Softball Ready for Visit from Rider

Game Notes
HerdVision on CUSAtv: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Marshall Radio Online Stream
Live Stats

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall softball team is back at Dot Hicks Field for a three-game series against the Rider Broncs. The teams begin with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 2, at 1 p.m., and then a single game on Sunday at 11 a.m.

The Thundering Herd enters the weekend with an 11-5 record. The Broncs come in at 0-6.

Fans who cannot attend, can tune into the game on HerdVision on CUSAtv. The game will also be broadcast on 88.1 WMUL-FM with the audio streamed online at www.marshall.edu/wmul through one of the Listen Live links.

Last Time Out: Marshall 8, Ohio 0
The home-opener was a good day for the Thundering Herd as Marshall took down regional rival Ohio, 8-0, in five innings. The Herd belted out three more home runs as sophomore Aly Harrell and freshman Mya Stevenson both went deep for the fifth time this season, and junior Blakely Burch added her second of the year.

Marshall already has 18 home runs in its first 16 games. The Herd hit 24 all of last season and it took until April 18 against James Madison to get to its 18th home run as a team in 2018.

Offensively, Marshall collected nine hits in the win over the Bobcats as Stevenson, Burch and sophomore Katie Adams each collected two hits. In each of the Herd's last three wins, Adams has been the player to drive in the first run of the game. She did against UNC-Wilmington and Charleston Southern in the first innings, and did it again with a double off the top of the fence in left-center against Ohio.

Senior Abigail Tolbert went the distance for the sixth time this season in earning her seventh win. Tolbert allowed just four hits and struck out five in the shutout of the Bobcats. It was Tolbert's first shutout of the year and sixth of her career.

The Opponent: Ride Broncs – First ever meeting
The Broncs struggled in its first weekend on the field at the Kicken Chicken Classic at Coastal Carolina. Rider opened the season 0-6 and were outscored 67-3. The Broncs were run-ruled four times. Offensively, the team is hitting .120. Gabby Bram leads the Broncs with a .300 average, three hits, one RBI, two walks and two hit by pitches. Junior Elyse Cuttic was selected to the preseason Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Cuttic has two hits, one RBI and in the circle has tossed 9.0 innings, has a 17.11 ERA and six strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .448 against Rider and the pitching staff ERA is 13.70. Following the three-game series with Marshall, Rider heads down to Greensboro, N.C., for the North Carolina A&T Aggie Invitational. The Broncs will take on Brown, Alabama A&M and North Carolina A&T. Rider hosts its first home game on March 30 with a conference double-header against Niagara University.

Next Up for Marshall
Following the weekend series with Rider, Marshall heads back out on the road for eight more road games over the next two weeks. March 8-10, the Herd will be in Fairfax, Va., for the Cherry Blossom Invitational hosted by George Mason. Then March 16-17, Marshall heads down to Charlotte to take on the 49ers for the beginning of Conference USA action.

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.

To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!

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Players Mentioned

Katie Adams

Blakely Burch

Aly Harrell

Mya Stevenson

Abigail Tolbert

Marshall University Athletics