Marshall University Athletics
Tuesday, April 30
Morehead, KY
1:00 PM
Marshall University
32-17
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Morehead State
2-38
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Marshall
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Morehead State
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Photo by: Rick Haye
Softball Dominates in Doubleheader Wins at Morehead State
4/30/2019 7:44:00 PM | Softball
Burch sets program single-season triples record with seventh of year
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
MOREHEAD, Ky. – The Marshall softball team took both games in five innings, 11-1 and 11-3, at the Morehead State Eagles, Tuesday afternoon. Marshall smashed five more home runs during the day and have hit at least one homer in the last 11 games. The last time the Herd did not hit a home run was game two at FIU (April 13).
Junior Blakely Burch recorded her seventh triple of the year to set the program single-season record, breaking the old mark of six set by Morgan Zerkle (2014-17) in 2017.
The Thundering Herd improves to 33-17 overall and the Eagles fall to 2-39.
"Obviously today our offense was powerful," Herd head coach Megan Smith said. "We had five different players hits home runs today. I felt like offensively we were putting pressure on them. In the second game we let up a little bit but overall for the most part in each inning we were putting pressure on them. Even in the innings we didn't score I felt like we were hitting the ball hard. So, it was good to see our offense continue to do what we have been doing lately. We are hitting the ball hard and getting production from everyone in our lineup."
Game One: Marshall 11, Morehead State 1 (5 innings)
Marshall's 22 total runs for the day began right from the start with four runs in the first inning. Sophomore Aly Harrell crushed her 13th home run of the year for a two-run shot. Later in the inning, senior Briana Daiss drove in two more runs with a bases loaded single to left.
The Herd was held off the scoreboard until driving in six more runs in the fourth to take a 10-0 lead. Freshman Mya Stevenson plated sophomore Armani Brown with a double to left-center. Burch then followed up with a base hit to center that scored freshman Rachel Pennington. Some head's up base-running from Burch and Stevenson led to another run as Stevenson scored on a throw to second where Burch was safe. Junior Sierra Huerta kept the inning going with a double to center that scored Burch and then senior Hayden Ellis smacked a two-run homer for her sixth of the year. Marshall scored all six runs with no outs.
The Eagles scored one run in the bottom of the fourth to cut the deficit to nine but Marshall added one more run when Stevenson drove in her second run of the game as Brown scored on the single to center. The Herd closed out the game in the fifth for the run-rule win.
Senior pitcher Abigail Tolbert pitched the complete game and picked up her 21st win of the season. Tolbert struck out seven and allowed just three hits.
Brown set a career-high with three runs scored and had two hits. Harrell, along with the two-run homer, was walked once and hit by a pitch. It was her 53rd walk of the year and not the last as well as her 17th hit-by-pitch of the season, good for second all-time in program history.
Game Two: Marshall 11, Morehead State 3
The Herd came out swinging again with two home runs and four more runs in the first inning of game two. Brown scored her fourth run of the day off an error in center. Then Stevenson crushed her team-leading 14th of the year to left for a two-run shot, and the Burch made it back-to-back jacks with a solo shot to right-center.
Marshall then exploded for seven more runs in the second as 13 batters came to the plate. Huerta was plunked for the 24th time this season to leadoff and then Brown reached on her second infield single of the game. Harrell loaded the bases with her 54th walk of the year that led to Stevenson's two-run double to center. Two batters later, sophomore Rachel Rousseau smacked a three-run homer to left that gave Marshall a commanding 9-0 lead.
The second inning did not stop there as senior Hayden Ellis and freshman Chloe Lee were issued back-to-back walks. Senior Hannah Giammarino hit a single to center that drove in Ellis. Huerta stepped up for the second time in the inning and was hit by a pitch for the second time. With bases loaded, Harrell was walked for the second time in the inning as well that scored Lee. Marshall led 11-0.
The Eagles fought back with one run in the bottom of the second and two in the bottom of the third. Junior pitcher Kailee Williamson bounced back and allowed only one more base runner over the final two innings. Williamson struck out four and earned her career-best 10th win of the season.
In the top of the fifth, Burch ripped a shot to deep left that hit off the top of the fence. Using her speed, the junior legged it out for the record-breaking seventh triple of the year.
"That is a big deal for Blakely to break Zerkle's record," coach Smith said. "She was such a prolific player here and for Blakely to break that record is great. The thing about Blakely is she plays hard, and to hit triples you not only have to get good hits but you have to run the bases hard. And she does. When the ball leaves her bat, she is running as hard as she can and it is fun to watch her play. I'm excited that we get her for another year to be able to do that and maybe break it again next year."
Stevenson, the reigning Conference USA Player of the Week, finished the day with six RBI. Brown ended the day with five runs scored and four hits. Burch drove in a total of three runs, and Ellis was walked three times to go along with her sixth homer of the year. Huerta was hit by a pitch three times through both contests and hit her eighth double of the year in game one.
Marshall returns to action on Wednesday, May 1, back at Dot Hicks Field for a single game against the Pittsburgh Panthers. The Herd will then close out the regular season with a conference series against the Florida Atlantic Owls, May 4-5, at Dot Hicks Field.
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!
Game Two Box Score
MOREHEAD, Ky. – The Marshall softball team took both games in five innings, 11-1 and 11-3, at the Morehead State Eagles, Tuesday afternoon. Marshall smashed five more home runs during the day and have hit at least one homer in the last 11 games. The last time the Herd did not hit a home run was game two at FIU (April 13).
Junior Blakely Burch recorded her seventh triple of the year to set the program single-season record, breaking the old mark of six set by Morgan Zerkle (2014-17) in 2017.
The Thundering Herd improves to 33-17 overall and the Eagles fall to 2-39.
"Obviously today our offense was powerful," Herd head coach Megan Smith said. "We had five different players hits home runs today. I felt like offensively we were putting pressure on them. In the second game we let up a little bit but overall for the most part in each inning we were putting pressure on them. Even in the innings we didn't score I felt like we were hitting the ball hard. So, it was good to see our offense continue to do what we have been doing lately. We are hitting the ball hard and getting production from everyone in our lineup."
Game One: Marshall 11, Morehead State 1 (5 innings)
Marshall's 22 total runs for the day began right from the start with four runs in the first inning. Sophomore Aly Harrell crushed her 13th home run of the year for a two-run shot. Later in the inning, senior Briana Daiss drove in two more runs with a bases loaded single to left.
The Herd was held off the scoreboard until driving in six more runs in the fourth to take a 10-0 lead. Freshman Mya Stevenson plated sophomore Armani Brown with a double to left-center. Burch then followed up with a base hit to center that scored freshman Rachel Pennington. Some head's up base-running from Burch and Stevenson led to another run as Stevenson scored on a throw to second where Burch was safe. Junior Sierra Huerta kept the inning going with a double to center that scored Burch and then senior Hayden Ellis smacked a two-run homer for her sixth of the year. Marshall scored all six runs with no outs.
The Eagles scored one run in the bottom of the fourth to cut the deficit to nine but Marshall added one more run when Stevenson drove in her second run of the game as Brown scored on the single to center. The Herd closed out the game in the fifth for the run-rule win.
Senior pitcher Abigail Tolbert pitched the complete game and picked up her 21st win of the season. Tolbert struck out seven and allowed just three hits.
Brown set a career-high with three runs scored and had two hits. Harrell, along with the two-run homer, was walked once and hit by a pitch. It was her 53rd walk of the year and not the last as well as her 17th hit-by-pitch of the season, good for second all-time in program history.
Game Two: Marshall 11, Morehead State 3
The Herd came out swinging again with two home runs and four more runs in the first inning of game two. Brown scored her fourth run of the day off an error in center. Then Stevenson crushed her team-leading 14th of the year to left for a two-run shot, and the Burch made it back-to-back jacks with a solo shot to right-center.
Marshall then exploded for seven more runs in the second as 13 batters came to the plate. Huerta was plunked for the 24th time this season to leadoff and then Brown reached on her second infield single of the game. Harrell loaded the bases with her 54th walk of the year that led to Stevenson's two-run double to center. Two batters later, sophomore Rachel Rousseau smacked a three-run homer to left that gave Marshall a commanding 9-0 lead.
The second inning did not stop there as senior Hayden Ellis and freshman Chloe Lee were issued back-to-back walks. Senior Hannah Giammarino hit a single to center that drove in Ellis. Huerta stepped up for the second time in the inning and was hit by a pitch for the second time. With bases loaded, Harrell was walked for the second time in the inning as well that scored Lee. Marshall led 11-0.
The Eagles fought back with one run in the bottom of the second and two in the bottom of the third. Junior pitcher Kailee Williamson bounced back and allowed only one more base runner over the final two innings. Williamson struck out four and earned her career-best 10th win of the season.
In the top of the fifth, Burch ripped a shot to deep left that hit off the top of the fence. Using her speed, the junior legged it out for the record-breaking seventh triple of the year.
"That is a big deal for Blakely to break Zerkle's record," coach Smith said. "She was such a prolific player here and for Blakely to break that record is great. The thing about Blakely is she plays hard, and to hit triples you not only have to get good hits but you have to run the bases hard. And she does. When the ball leaves her bat, she is running as hard as she can and it is fun to watch her play. I'm excited that we get her for another year to be able to do that and maybe break it again next year."
Stevenson, the reigning Conference USA Player of the Week, finished the day with six RBI. Brown ended the day with five runs scored and four hits. Burch drove in a total of three runs, and Ellis was walked three times to go along with her sixth homer of the year. Huerta was hit by a pitch three times through both contests and hit her eighth double of the year in game one.
Marshall returns to action on Wednesday, May 1, back at Dot Hicks Field for a single game against the Pittsburgh Panthers. The Herd will then close out the regular season with a conference series against the Florida Atlantic Owls, May 4-5, at Dot Hicks Field.
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!
---HerdZone.com---
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tolbert, Abigail (21-13)
L: STROTHER, Alexis (0-6)
Batting:
2B: Stevenson, Mya 1 ; Huerta, Sierra 1 ; Giammarino, Hannah 1
HR: Harrell, Aly 1 ; Ellis, Hayden 1
RBI: Harrell, Aly 2 ; Stevenson, Mya 2 ; Burch, Blakely 2 ; Huerta, Sierra 1 ; Ellis, Hayden 2 ; Daiss, Briana 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brown, Armani 3 ; Harrell, Aly 1 ; Pennington, Rachel 1 ; Stevenson, Mya 1 ; Burch, Blakely 2 ; Huerta, Sierra 2 ; Ellis, Hayden 1
HBP: Harrell, Aly 1 ; Huerta, Sierra 1
Batting:
2B: VALENCIA, Princess 1
RBI: SLATER, Peyton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BENNETT, Aubrey 1
SB: MEYER, Cheyenne 1 ; ROSE, Peyton 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
3
H
2
RBI
0
dp/rf
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballP
/ Softball
RHP/UTL
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
UTL
/ SoftballMarshall Softball Class of 2025 Graduates
Friday, May 02
Marshall Softball: Kaleea Washington & Brooklyn Ulrich (Post-Radford)
Tuesday, April 22
Marshall Softball: HC Morgan Zerkle, Haleigh Adkins, Paige Maynard (Post-Coastal)
Friday, April 18
Hype and Harmony: the Team Personality Fuels Success #softball
Thursday, April 17