Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Morehead State
Dixon Tosses No-Hitter as @HerdSB Wins 16th Straight
3/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Box Score (PDF)
Coach Stanton Post Game Video
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Senior pitcher Jordan Dixon tossed her second career no-hitter in an 8-0 win over Morehead State at Dot Hicks Field Tuesday afternoon. The win was Marshall's 16th in a row and improved the Herd's record to 25-4. The Eagles fall to 18-10.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Top 25 rankings were released and Marshall improved its spot receiving 13 votes and moving up to 30th overall. The Herd is 29th in RPI.
Dixon dominated right from the first inning striking out the side. It was the first three of 10 for the game. The Edmond, Okla., native allowed just three runners on base by walks. Not a single runner made it passed first base.
Marshall score one run in the first. Junior Elicia D'Orazio continued her on-base streak to 29 games with a hit-by-pitch. D'Orazio later stole second and then scored from third when junior Taylor McCord grounded out to short.
In the second inning, the Thundering Herd rolled out four more runs to take the lead 5-0. Sophomore Briana Daiss led off with a double and then was replaced by junior Madi Marshall as a pinch runner. Sophomore Abigail Estrada reached next on a hit-by-pitch. Two batters later, freshman Elizabeth DeShields hit a single to right field that scored Marshall from second. Madi Marshall ran her runs scored streak to 10-straight games. With runners in the corners, DeShields stole second to move into scoring position.
Junior Eloise Tribolet ripped a single to left that scored both Estrada and DeShields. Tribolet came in to score the final run of the inning on a triple to right center by senior Morgan Zerkle. It was the 12th triple of Zerkle's career.
Marshall was shut down in the third inning, but then scored three more in the fourth to build the lead to 8-0. With one out, Tribolet slapped her second hit of the day then reached second when D'Orazio reached on an infield single. A double-steal moved both runners up 60 feet and a throwing error by the catcher allowed Tribolet to score and D'Orazio to reach third.
McCord took first on a walk and then stole second with D'Orazio still at third to put two runners back in scoring position. A wild pitch moved both runners up and D'Orazio scored. McCord scored the final run for the Herd as senior Shaelynn Braxton dropped a base hit into left.
In the top of the fifth, Morehead State needed to score one run to continue the game. Dixon struck out the first and third batter, while Zerkle caught the second out on an infield pop-up.
Jordan Dixon was named the Dot Hicks Significant Sticker Award winner. Dixon recorded her second career no-hitter and struck out 10 in just five innings. It was her 10th straight win and the 94th victory of her career. It was the 27th time that Dixon has struck out 10 or more batters in a game. She is just 11 strikeouts away from reaching 1,000 for her career.
COACH QUOTES
Head Coach Shonda Stanton
"You never know what is going to happen with these mid-week, non-conference games with how your team will come out. With this group, it was nice to see the dugout intent and the energy was awesome from the very first pitch."
"Jordan Dixon left no doubt in the first inning, striking out the side and they didn't even make contact in the first inning so that was exciting to see her just the tone early. And then of course to not allow a hit through the five innings."
"We ended up swiping five bags, we had the timely hitting. I am just pleased with this group. It was nice to be able to chase their starter; she is a very good pitcher and has done a nice job. We were fired up, ready to play and like I said you never know what can happen when you step out of the field in non-conference action if they understand how important every game is, and this group is singularly focused. They are all about winning the day and I am really pleased with what we did today."
UP NEXT
Marshall hits the road down to Hattiesburg, Miss., April 1-2, to take on Southern Miss. The Herd has not played in Hattiesburg since 2012 and has not faced the Golden Eagles since 2013.
