Marshall University Athletics
@HerdSB Heads to Orlando for Orange Blossom Invite
2/16/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game Notes
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Marshall softball team heads down to the ESPN/Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Feb. 17-18, for the Orange Blossom Invitational.
The Thundering Herd is 3-2 after its first weekend down at the Unconquered Invitational, hosted by third ranked Florida State. The only losses for Marshall were to Florida State, 1-0 and 7-0.
OPPONENTS
Delaware Blue Hens (0-5): Marshall leads the all-time series 5-1.
Delaware spent the first week of the season at the USF-Wilson DeMarini Tournament. The Blue Hens faced stiff competition with three ranked opÂÂponents losing to #4 Florida (9-0, 5 innings), #6 Michigan (7-0) and #24 USF (6-4). The Blue Hens also lost to St. John's (8-2) and Illinois State (19-13). The squad is led by juniors Mariah Kondravy and Devon Steiner who recorded 7 hits each and are batting over .400. In the circle freshman Kat Morris logged 15.1 innings and junior Jordan Cargile pitched 11.2 innings. Marshall's only loss to Delaware (2-0) was Feb. 28, 1999. The last meeting, Herd won 8-3, Feb. 22, 2014, in Orlando. Morgan Zerkle and Shae Braxton combined to go 6-of-10 with 3 runs. Jordan Dixon earned just the second win of her career.
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (1-4): All-time series tied at 1-1.
The Wildcats began the year at the FAU Kickoff Classic. The Wildcats lost to Troy (8-4 and 9-6), NC State (4-2), #23 FAU (15-0) and defeated Boston (5-1). Despite the four losses, junior Mariah Davis was named MEAC Player of the Week after hitting .533, 8 hits, 5 runs, 2 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Opponents are currently batting .380 as the pitching staff has a combined ERA of 6.77. Marshall lost its first meeting with Bethune-Cookman, 3-1, in the 8th inning, Feb. 7, 2004 in St. Augustine, Fla. The Herd won the last meeting, 2-1, Feb. 7, 2015 at the College of Charleston. Morgan Zerkle scored in the first on a RBI single from Elicia D'Orazio. In the second Rebecca Myslenski brought Emileigh Cooper home with a single to right field.
LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds (1-4): Marshall leads all-time series 3-0.
The Blackbirds started the season at Florida Gulf Coast for two doubleÂÂheaders. LIU was shut out in all but one game; 7-0, 8-0, 9-1 and 8-0. FGCU held the Blackbirds to just 17 hits in four games. Nereyda Gutierrez drove in Victoria Zamora in the third inning to break the 15 inning scoreless streak. The pitching staff has a combined 9.67 ERA after allowing 51 hits and 32 runs. LIU lost three of its top hitters from the NEC tournament championship 2016 squad. Whitney West (.376 avg.), Celinna Cosio (.338 avg. and 8 HR) and Ariana Lopez (8 HR and 30 RBIs) have all graduated. Marshall faced LIU twice in 2016 and came away with wins, 10-2 and 4-2. Madi Marshall ended game one with a RBI 2B and in game two Jordan Colliflower was 3-for-3 with a 3B.
Providence Friars (0-0): Marshall leads all-time series 2-0
The Orange Blossom Invite will be the opening weekend for Providence. The Friars finished 2016 in seventh place in the Big East and return three of its top four hitters as well as all three of its top pitchers. Sophomore OF Emma Lee is back after setting the Providence single season batting average record hitting of .423 as a freshman. Of her 60 hits, 10 went for extra bases (8 2B & 2 3B). Pitchers Christina Ramirez and Taylor Huntly both pitched over 100 innings each in 2016 and combined for 135 Ks. Megan McCune pitched 73 innings and recorded 57 strikeouts. The first time Marshall & Providence met was March 20, 1999, a 6-2 Herd win. It has been almost 13 years since the last time they met, a 9-0 Herd win on March 13, 2004.
Opening Day Comebacks
For two consecutive seasons, the Marshall softball team has started its season with two, eight-inning wins. In 2016 at the Trojan Invite, Marshall defeated Alabama State 4-2 and Troy 7-5 in the eighth inning. In 2017, Marshall defeated Lipscomb 2-1 and FurÂÂman 5-4, both in the eighth. However, in 2017 the Herd did not use the long ball to get either the walk-off (Briana Daiss vs. Alabama State) or to take the lead as the visitor (Briana Daiss vs. Troy). After tying the game against Lipscomb in the sixth, Marshall earned the walk-off win with a stolen base. Junior Elicia D'Orazio was at third base with one away and junior TayÂÂlor McCord at the plate. With a 1-0 count, the Herd attempted a squeeze play, but McCord could not make contact with the low and away pitch. D'Orazio was caught halfway down the third baseline. The junior's excellent base running skills were shown in full at that moment as she led the catcher to make an early throw, back to third. On the throw, D'Orazio took off for home and slid in just under the tag after the throw came back from third. Marshall stole a win with the program's 2,000th all-time stolen base.
Against Furman, the Herd trailed 3-0 before tying the game in the fifth. In extras as the visitor, Marshall scored two in the top of the eighth. Daiss led off the inning with a double to right and then scored on a RBI double to left by sophomore Hayden Ellis. Two batters later with Ellis at third, junior Madi Marshall dropped down a sacrifice bunt that scored Ellis and gave the Herd a two-run lead. Furman scored one more in the bottom of the eighth and had two runners on with no outs. Senior pitcher Jordan Dixon induced a pop up, that was caught by D'Orazio at second, and then struck out the last two batters to preserve the comeback victory.
DéjàVu All Over Again - Taylor McCord
In the very first game of 2016, junior catcher Taylor McCord tied the ball game, with two outs and no runners on base, against Alabama State in the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run to left. In 2017, she did it again. Just one inning earlier. Facing Lipscomb in the Herd's first game of 2017, McCord stepped up to the plate with just one out, no one on base and the Herd trailed 1-0. After fouling off the first three pitches, McCord launched the fourth pitch over the fence in left. There is something about McCord and home runs on the first day of the season to tie up a 1-0 ball game.
Dixon Shines at Unconquered Invitational (Feb. 10-12)
Senior pitcher Jordan Dixon provided great innings for the Herd in the opening weekend. Dixon pitched 27.2 of a possible 35 innings over the five games and recorded 34 strikeouts. She started and went the distance against Lipscomb finishing with 11 strikeouts and allowing just five hits and one run across eight innings. Against Furman, Dixon entered the game with one out and bases loaded in the third inning, and trailing 3-0. She proceeded to strike out the first batter and then get the next to fly out to center with no more runs crossing the plate. Dixon finished the final five innings as Marshall came back for the win. Facing off with the third ranked FSU Seminoles on Saturday, Dixon lasted all seven innings against a squad that had scored 18 total runs in its first two games. The senior ace allowed just three hits and one run in Marshall's 1-0 loss. In the Saturday nightcap with Lipscomb, Dixon came on in relief to start the fifth inning with Marshall trailing 4-0. She allowed just one hit and struck out six as the Herd once again came back for the win. Dixon started and lasted four innings against the Seminoles on Sunday. 11 times over the weekend Dixon ended an inning with a strikeout. 14 times Dixon and the Herd Defense got out of innings with the opponents' runners stranded in scoring position.
BROADCAST
All Marshall games will be broadcast on 88.1 WMUL-FM and online at www.marshall.edu/wmul by clicking one of the "Listen Live" links on the top right side of the home page.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all of the latest information about Marshall softball, follow @HerdSB on Twitter and Marshall University Softball on Facebook.
