Marshall University Athletics
@HerdSB Back in C-USA Action at Southern Miss
3/31/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game Notes
Live Stats: | |
Live Video: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Marshall Radio Broadcast
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Marshall softball team looks to continue its winning streak as it heads back into Conference USA play at Southern Miss. The three game series begins Saturday, April 1 at 2 p.m. eastern. The series finale is Sunday, April 2, also a 2 p.m. eastern first pitch.
The Thundering Herd enters the weekend 25-4 and 9-0 in conference action and with a 16-game winning streak. When the rankings were released earlier this week, Marshall moved up to 29th in RPI and received 13 votes in the Top 25, 30th overall. Southern Miss is 17-16 overall and 3-6 in C-USA play.
Fans can tune in to the games all weekend long on 88.1 WMUL-FM and online at www.marshall.edu/wmul as Scott Hall will have the call.
HERD NOTES
The Win Streak Continues...
Marshall is on a 16-game winning streak, the longest in program history surpassing a 14-game streak from March 13-April 6, 2013. In 2013, Marshall swept three C-USA series over Southern Miss, UCF and Memphis. During the current streak, the Herd has swept its way through the Eagle Classic at Georgia Southern, three Conference USA series with UTSA, Charlotte and WKU and a pair of mid-week contests with UNC Greensboro and Morehead State. Nine of the 16 wins have come on the road. During the win streak, Marshall has outscored its opponents 127-40 and out hit the opposition 158-86. The Herd scored less than five runs in a game just once, scored 10 or more runs four times and finished with 10 or more hits eight times while hitting .367 as a team. Marshall has swiped 64 bases during the streak as well.
No-Hitter
Senior pitcher Jordan Dixon pitched her second career no-hitter on March 28 against Morehead State at Dot Hicks Field. Dixon allowed only three walks and struck out 10 over the five-inning win. Her first no-hitter came against the Ohio Bobcats at Dot Hicks Field, March 22, 2016. Dixon's latest was the eighth in program history. She is just the second pitcher in Herd history to have more than one no-no in her career. Cristy Waring had three, Sara Gulla, Randi Nielson and Andi Williamson had one each.
Reaching Base Safely
The Thundering Herd has had a few individual significant streaks during the 2017 season. Junior Elicia D'Orazio is on two different streaks that have helped her to an incredible third season. D'Orazio has a recorded at least one run scored over the past 17 games and has reached base safely in every game this season. Senior Shaelynn Braxton had her consecutive games reaching base safely snapped at 21 in the first game at Charlotte and had a 14-game hitting streak. Senior Morgan Zerkle reached base safely in 20 consecutive games that ended in the series finale at Charlotte. Junior Madi Marshall has scored a run in each of the past 10 games. Over the Herd's current 16-game winning streak, junior Taylor McCord has reached base safely in every game, and sophomore Briana Daiss has reached in every game but one. Check out the rest of the Herd's season streaks at the end of HERD NOTES.
Grand Larceny on the Bases
Marshall softball has continued its dominance in base running going for the next 60 feet. The Herd has 111 steals in just 29 games and is currently leading the country with 3.83 per game. Marshall has ripped off at least one base in every game but two this season. 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 36 and Zerkle is just seven behind with 29. Both players are ranked in the top five in the nation. D'Orazio is first with 1.24 per game and Zerkle ranks fifth with 1.00 per contest. D'Orazio needs just one more steal to become the sixth player in Herd history with 100 or more career stolen bases. Marshall reached 100 steals in the fewest games in program history in just 27 games. The old record of 30 was set just this past season in 2016.
Conference USA Player of the Week
Senior Morgan Zerkle was honored on March 27 with her second weekly award from the conference office. Zerkle hit .615 through Marshall's four wins and slugged .923. She drove in at least one run in each contest, culminating in four RBIs against WKU in the series finale. Zerkle got the scoring started against the Hilltoppers with a solo home run to lead off the third inning. In the sixth, after waiting through a 45-minute rain delay, Marshall had the bases loaded and Zerkle ripped a base-clearing double to center. The three runs gave Marshall the lead for good and helped lead to the three-game sweep of WKU, and the Herd's record-breaking 15th straight win.
SOUTHERN MISS
The Series: 25 meetings, Southern Miss leads 13-12
Marshall and Southern Miss have not played each other since a three-game series in Huntington, March 16-17, 2013. The two squads had played each year from 2006 through 2013 once Marshall had moved into Conference USA. When the conference lost some schools and then expanded in 2014, that put the Herd and the Golden Eagles in separate divisions and have not come up in scheduling since, or even met in the conference tournament. Marshall first met Southern Miss in 2006. The first meeting lasted 12 innings as the Golden Eagles took the win 3-2. Marshall managed just one win in that first three game series, 9-1 on Sunday March 12 in the finale. Later in the season, the Herd won the matchup in the first round of the conference tournament, 7-4. Senior Jessica Williams set a Marshall record with four walks. Junior pitcher Abigail Harter pitched all seven innings for the win. In 2007, Southern Miss made the trip to Huntington and came away with a sweep at old Dot Hicks Field. A return trip to Hattiesburg, April 19-20, 2008, the Herd won its first series over the Golden Eagles taking two of three. In game two, junior pitcher Autumn Mitchell threw her first career shutout after allowing just four hits and striking out six. In 2009, Southern Miss took the series in Huntington, two games to one. In 2010, back down in Hattiesburg, Marshall was looking to try to lock down a spot in the conference tournament and was swept by the Golden Eagles. The Herd missed the tournament for the first and only time in Conference USA. Back at home in 2011, Marshall got some revenge taking two of the three games in late April to keep the Golden Eagles below the Herd in the standings. The last time Marshall traveled down to Hattiesburg was April 6-7, 2012 for what turned out to be a very heated series. Marshall took the first two games including a 2-1, 12-inning win. Junior Jazmine Valle crushed a solo home run to center for the go-ahead run. In the weekend finale, Southern Miss got the walk-off win with a RBI single to center in the seventh. The last time these two teams met in 2013, Marshall swept the series as part of a program-best 14-game winning streak. Marshall senior Shaelynn Braxton is the only player, from either team, that has played in this series. Braxton was a freshman on the 2013 squad.
Scouting the Golden Eagles
Southern Miss is 17-16 overall and 3-7 in Conference USA action. The Golden Eagles defeated UAB once, UTEP twice and was swept by Louisiana Tech in conference play. Southern Miss won its last contest, 21-5, at Jackson State on Wednesday March 29. The day before the team lost a close game, 3-2, against another in-state rival, Mississippi State. Back on Feb. 12, Southern Miss defeated now 17th ranked Louisiana twice, 4-3 and 5-3 at the Louisiana-Lafayette Invitational. The team is batting .251 with two players over .300. Junior Samantha Reynolds (.383) and senior Lauren Holifield (.300) lead the Golden Eagles offensively. Holifield has belted seven home runs this season and leads the team with 21 RBIs as well. Against Jackson State, sophomore catcher Samantha Papp hit two home runs to bring her season total to four. Southern Miss is selective when attempting stolen bases as the team has been successful on 24-of-29 attempts. In the circle, junior Kim Crowson leads with a 1.67 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 88 innings. Crowson is 6-6 this season. Junior Jillian Johnson has the second most wins with a 5-5 record and 31 strikeouts in 73 innings.
