Softball Smacks Eight Total Home Runs in Doubleheader Wins at Middle Tennessee

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Marshall softball team powered out eight home runs between the two contests in a dominant doubleheader sweep at Middle Tennessee on Saturday. The Herd has set a team record for home runs in a season, now up to 59, surpassing the old mark of 52 set in 2008.

Freshman Mya Stevenson hit three homers, junior Blakely Burch hit two and seniors Hayden Ellis and Hannah Giammarino along with sophomore Rachel Rousseau belted one homer each. Stevenson now owns the program single-season freshman record for home runs with 13, surpassing Harrell's mark of 11 from 2018.

The Thundering Herd improves to 30-17 and 13-7 in Conference USA. The Blue Raiders drop to 25-23 and 9-10 in conference play.

"Today we had a dominant performance from our offense and from Abbie Tolbert," Herd head coach Megan Smith said. "Abbie was untouchable today, she gave up just one hit and it was a bunt and our offense was locked in. We broke the home run record today and we showed a lot of power but the best part was that we had five different players in our lineup hit homers today.

"I felt like our performance today with offense, defense and pitching was one of the most complete days we have had this season. It was really good to see."

Game One: Marshall 12, Middle Tennessee 0 (5 innings)
The Herd caught fire right off the bat in the first inning as Marshall hit the first three homers of the day. Rousseau belted her fifth home run of the year for a solo shot. After sophomore Aly Harrell was walked, Stevenson hit her first of three for a two-run blast to give the Herd a 3-0 lead. Immediately after, Burch belted a solo shot for back-to-back home runs. It was the first time Marshall hit three home runs in the same inning since April 15, 2008 at Morehead State.

In the second Stevenson belted a three-run homer to give the Herd a 7-0 lead.

Senior pitcher Abigail Tolbert was on cruise control throughout the game allowing just one hit, two walks and struck out three.

The Herd added five more runs in the fifth to build the score out to 12-0. Burch led off the inning reaching on an error and then junior Sierra Huerta reached on her second hit-by-pitch of the game and 21st of the season. Ellis drew a walk to load the bases and then senior Briana Daiss hit a sacrifice fly to left-center that brought home Burch. Sophomore Katie Adams came in to pinch hit for sophomore Armani Brown and delivered with a two-run double down the right-field line.

The inning continued after Brown came back in to run at second, and Giammarino got a base hit to left that moved Brown to third. Brown then scored on a passed ball and Giammarino later scored on a single from Stevenson.

Stevenson finished the game 3-of-4 at the plate with two home runs and six RBI.

Game Two: Marshall 8, Middle Tennessee 2
It took the Herd a little bit more time to get rolling again in game two but the long ball stayed in Marshall's attack with four more home runs, all solo shots.

Daiss got the Herd on the scoreboard first in the top of the second with an RBI single to center that scored Huerta. Middle Tennessee tied the game in the bottom of the second.

Giammarino led off the top of third with the Herd's first home run of game two and gave the lead back to Marshall, 2-1, but the Blue Raiders tied the game again at 2-2 in the bottom of the third.

Ellis put the lead back in the Herd's hands in the top of the fourth with a solo home run to left-center, her fifth of the year.

Junior Kailee Williamson got the start in the circle and pitched the first three innings. Tolbert came on in relief to start the fourth and pitched the final four innings to earn her 19th win of the season. Tolbert did not allow a hit and struck out four.

Marshall exploded for four more runs in the sixth to take a commanding 7-2 lead. Stevenson led off the inning with her third home run of the day to left-center. Burch kept the inning going with a single and then Ellis reached two batters later off an infield error. With two-outs, Brown sent a shot into the gap in right-center for her first career triple and drove in Burch and Ellis. Giammarino capped off the inning with an RBI single that scored Brown.

Burch provided the final run of the game in the top of the seventh with the Herd's eighth homer of the day, another solo shot to center. Marshall finished the game with a 3-up, 3-down inning in the bottom of the seventh in just four pitches.

The series finale is set for Sunday with a 1 p.m., eastern first pitch.

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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Softball Smacks Eight Total Home Runs in Doubleheader Wins at Middle Tennessee

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Team Stats

Mya Stevenson

Blakely Burch

Hannah Giammarino

Rachel Rousseau

Players Mentioned

Katie Adams

Armani Brown

Blakely Burch

Briana Daiss

Hayden Ellis

Hannah Giammarino

Aly Harrell

Sierra Huerta

Rachel Rousseau

Mya Stevenson

Abigail Tolbert

Kailee Williamson

Players Mentioned

Katie Adams

Armani Brown

Blakely Burch

Briana Daiss

Hayden Ellis

Hannah Giammarino

Aly Harrell

Sierra Huerta

Rachel Rousseau

Mya Stevenson

Abigail Tolbert

Kailee Williamson

Marshall University Athletics