Marshall University Athletics
@HerdSB Back on the Road to Carolina
3/17/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Marshall softball is back on the road to North Carolina for a three-game series with Conference USA foe Charlotte on March 17-18, and then a single game with UNC Greensboro on March 21. The Saturday doubleheader at Charlotte begins at 3 p.m.
The doubleheader was pushed back two hours, as there is rain in the forecast from Friday night into Saturday. The Sunday single-game is set for 12 p.m. Marshall's game in Greensboro is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start time.
Fans can tune in to all four games on 88.1 WMUL-FM as well as online www.marshall.edu/wmul through one of the "Listen Live" links. The Charlotte games will be live streamed through CUSAtv.
Marshall (17-4, 3-0) started Conference USA with a three-game sweep of UTSA. Charlotte (16-10, 1-2) struggled against Louisiana Tech in the 49ers first C-USA series, getting the win Sunday.
Two-straight Player's of the Week
Morgan Zerkle was named Conference USA Player of the Week on March 6 after hitting .647, slugging .882, collecting 11 hits and 12 stolen bases, including tying a team and conference record five swipes against Delaware State at the Eagle Classic. One week later, Taylor McCord was honored as the Player of the Week. In the three-game series against UTSA at Dot Hicks Field, McCord hit .667 and slugged 1.444 while helping to lead the Herd to the series sweep and pushing Marshall's win streak to eight games. McCord belted two home runs and a double with four RBIs in the 10-4, game two win. She finished the weekend with eight RBIs in six hits. On the defensive side, McCord became the first catcher this season to throw out a base runner for UTSA. The Roadrunners were previously 28-for-28 in stolen base attempts. It was also the only attempt of the weekend for UTSA.
The Power Surge Continues
In Marshall's home and Conference USA opener, the Herd belted out seven home runs over the three-game series. Just the week before, the Thundering Herd hit six in five games at the Eagle Classic. Against UTSA, Marshall's homers came in bunches. Sophomore Briana Daiss hit her second of the season and was the only Herd player to go yard in game one. However, in game two Marshall blasted four more out of Dot Hicks Field. Junior Taylor McCord hit two in her first two at-bats. Senior Morgan Zerkle added her third of the season and sophomore Abigail Estrada hit her second. In the Sunday finale, senior Shaelynn Braxton belted two more, including one over the scoreboard, to move into sole possession of third place with the 30th and 31st of her career.
It had been almost three full years since Marshall had a player hit more than one home run in a game. April 9, 2014, Braxton cranked three at Northern Kentucky and tied the Herd's single game record set by Rachel Folden on March 4, 2006 against Austin Peay. In one weekend, both McCord and Braxton had multi-HR games.
Tripling up the Records
Morgan Zerkle set another career mark on Sunday March 12, at home against UTSA. Using her speed, Zerkle ran out her third triple of the season to give her 11 in her career. The three-baser broke a 19-year old record held by Marshall Athletics Hall of Famer Cristy Waring (1995-98). Waring hit two triples as a senior to put her career total to 10. Since 1998, only Amanda Williams (2003-06) came within arm's reach of Waring with seven, including the single season record of five in 2004. Zerkle has hit a steady amount each season with two in 2014, four in 2015, two in 2016 and now three in 2017. How high will this new record reach by the time the season ends? Can Zerkle go after the 13-year old season record set by Williams of five? Stay tuned...
Grand Larceny on the Bases
Marshall softball has continued its dominance in base running going for the next 60 feet. The Herd has 91 steals in just 21 games and is currently leading the country with 4.33 per game. Marshall has ripped off at least one base in every game. At the Eagle Classic, Marshall stole 34 bases in five games, including the team and Conference USA record 16 versus Delaware State. Elicia D'Orazio and Morgan Zerkle are in a little battle at the top for the Herd. D'Orazio has 30 and Zerkle is right behind with 26. Both players are ranked in the top five in the nation. D'Orazio is first with 1.43 per game and Zerkle ranks second with 1.24 per contest. D'Orazio needs just 7 more steals to become the sixth player in Herd history with 100 or more career stolen bases.
THE OPPONENTS
Charlotte: 16-10, 1-2 Conference USA
The Series: Charlotte leads 12-7
The series between these two schools dates back to a doubleheader on Feb. 18, 1996 in Charlotte. Marshall won both of those contests but it has been a tough road since against the 49ers. Charlotte has gone 12-5 against Marshall since that first doubleheader. The Herd is 2-7 against Charlotte since both teams have been a part of Conference USA in 2014. Marshall was swept at home in 2016, the first ever home games for the Herd versus the 49ers. This year will make three out of four series that will be played in the Queen City. In 2016, senior Raquel Escareno hit a home run in the fourth inning of game one to tie the game at two. Charlotte later scored three more to take the win.
Scouting the 49ers
The 49ers are 15-10, including a record of 9-1 during its two home tournaments. Charlotte also recorded a 5-2 win over N.C. State on March 1. Charlotte has received a great beginning of the year by junior pitcher Haley Wiseman who has been named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week twice. Wiseman threw a perfect game on Feb. 24 in a five-inning, 11-0 win over Robert Morris.Wiseman has pitched 105 innings with 121 strikeouts, an ERA of 3.00 and a record of 11-6. Junior infielder Haley Pace has been the catalyst offensively batting .439 with seven home runs, six doubles, three triples, 25 runs and 23 RBIs. Sophomore Meredith Harris has cranked out 10 doubles. The 49ers began Conference USA play losing two of three to Louisiana Tech March 11-12 in Ruston, La.
UNC Greensboro: 15-9
The Series: Tied 8-8
Marshall first played the Spartans four times during the Herd's first season in 1994 as members of the Southern Conference. The four games were split. UNCG took the first two on March 30 at Greensboro and then the Herd won the next two on April 1 & 2. The Herd lost the next two in 1995. During those first two seasons, current Marshall head coach Shonda Stanton was a member of the Spartans. The two teams played one last game in 1996, that Marshall won 6-3, before the Herd left the SoCon for the MAC. Seven years later, the teams split a doubleheader in Greensboro. Marshall won the next two games in 2007 (13-5) and 2009 (4-3). In the 2007 contest, the Herd collected 16 hits. Junior Samantha Rodriguez led with three hits and her second home run of the year. It was the first time that Marshall's all-time leader in hit-by-pitches, Marcena Bertoldo who finished with 53, was plunked. The Herd dropped a doubleheader in Greensboro March 24, 2010. Three years later, the two squads split two games as the Herd was in Greensboro for the Spartan Classic. Marshall secured the win in game two with a diving catch at second by senior Bri Anna Hope. The last time they met on the field was Feb. 8, 2015. Marshall won 8-0 to improve to 5-0. Junior Kaelynn Greene and sophomore Morgan Zerkle were both 3-for-3.
Scouting the Spartans
UNCG is 15-9 and has won eight of its last 10. The Spartans went 4-0 at the Bailey Memorial Tournament in Kennesaw, Ga., including two wins over UAB and one over Akron. UNCG belted three home runs in its most recent win, 10-3 over North Carolina A&T Thursday night. As a team, the Spartans are hitting .245 but have hit 29 home runs. Seven players have hit more than one homer this season. The team ERA is 4.16 and UNCG is led by Alicia Bazonski with a 3.84 ERA and a 10-6 record. The junior has 59 strikeouts in 96.2 innings.
