Marshall University Athletics
Herd Softball Sweeps Middle Tennessee in Thrilling Fashion
5/6/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game One Box Score (PDF)
Game Two Box Score (PDF)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall softball team finished the regular season and senior day with a thriller sweeping the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in a Sunday afternoon doubleheader. The Thundering Herd took game one, 8-6, and then won with a pinch-hit walk-off in the bottom of the seventh to take game two, 3-2.
Marshall improves to 25-28-1 and 13-9-1 in Conference USA action. Middle Tennessee drops to 34-20 and 11-11 in conference play. The Herd secured the five seed for the C-USA Tournament, May 9-12, in Charlotte.
"Today featured two great team wins," Herd head coach Jen Steele said. "We really focused on trusting our preparation and playing for one another this weekend. In game one, we sold out to our game plan and had consistent offense, scoring in four innings.
"Being able to walk it off in the bottom of the seventh in front of our home crowd is the best gift I think we could have given our senior class. They're a very special group and I am thankful we got to be a part of their final season with the Herd."
Game One: Marshall 8, Middle Tennessee 6
Marshall trailed 2-0 after the first inning but the bats came to life in the second with four runs to take the lead. Briana Daiss, Grayson Radcliffe, Jordan Colliflower and Eloise Tribolet all crossed the plate as Marshall recorded four hits in the inning. Senior Elicia D'Orazio drove in fellow classmates Colliflower and Tribolet with a single to left to give the Herd a two-run lead, 4-2.
The Herd increased its lead to three in the third, 5-2, when sophomore Blakely Burch singled to center that scored Daiss. Middle Tennessee responded with one run in the fourth but then Marshall put up two more runs in the bottom of the fourth as Colliflower and D'Orazio both scored.
The Blue Raiders threatened in the top of the fifth scoring three runs, all coming on two outs. Junior Abigail Tolbert, who started the game and was pulled in the first, re-entered the circle for sophomore Kailee Williamson. Tolbert got the final out with a bases loaded strikeout.
The Herd added one more run in the bottom of the sixth to take a two-run lead, 8-6. Middle Tennessee threatened again loading the bases on two outs. Junior Ali Burdette was brought in to finish, and got the last out for the Herd with a fly-out to right-center. Williamson was credited with the win and Burdette earned her first career save.
D'Orazio recorded two hits and drove in three runs in the win. Colliflower went 2-of-3 with a double and scored two runs. Radcliffe was walked three times in game one.
Game Two: Marshall 3, Middle Tennessee 2
It took some late game heroics for Marshall to pull of the doubleheader sweep as the Blue Raiders kept Marshall off the bases in game two, allowing just two hits through the first six innings.
For the second-straight game, Middle Tennessee jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. However, Burdette and the Marshall defense continued to make the plays when needed throughout the rest of the game.
The Herd cut the deficit to one in the fourth inning. Daiss drove in D'Orazio to get Marshall on the scoreboard.
Marshall's defense rolled through the Blue Raider lineup in the sixth and the seventh, allowing just one runner to reach base. The Herd trailed 2-1 going into the bottom of the seventh.
Freshman Aly Harrell led off and was hit by a pitch. Daiss then followed up with an infield single on a bunt attempt. With both runners safe and replacements on the bases, junior Abigail Estrada in for Harrell and freshman Wylie Glover running for Daiss, Radcliffe dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position.
Coach Steele then sent in freshman Rachel Rousseau to pinch hit. With one out, two runners on and an 0-1 count, Rousseau came through with a two-run double to left-center. Estrada and Glover both scored to give Marshall the walk-off win.
"We are riding some good momentum right now, and we intend to take that with us down to Charlotte this week," coach Steele said. "Once we get all of our pieces working together, we are tough. We are peaking at the right time and I am excited to see how deep of a run we will make."
Marshall heads into the Conference USA tournament as the No. 5 seed. The Herd will play against No. 8 seed WKU on Wednesday, May 9 at 12 p.m., from Charlotte. The winner will take on No. 4 seed Louisiana Tech at 5 p.m. The first round of the tournament is single elimination. Once a team advances to Thursday, double elimination begins. The championship game on Saturday, May 12, is a single game with the winner getting the automatic bid into the NCAA Regional Tournament.
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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