Marshall University Athletics
Sunday, April 7
Huntington, W.Va.
12:00 PM
Marshall University
25-13, 8-4
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WKU
27-8, 10-2
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Marshall University
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Photo by: Adam Gue
Rousseau’s Eighth Inning Walk-Off Homer Powers Softball to Series Win Over WKU
4/7/2019 5:15:00 PM | Softball
Box Score (PDF)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Sophomore Rachel Rousseau delivered in the clutch again for the Marshall softball team on Sunday with a walk-off, solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Herd the 8-7 win over the WKU Lady Toppers and take the series, 2-1.
The Thundering Herd improved to 25-13 and 8-4 in Conference USA. WKU fell to 27-8 and 10-2 in conference play. Marshall handed the Lady Toppers its first two conference losses of the season.
Junior Blakely Burch reached base three times in the game with a hit-by-pitch and two hits, including a three-run bomb in the sixth that gave Marshall a one-run lead. Sophomore Aly Harrell tied a program single-game record with four walks, including one intentional walk. Sophomore Katie Adams drew two walks, recorded a hit and drove in one.
Senior Abigail Tolbert received the start and pitched the first five innings, allowing six hits, five runs and had five strikeouts. Tolbert recorded her 200th career strikeout in the second inning. Junior Kailee Williamson came on to start the sixth inning and pitched the final three to earn the win. Williamson allowed six hits, two runs and struck out three.
"Today, we completely left it all out on the field," Herd head coach Megan Smith said. "I think that was apparent watching them. We had some mistakes, we didn't play the best game, we weren't as sharp but we out-fought them. I felt that we had more heart, we battled and we never relented. I think that is what I am most proud of with all of our players.
"Offense, defense, pitchers, we never gave up. We just kept fighting and punching back, and being at home it was good to be able to have that last punch and get out of here with a win. I'm really proud of our team."
After missing 30 games due to a hand injury, Rousseau smacked her first career home run for a grand slam in the game one win on Saturday and returned with another clutch performance in the game three victory. Rousseau finished the game 3-for-5 at the plate, a double, two RBI and of course the walk-off.
"She (Rousseau) started off the season strong and we knew she was going to be a big part of our offense," coach Smith said of her sophomore slugger. "When she got hurt, we were lucky enough to have players step up and do a really good job. But having her back is huge. She is a force for us offensively and I think she proved that this weekend so we are glad to have her back."
The rubber-match was an electric atmosphere at Dot Hicks Field and everyone knew they were in for a battle after the first inning.
WKU started off the game with two runs in the top of the first, but Marshall responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. The Herd took advantage of free passes issued to Burch (hit-by-pitch), Harrell (walk), senior Hayden Ellis (walk), Adams (walk) and junior Sierra Huerta (hit-by-pitch). The walk to Adams scored Burch and Huerta's 18th hit-by-pitch of the year brought in Harrell. Senior Briana Daiss kept the inning going with a single to left that scored Ellis.
In the first, the teams combined to have 16 batters come to the plate and 64 total pitches. The Herd led 3-2.
The Lady Toppers tied the score with a solo home run in the second. The game turned into a pitchers' duel from there until the bottom of the fourth.
Burch hit a two-out, double down the right-field line and then scored on a single to center by Rousseau to give the Herd the lead again, 4-3. The Lady Toppers responded with two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to take a two-run lead, 6-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, senior Hannah Giammarino reached on an infield error to start the inning. Next, sophomore Armani Brown delivered a base hit into left that was mishandled and allowed both runners to take another base. Burch stepped back up to the plate with Giammarino at third and Brown at second, and crushed a pitch to straight-away center for her fourth home run of the year. Marshall now led by one, 7-6.
WKU kept the battle going with a run in the top of the seventh to tie the game. With bases loaded, Williamson came through with her third strikeout to end the inning. In the bottom of the seventh Marshall went down in order to move the game into extra innings.
The Lady Toppers got a runner on base in the top of the eighth, however a great play by Huerta at short and the stretch from Harrell at first, completed the out and got Marshall out of the inning with the game still tied at 7-7.
Rousseau was the first and only batter to step up in the bottom of the eighth for the Herd. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, and a full count, Rousseau drilled a towering shot to left-center for the winner. It was the second walk-off hit of her young career. The Morgantown, W.Va., native came through with a two-run double against Middle Tennessee in the final game of the 2018 regular season.
Marshall hits the road next, April 13-14, to take on the FIU Panthers. The Saturday doubleheader begins at 4 p.m.
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!
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Sophomore Rachel Rousseau delivered in the clutch again for the Marshall softball team on Sunday with a walk-off, solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Herd the 8-7 win over the WKU Lady Toppers and take the series, 2-1.
The Thundering Herd improved to 25-13 and 8-4 in Conference USA. WKU fell to 27-8 and 10-2 in conference play. Marshall handed the Lady Toppers its first two conference losses of the season.
Junior Blakely Burch reached base three times in the game with a hit-by-pitch and two hits, including a three-run bomb in the sixth that gave Marshall a one-run lead. Sophomore Aly Harrell tied a program single-game record with four walks, including one intentional walk. Sophomore Katie Adams drew two walks, recorded a hit and drove in one.
Senior Abigail Tolbert received the start and pitched the first five innings, allowing six hits, five runs and had five strikeouts. Tolbert recorded her 200th career strikeout in the second inning. Junior Kailee Williamson came on to start the sixth inning and pitched the final three to earn the win. Williamson allowed six hits, two runs and struck out three.
"Today, we completely left it all out on the field," Herd head coach Megan Smith said. "I think that was apparent watching them. We had some mistakes, we didn't play the best game, we weren't as sharp but we out-fought them. I felt that we had more heart, we battled and we never relented. I think that is what I am most proud of with all of our players.
"Offense, defense, pitchers, we never gave up. We just kept fighting and punching back, and being at home it was good to be able to have that last punch and get out of here with a win. I'm really proud of our team."
After missing 30 games due to a hand injury, Rousseau smacked her first career home run for a grand slam in the game one win on Saturday and returned with another clutch performance in the game three victory. Rousseau finished the game 3-for-5 at the plate, a double, two RBI and of course the walk-off.
"She (Rousseau) started off the season strong and we knew she was going to be a big part of our offense," coach Smith said of her sophomore slugger. "When she got hurt, we were lucky enough to have players step up and do a really good job. But having her back is huge. She is a force for us offensively and I think she proved that this weekend so we are glad to have her back."
The rubber-match was an electric atmosphere at Dot Hicks Field and everyone knew they were in for a battle after the first inning.
WKU started off the game with two runs in the top of the first, but Marshall responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. The Herd took advantage of free passes issued to Burch (hit-by-pitch), Harrell (walk), senior Hayden Ellis (walk), Adams (walk) and junior Sierra Huerta (hit-by-pitch). The walk to Adams scored Burch and Huerta's 18th hit-by-pitch of the year brought in Harrell. Senior Briana Daiss kept the inning going with a single to left that scored Ellis.
In the first, the teams combined to have 16 batters come to the plate and 64 total pitches. The Herd led 3-2.
The Lady Toppers tied the score with a solo home run in the second. The game turned into a pitchers' duel from there until the bottom of the fourth.
Burch hit a two-out, double down the right-field line and then scored on a single to center by Rousseau to give the Herd the lead again, 4-3. The Lady Toppers responded with two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to take a two-run lead, 6-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, senior Hannah Giammarino reached on an infield error to start the inning. Next, sophomore Armani Brown delivered a base hit into left that was mishandled and allowed both runners to take another base. Burch stepped back up to the plate with Giammarino at third and Brown at second, and crushed a pitch to straight-away center for her fourth home run of the year. Marshall now led by one, 7-6.
WKU kept the battle going with a run in the top of the seventh to tie the game. With bases loaded, Williamson came through with her third strikeout to end the inning. In the bottom of the seventh Marshall went down in order to move the game into extra innings.
The Lady Toppers got a runner on base in the top of the eighth, however a great play by Huerta at short and the stretch from Harrell at first, completed the out and got Marshall out of the inning with the game still tied at 7-7.
Rousseau was the first and only batter to step up in the bottom of the eighth for the Herd. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, and a full count, Rousseau drilled a towering shot to left-center for the winner. It was the second walk-off hit of her young career. The Morgantown, W.Va., native came through with a two-run double against Middle Tennessee in the final game of the 2018 regular season.
Marshall hits the road next, April 13-14, to take on the FIU Panthers. The Saturday doubleheader begins at 4 p.m.
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: Williamson, Kailee (8-2)
L: AIKEY, Kelsey (8-6)
Batting:
2B: SMITH, Kendall 1 ; McGUFFIN, Kelsey 2
HR: ENGELHARDT, Rebekah 1
RBI: SMITH, Kendall 2 ; SULLIVAN, Kennedy 1 ; PLESE, Shannon 2 ; ENGELHARDT, Rebekah 2
SF: SULLIVAN, Kennedy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: THOMAS, Jordan 1 ; CARTER, Paige 2 ; SMITH, Kendall 1 ; SULLIVAN, Kennedy 1 ; ENGELHARDT, Rebekah 1 ; BOWLDS, Maddie 1
SB: BOWLDS, Maddie 1
HBP: THOMAS, Jordan 1 ; VORBRINK, Jordan 1
Batting:
2B: Burch, Blakely 1
HR: Burch, Blakely 1 ; Rousseau, Rachel 1
RBI: Burch, Blakely 3 ; Rousseau, Rachel 2 ; Adams, Katie 1 ; Huerta, Sierra 1 ; Daiss, Briana 1
SH: Ellis, Hayden 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Burch, Blakely 3 ; Rousseau, Rachel 1 ; Harrell, Aly 1 ; Ellis, Hayden 1 ; Giammarino, Hannah 1 ; Brown, Armani 1
HBP: Burch, Blakely 1 ; Huerta, Sierra 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
3
H
2
RBI
3
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP/UTL
/ Softball
RHP
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