Marshall University Athletics
Herd Softball to Host Doubleheader with Morehead State
4/10/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Marshall Game Notes
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Live Video: Game 1 | Game 2
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall softball team returns to Dot Hicks Field for a doubleheader with regional rival Morehead State to start off a seven-game home swing. The twinbill with the Eagles begins Wednesday at 1 p.m.
Marshall is 18-20-1 overall and Morehead State is 18-10. The games will be broadcast on CUSAtv.com as well as 88.1 WMUL-FM and online www.marshall.edu/wmul through one of the Listen Live links.
The games are set for Little League Day and will also have a Disney theme as the players will all have walk-out songs from Disney movies and shows.
Last Time Out: Saint Francis and UTSA
Marshall struggled in the first game of the midweek doubleheader against the Saint Francis Red Flash. The SFU bats came out hot and stayed on fire taking game one, 16-3. Aly Harrell hit a three-run bomb in the first inning, but that was the only offense the Herd could muster. Marshall bounced back in game two as Abigail Tolbert kept the hot-hitting Red Flash to just three runs on five hits. Tolbert went the distance for the complete-game victory, 6-3. Harrell hit her fifth home run of the year, a solo shot, in the first inning. Wylie Glover, inserted into the starting lineup, performed well for the Herd as she hit a triple, a double and finished the day with three total hits.
The Herd traveled to San Antonio for the first time to take on the UTSA Roadrunners in Conference USA action. Marshall took the series two games to one as the Herd won both contests in the Saturday doubleheader. Tolbert earned the wins in both games. The junior pitched the complete game shutout in game one (3-0) and entered the circle in game two and pitched the final three innings while the Herd offense took the lead in the top of the seventh. With the game tied at 2-2, Elicia D'Orazio and Jordan Colliflower both reached base and got into scoring position. Harrell then drilled a double to center that scored both runners. Tolbert and the Herd D held on in the bottom of the inning for the win. Marshall fell in the series finale, 2-1.
In game one, Briana Daiss hit a mammoth shot to left for her third homer of the season and 18th of her career. Harrell broke a 10-year old program record by drawing a walk in game one for the eighth-straight contest. She passed four-time All-American Rachel Folden (2005-08) who set the mark of seven-straight games in 2008. The record ended in game two, however Harrell was 3-of-4 at the plate with three RBI including the two go-ahead runs in the seventh. In game two, Eloise Tribolet robbed Victoria Villarreal of a potential two-run home run in the first inning and recorded two hits. Colliflower and D'Orazio both kept their respective hitting streaks going at 21 and 11. Colliflower moved ahead of Marshall Athletics Hall of Famer Sierra Davenport (2001-04) and is second all-time as former high school, travel ball and college teammate Morgan Zerkle (2014-17) had a 27-game streak in 2015. For D'Orazio, this is the second longest of her career as she had a 15-game streak in 2017. D'Orazio is also closing in on the career stolen bases record. The senior speedster swiped six bags at UTSA and is just six away from passing Zerkle (162) for the most all-time. Tolbert finished the week with three wins in the circle for Marshall.
The Series: 36 meetings, Marshall leads 28-8
The series between the Herd and the Eagles is one of the oldest and longest running in program history as the teams are about to meet for the 18th season in the Herd's 25th season. Marshall first met Morehead State in the Herd's first season on April 7, 1994 for a road doubleheader. Marshall split the action, taking the second game. For future Marshall Athletics Hall of Famer Jeanne Noble, it matched her up against her former team as she played her first two seasons for the Eagles. Marshall and Morehead State met every season from 1994 to 2001, with the Herd taking 14 of the 20 contests. They met again in 2003 as Marshall took both games as part of a 10-game winning streak over the Eagles. Morehead State ended the streak with a 9-3 win, in Morehead, on April 7, 2010. The Eagles then defeated the Herd 9-1 in six innings in Huntington on April 19, 2011. Since then Marshall has won the past five meetings. The Herd won 9-4 on Feb. 18, 2012 at the College of Charleston in Coach David Williams' first season with the Eagles. Later in the year, Marshall took both games in a home doubleheader on April 18 winning 10-1 and 7-4. These two regional rivals met again on May 1, 2013 in Morehead. The Herd won 5-1 as seniors Jazmine Valle and Alysia Hively belted home runs. Freshman Kaelynn Greene and senior Bri Anna Hope combined for five of the Herd's nine hits. Senior Andi Williamson won her 27th game of the year. The last meeting came in Huntington on March 28, 2017. Marshall won 8-0 in five innings as senior pitcher Jordan Dixon tossed her second career no-hitter while striking out 10. It was the 16th win of the Herd's program record 17-straight.
Scouting the Eagles
The Eagles enter the doubleheader with a record of 18-10, however MSU has struggled in conference play at just 2-4 and is coming off a doubleheader loss to Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels took the OVC series 7-0 and 14-2. Freshman Paige Scruggs, who played high school ball with Marshall freshman Katie Adams, leads with a .329 average, seven doubles and 17 RBI. Seniors Robyn Leighton and Taylor Wheeler lead in home runs with four each. The team is hitting .251 and has outscored the competition by five, 106-101. In the circle, senior Chelsea McManaway has been leading the way again with a 12-4 record, 1.89 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 107.2 innings pitched. McManaway has been named the OVC Pitcher of the Week twice this season. Junior Allison Rager has been next with 69 innings, a 5-5 record and a 2.94 ERA. When not in the circle, Rager has been in the infield and hitting .293 with one double and one home run.
Marshall continues the homestand this Saturday and Sunday, April 14-15, as Charlotte visits Huntington for a three-game Conference USA series.
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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