Softball Back in C-USA Action as UTSA Visits Dot Hicks Field

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

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall softball team gets back into Conference USA action Saturday and Sunday, March 23-24, as the UTSA Roadrunners make the trip to Dot Hicks Field. The Saturday doubleheader begins at 1 p.m., with the series finale on Sunday set for 12 p.m.

The Thundering Herd is 19-8 overall and 2-1 in Conference USA. The Roadrunners come in at 14-12 overall and 5-1 in conference action.

Fans who cannot attend can tune in for the live stream on HerdVision through CUSAtv, and 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: vs. No. 13 Kentucky, Herd lost 9-4
Marshall fell behind early 9-0 after the top of the third, but fought back against the 13th ranked team in the country, before ultimately falling in the end 9-4. Sophomore Aly Harrell was walked three times in the game, fourth time this season. On the one opportunity that Kentucky pitched to Harrell, she smashed her eighth home run of the year way out to right. It was her 19th career home run, already 12th all-time in Marshall history.

The Herd scored three more runs in the fourth to cut the lead to five, and had other opportunities late in the game but just could not find that timely hit. Senior pitcher Abigail Tolbert settled in after coming on in relief partway through the third inning. The defense made great plays as well in holding the Wildcats off the scoreboard through the final four innings. Senior catcher Hayden Ellis threw out two potential base-stealers for the second time this season and junior Sierra Huerta made a leaping catch at short that ended the inning stranding three Wildcat runners on base.

The Series: 7 all-time meetings, Marshall leads 6-1
The series between Marshall and UTSA began on May 11, 2016 in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament. The Roadrunners had been members of C-USA since 2014, but the two teams never met during the regular season through those first three years. It was a pitcher's duel through the C-USA tournament contest until the Herd managed to get Jordan Colliflower to third and Madi Marshall at second in the bottom of the seventh. Morgan Zerkle dropped down a bunt and outran the throw to first as Colliflower sneaked in behind the catcher to score the walk-off winner, 1-0. The teams finally met in the regular season in 2017 at Dot Hicks Field. Marshall ran off a three-game sweep for wins six, seven and eight during what ultimately became a program-record 17-game winning streak. In 2018, Marshall made the trip out to San Antonio for the first time and took the Saturday doubleheader on a very windy and cool day. Aly Harrell drove in three runs in the game two victory. Abigail Tolbert spent time in the circle in all three contests, earned the twinbill wins on Saturday, recorded six strikeouts and allowed just two runs in 16 total innings.

Scouting the Roadrunners
UTSA comes to Huntington with a great start in Conference USA play. The Roadrunners were 9-11 before a three-game sweep of UAB, and then took 2-of-3 from Middle Tennessee, with both series at home. The three-game set at Marshall will be the first road conference series of the season for UTSA. The Roadrunners averaged 6.33 runs per game during the UAB and MTSU series. Offensively, the team is hitting .239 for the year, but have only been outscored by just 11 runs (100-111). Celeste Loughman (C-USA player of the week Feb. 25) leads with a .371 average, 33 hits and eight steals. Preseason all-conference selection Bailee Baldwin is hitting .305 with 13 extra base hits (six doubles, four triples and six home runs) and has been walked 16 times. Baldwin is slugging .659, an on base percentage of .418 and hit two homers off Marshall in the 2018 series. In the circle, the staff ERA is 3.27 and opponents are hitting .297. Madison Nelson has been the main arm for UTSA with a 2.91 ERA, 6-6 record, 14 starts, six complete games, 24 strikeouts and 86.2 innings.

Up Next
Following the three-game series, Marshall heads back out on the road at Longwood (March 26), at No. 19 James Madison, and finally a three-game series at Southern Miss (March 30-31).

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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Softball Back in C-USA Action as UTSA Visits Dot Hicks Field

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Players Mentioned

Jordan Colliflower

Hayden Ellis

Aly Harrell

Sierra Huerta

Madi Marshall

Abigail Tolbert

Morgan Zerkle

Marshall University Athletics