Marshall University Athletics
Friday, February 28
Hampton, Va.
10:00 AM
Marshall University
9-5
8
vs
0
Delaware State University
0-12
1
2
3
4
5
6
R
H
E
Delaware State
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
Marshall University
0
2
1
1
1
3
8
13
1
Softball Bats Come Out Hot and Take Two
2/28/2020 6:15:00 PM | Softball
Herd hammers seven total home runs in the two wins
Delaware State Box Score (PDF)
Hampton Box Score (PDF)
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HAMPTON, Va. – The Marshall softball team had the bats blazing Friday on the first day of the Pirate Classic. The Herd defeated Delaware State 8-0 in six innings, and then took down the host Hampton Pirates 12-3 in five innings.
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The Thundering Herd tallied 24 total hits including seven home runs while improving to 10-5 overall. Head coach Megan Smith, who earned her 50th win at Marshall this past Sunday, has now seen her team record its last four wins all by the run-rule.
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Game One: Marshall 8, Delaware State 0 – 6 innings
The last time Marshall played Delaware State (2017), the Herd set a program record for stolen bases with 16. This time around, Marshall tied a program record with five home runs. The fifth coming the bottom of the sixth inning to end the game.
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Senior Sierra Huerta tied her career-high with two homers. Huerta hit two against Bucknell in the second game of this season. Sophomore Mya Stevenson also tied her career-high with two home runs and is now tied with former teammate Briana Daiss (2016-19) for ninth all-time in team history with 26 career dingers. Junior Saige Pye hit the fifth and final home run of the game with a three-run shot in the sixth.
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Freshman pitcher Ashley Blessin went the distance and delivered a one-hitter, earning her third win of the year. Blessin set a career-high with six innings and four strikeouts. The Hornets finally recorded its only hit in the top of the sixth.
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Marshall got the home run party started in the bottom of the second. Senior Haleigh Christopher led off with a single to center, and the sophomore Caitlin Myers came in to pinch run at first. The extra speed was not needed as Huerta belted her first home run of the game to left.
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Then the game became a barrage of solo home runs. Stevenson led off the third with a home run to left. Next, Huerta led off the fourth with a solo shot to left-center. Finally, Stevenson hit her second of the game on a leadoff solo homer to center in the fifth.
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To finish everything off, junior Rachel Rousseau got the sixth started with a single to right-center. Two batters later, junior Aly Harrell got a base hit to left-center to put two runners on. Sophomore Rachel Pennington came in to run at first and again the extra speed was not necessary as Pye cranked out a laser to right field for the fifth Marshall home run of the game.
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The fifth home run tied the program record originally set on April 9, 2014 at Northern Kentucky. Marshall tied the record on Feb. 16, 2019 against Presbyterian.
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Rousseau finished the game 3-for-3 at the plate with her fifth double of the year. Pye, Stevenson, Huerta and Christopher all tallied two hits each as Marshall recorded 13 in the win.
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Delaware State fell to 0-12.
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Game Two: Marshall 12, Hampton 3 (5 innings)
Despite the one game break in between contests, the Herd bats stayed hot with 11 hits and 12 runs to defeat the Hampton Pirates. Marshall connected for two more home runs as Sierra Huerta hit her third of the day and Haleigh Christopher hit her third of the season.
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Junior Laney Jones got the start and pitched the first three innings. Jones allowed six hits, three runs and struck out three. Senior Kailee Williamson finished the game with the last two innings and allowed just one hit while striking out two. Jones earned her sixth win of the season.
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The Herd got started right from the start with two runs in the first. Aly Harrell drew her first walk of the game and then Saige Pye reached on a single to center. A passed ball moved both players up a base and then Mya Stevenson drove in Harrell with a single. Sierra Huerta next hit the first of three sacrifice flies for the Herd to left that scored Pye. Marshall led 2-0.
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The Herd exploded in the top of the second adding seven more runs as 11 batters came to the plate. Junior Armani Brown led off with a base hit. Then Christopher hit the first home run of the game with a laser to left. Sophomore Grace Chelemen kept things rolling with a single, stole second, and then sophomore Chloe Lee reached with a walk. Two batters later, Harrell drove in Brown with a base hit. It was Harrell's 100th career RBI making her the 12th player in program history to hit the century mark.
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Marshall wasn't done in the second as Pye hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field that scored Lee from third and Harrell advanced to third. Stevenson then got on board from a walk, and a pickoff attempt at third that got away allowed Harrell to score. Next, Huerta smacked a two-run blast out to the trees in left-center as Marshall led 9-0.
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Hampton scored one run in the bottom of the second, held Marshall scoreless in the third, and then scored two runs in the bottom of the third to cut the Herd lead to six at 9-3.
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Marshall added three more runs in the fourth to build the lead back to nine. Pye led off with her second hit of the game and was followed by a base hit from Stevenson. Huerta loaded the bases reaching on an infield error. Brown drove in Caitlin Myers, who was in to run for Pye, with a single to center. Christopher then grounded into a fielder's choice that retired Stevenson at home, but an attempt for the double play at first, rolled in to right field and Huerta sprinted home. Brown scored the third run of the inning on Marshall's third sacrifice fly as Chelemen lifted one to center.
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Hampton came up in the bottom of the fifth needing to score at least two runs to keep the game moving to the sixth. Freshman Mo'ne Davis led off with a single, however she ended up stranded at first. Williamson tallied her second strikeout for the first out of the inning and then Chelemen ran down a possible base hit with a catch in shallow left-center. A pop out to Harrell in foul territory ended the game and gave Marshall its 10th win of the season.
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Brown, Stevenson and Pye all recorded two hits. Huerta had her second consecutive game with three RBI. Harrell recorded two more walks as it was her 30th career game with two or more.
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Marshall returns to the field on Saturday, this time playing at Norfolk State. The Herd takes on the Howard Bison at 12 p.m., and then will face Norfolk State at 4 p.m.
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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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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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Hampton Box Score (PDF)
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HAMPTON, Va. – The Marshall softball team had the bats blazing Friday on the first day of the Pirate Classic. The Herd defeated Delaware State 8-0 in six innings, and then took down the host Hampton Pirates 12-3 in five innings.
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The Thundering Herd tallied 24 total hits including seven home runs while improving to 10-5 overall. Head coach Megan Smith, who earned her 50th win at Marshall this past Sunday, has now seen her team record its last four wins all by the run-rule.
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Game One: Marshall 8, Delaware State 0 – 6 innings
The last time Marshall played Delaware State (2017), the Herd set a program record for stolen bases with 16. This time around, Marshall tied a program record with five home runs. The fifth coming the bottom of the sixth inning to end the game.
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Senior Sierra Huerta tied her career-high with two homers. Huerta hit two against Bucknell in the second game of this season. Sophomore Mya Stevenson also tied her career-high with two home runs and is now tied with former teammate Briana Daiss (2016-19) for ninth all-time in team history with 26 career dingers. Junior Saige Pye hit the fifth and final home run of the game with a three-run shot in the sixth.
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Freshman pitcher Ashley Blessin went the distance and delivered a one-hitter, earning her third win of the year. Blessin set a career-high with six innings and four strikeouts. The Hornets finally recorded its only hit in the top of the sixth.
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Marshall got the home run party started in the bottom of the second. Senior Haleigh Christopher led off with a single to center, and the sophomore Caitlin Myers came in to pinch run at first. The extra speed was not needed as Huerta belted her first home run of the game to left.
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Then the game became a barrage of solo home runs. Stevenson led off the third with a home run to left. Next, Huerta led off the fourth with a solo shot to left-center. Finally, Stevenson hit her second of the game on a leadoff solo homer to center in the fifth.
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To finish everything off, junior Rachel Rousseau got the sixth started with a single to right-center. Two batters later, junior Aly Harrell got a base hit to left-center to put two runners on. Sophomore Rachel Pennington came in to run at first and again the extra speed was not necessary as Pye cranked out a laser to right field for the fifth Marshall home run of the game.
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The fifth home run tied the program record originally set on April 9, 2014 at Northern Kentucky. Marshall tied the record on Feb. 16, 2019 against Presbyterian.
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Rousseau finished the game 3-for-3 at the plate with her fifth double of the year. Pye, Stevenson, Huerta and Christopher all tallied two hits each as Marshall recorded 13 in the win.
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Delaware State fell to 0-12.
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Game Two: Marshall 12, Hampton 3 (5 innings)
Despite the one game break in between contests, the Herd bats stayed hot with 11 hits and 12 runs to defeat the Hampton Pirates. Marshall connected for two more home runs as Sierra Huerta hit her third of the day and Haleigh Christopher hit her third of the season.
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Junior Laney Jones got the start and pitched the first three innings. Jones allowed six hits, three runs and struck out three. Senior Kailee Williamson finished the game with the last two innings and allowed just one hit while striking out two. Jones earned her sixth win of the season.
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The Herd got started right from the start with two runs in the first. Aly Harrell drew her first walk of the game and then Saige Pye reached on a single to center. A passed ball moved both players up a base and then Mya Stevenson drove in Harrell with a single. Sierra Huerta next hit the first of three sacrifice flies for the Herd to left that scored Pye. Marshall led 2-0.
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The Herd exploded in the top of the second adding seven more runs as 11 batters came to the plate. Junior Armani Brown led off with a base hit. Then Christopher hit the first home run of the game with a laser to left. Sophomore Grace Chelemen kept things rolling with a single, stole second, and then sophomore Chloe Lee reached with a walk. Two batters later, Harrell drove in Brown with a base hit. It was Harrell's 100th career RBI making her the 12th player in program history to hit the century mark.
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Marshall wasn't done in the second as Pye hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field that scored Lee from third and Harrell advanced to third. Stevenson then got on board from a walk, and a pickoff attempt at third that got away allowed Harrell to score. Next, Huerta smacked a two-run blast out to the trees in left-center as Marshall led 9-0.
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Hampton scored one run in the bottom of the second, held Marshall scoreless in the third, and then scored two runs in the bottom of the third to cut the Herd lead to six at 9-3.
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Marshall added three more runs in the fourth to build the lead back to nine. Pye led off with her second hit of the game and was followed by a base hit from Stevenson. Huerta loaded the bases reaching on an infield error. Brown drove in Caitlin Myers, who was in to run for Pye, with a single to center. Christopher then grounded into a fielder's choice that retired Stevenson at home, but an attempt for the double play at first, rolled in to right field and Huerta sprinted home. Brown scored the third run of the inning on Marshall's third sacrifice fly as Chelemen lifted one to center.
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Hampton came up in the bottom of the fifth needing to score at least two runs to keep the game moving to the sixth. Freshman Mo'ne Davis led off with a single, however she ended up stranded at first. Williamson tallied her second strikeout for the first out of the inning and then Chelemen ran down a possible base hit with a catch in shallow left-center. A pop out to Harrell in foul territory ended the game and gave Marshall its 10th win of the season.
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Brown, Stevenson and Pye all recorded two hits. Huerta had her second consecutive game with three RBI. Harrell recorded two more walks as it was her 30th career game with two or more.
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Marshall returns to the field on Saturday, this time playing at Norfolk State. The Herd takes on the Howard Bison at 12 p.m., and then will face Norfolk State at 4 p.m.
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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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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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---HerdZone.com---
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Blessin, Ashley (3-0)
L: JOHNSON,Andrea (0-5)
Base Running:
SB: CUNNIGAN,Jonah 1
Batting:
2B: Christopher, Haleigh 1 ; Rousseau, Rachel 1
HR: Pye, Saige 1 ; Stevenson, Mya 2 ; Huerta, Sierra 2
RBI: Pye, Saige 3 ; Stevenson, Mya 2 ; Huerta, Sierra 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Pennington, Rachel 1 ; Pye, Saige 1 ; Stevenson, Mya 2 ; Myers, Caitlin 1 ; Huerta, Sierra 2 ; Rousseau, Rachel 1
CS: Brown, Armani 1 ; Lee, Chloe 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballP
/ Softball
RHP
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