophomore Taylor McCord (Gilbert, Ariz.) gunned down her 17th runner of the season in an attempt to steal second. Dixon then induced an easy fly out to right that Escareno caught to end the inning.
In the top of the fifth Marshall had an opportunity putting two runners on base with one out. Freshman Samantha Loose (Anaheim Hills, Calif.), who hit a double earlier in the game, reached on an error by the second baseman. Next, junior Morgan Zerkle stepped to the plate for her second at-bat in her first action since March 13 against UTEP when she went down with an ankle injury. Zerkle ripped a double to center to get both runners in scoring position. Marshall could not find the timely hit and stranded both runners.
The Owls then scored five runs in the fifth with six hits and took advantage of two Marshall errors. FAU scored the final run in the sixth to grab the run-rule win, scoring from the third Herd error.
The game included a 12 minute rain delay as a small storm cell moved through and then broke apart and the skies held out for the rest of the day.
Game Two: FAU 8, Marshall 0 - 5 Innings
The Owls scored early and often once again to put Marshall away in game two.
"They have a great combination of speed and power offensively and they set the tone early," Coach Stanton said.
FAU brought 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first and scored five runs. Senior Brittanie Fowler got the start in the circle and was relieved after two-thirds of the first. Jordan Dixon came in and pitched the rest of the way.
FAU scored two more in the second to take a 7-0 lead. Dixon retired the last three batters in a row to get out of the inning with one runner stranded.
The Herd offense received its first hit from Samantha Loose in the third inning. Sophomore Jordan Colliflower (Huntington, W.Va.) followed up with an infield single but Marshall struggled to find the timely hit and left both runners on base.
Marshall's defense grabbed a double play in the bottom of the third after a leadoff walk was issued. The second batter popped out to Taylor McCord who then fired to freshman Briana Daiss (Clermont, Fla.) at first to double up the runner who was off and running on the pitch.
The Thundering Herd loaded the bases in the fourth with two outs. Daiss was at third after reaching on a single to left. Senior Katalin Lucas (Agua Dulce, Calif.) stood at second after she reached on a fielder's choice and Loose was at first after being hit by a pitch for the fifth time this season. The clutch hit did not happen and Marshall left the bases loaded.
The Owls scored one more in the bottom of the fourth to go up by eight. As the skies darkened to the north, Marshall stepped up to the plate with a final chance to keep the game going. However, the Herd was retired in order giving FAU its second run-rule win of the day.
"Tomorrow is new day and I look for our group to put our best foot forward," Coach Stanton said.
The final game of the series will be Sunday with a first pitch time of 1 p.m. Game three will be televised by American Sports Network. Fans can also tune in at 88.1 WMUL-FM and online www.marshall.edu/wmul.
