Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Southern Miss
Herd Softball Takes Two from Southern Miss
3/17/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game One Box Score (PDF)
Game Two Box Score (PDF)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Senior Taylor McCord drives in five total runs as the Marshall softball team defeats the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, 7-2 and 6-3, Saturday afternoon at Dot Hicks Field. Marshall improves to 11-13-1 and 3-1-1 in Conference USA. Southern Miss falls to 11-19 and 1-4 in conference play.
"It's nice to secure the series win on day one," Herd head coach Jen Steele said. "Southern Miss is a good team and they fought until the last out, never backing down. We did a nice job of trusting our preparation. We took great swings on pitches that we hit hard and that was the difference maker.
"Taylor McCord had an incredible day and provided us with some much needed pop in the middle of our lineup."
Game One: Marshall 7, Southern Miss 2
The Thundering Herd came out gunning in the first inning as senior Elicia D'Orazio led off the game with a base hit, stole second and then scored easily as McCord crushed the first pitch she saw to left for a two-run home run. It was the fourth homer of the year for McCord and 17th of her career.
Southern Miss added a run in the top of the second to cut the Herd lead to one, 2-1.
Marshall got the bats going again in the fourth with three runs as McCord, freshman Grayson Radcliffe and senior Madi Marshall all scored. McCord led off the inning with her 10th double of the season. Radcliffe scored on an RBI single by freshman Rachel Rousseau.
The Golden Eagles scored another run in the top of the fifth but Marshall responded with two more runs in the bottom of the frame. Senior Jordan Colliflower and junior Briana Daiss both scored.
Junior pitcher Abigail Tolbert got the start in the circle and pitched 5.2 innings in her fifth win of the year and struck out five. Tolbert allowed ten hits but came up with the big strikeout and her defense made the plays when needed. Southern Miss stranded 10 runners on base. Junior Ali Burdette pitched the final 1.1 innings and struck out two.
McCord finished game one 2-of-3 at the plate with a home run and a double, scored two runs and drove in two. On defense, McCord tossed out her 50th career runner caught stealing. She was not done.
Game Two: Marshall 6, Southern Miss 3
The Herd finished the day scoring four runs in the first and two in the second for the win. D'Orazio led off the game with her 217th career hit, stole second again and then scored when McCord sent a shot to right-center. Daiss drove in two runs with a double and then scored two batters later.
Junior Abigail Estrada and D'Orazio scored in the second when McCord ripped her second double of the day down the right field line. McCord is now ninth all-time with 37 career doubles.
Southern Miss used power to score two runs in the fifth on a two-run home run by Samantha Papp. The Golden Eagles added the third run on a solo home run by Ciara Cherry.
Burdette started game two and pitched five innings and recording her third win of the year. Freshman Tatum Ksiazek pitched the sixth and into the seventh and allowed one run. Tolbert came into the game in the seventh and recorded the final out as Southern Miss had bases loaded. Tolbert recorded the save, the first of her career.
McCord finished the second game 2-for-2 with three RBI, one run, one walk and a stolen base. The senior catcher finished the doubleheader 4-of-5 at the plate with five RBI, three runs scored and nine total bases.
"We must come out tomorrow ready for the first pitch of the ballgame and compete if we want to sweep the series," coach Steele said.
For all of the latest information on the Marshall Softball team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdSB, Facebook at Marshall University Softball and on www.herdzone.com.
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