Marshall University Athletics
Saturday, March 7
Huntington, W.Va.
12:00 PM
Marshall University
16-5
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Bucknell University
6-10
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Bucknell
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Marshall University
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Late Game Heroics Moves Softball Win Streak to Nine-Straight
3/7/2020 8:53:00 PM | Softball
Stevenson becomes fastest Herd player to 10 home runs in a season
Bucknell Box Score (PDF)
Rutgers Box Score (PDF)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall softball team pushed its win streak to nine-straight with victories over the Bucknell Bison, 4-3, and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 9-8, Saturday at Dot Hicks Field. Sophomore Mya Stevenson hit her 10th home run of the year and became the fastest player in team history to hit 10 in a season.
The Thundering Herd improved to 17-5.
Game One: Marshall 4, Bucknell 3
The Herd pulled out a narrow victory over Bucknell in a game that the offense was not quite in sync. Marshall was outhit, 5-3, however the Herd took came through with clutch hits when it was needed.
Marshall also received a great game in the circle from freshman Ashley Blessin who earned her sixth win and struck out a career-high seven batters. All three of Bucknell's runs came in the first inning, then Blessin and the Herd defense settled in.
The Herd responded in the bottom of the first as junior Aly Harrell led off with a double. Senior Sierra Huerta then swapped places with Harrell with a double that scored Harrell for the first run. Later in the inning, Huerta scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to one, 3-2.
Marshall took the lead in the bottom of the fourth as junior Katie Adams smacked her second home run of the season, driving in junior Saige Pye. The Herd led 4-3 and held on the rest of the way.
Junior Laney Jones came in to pitch for the top of the seventh and earned the save, her third of the season.
Game Two: Marshall 9, Rutgers 8
Marshall took the first lead and then had to fight back late to hold off Rutgers for the 9-8 win. The Herd led 3-0, then 4-2, and then fell behind 7-4 before exploding for five runs in the bottom of the sixth.
In the third inning, senior Haleigh Christopher led off with a double and then sophomore Chloe Lee came in to run. Two batters later, junior Armani Brown plated Lee with a single down the left field line. Aly Harrell then reached on a fielder's choice that retired Brown. With Harrell at first, Sierra Huerta hit a triple off the fence in center that scored Harrell. It was Huerta's first triple in a Marshall uniform. Mya Stevenson next scored Huerta with an infield single.
The Scarlet Knights scored two runs in the top of the fourth and then Marshall scored one more in the bottom of the frame. Junior Rachel Rousseau scored on a base hit from Brown. The Herd led 4-2, however that did not last much longer.
Rutgers scored four runs in the top of the fifth and added one more in the sixth to lead 7-4. Laney Jones received the start and was pulled in the fourth inning. Junior Megan Stauffer came in next and was credited with 0.2 innings pitched before Ashley Blessin entered the circle. Blessin faced two batters before senior Kailee Williamson came in and finished the fifth recording the final two outs, and pitched through the sixth allowing one run.
In the bottom of the sixth, Marshall got back into rhythm. With one out, sophomore Grace Chelemen drew a walk and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Brown. Harrell got the two-out rally going with a single to right that scored Chelemen. Huerta then drilled a double to right field that put two runners on for Stevenson. The sophomore slugger belted a three-run homer over the scoreboard in left-center as Marshall took back the lead.
Stevenson hit her 10th home run of the season in just the 22nd game of the year. She became the fastest to reach double-digits, breaking the old record of 23 games set by Rachel Folden (2005-08) in 2006.
However, the inning was not over as Saige Pye made it back-to-back homers with a blast to left. Marshall led 9-7.
Jones re-entered the circle to start the seventh inning. Rutgers scored one more run, but the Marshall defense made the plays as Jones earned her second save of the day and fourth of the year. Williamson was credited with the victory.
The Herd totaled 12 hits in the game with Huerta, Stevenson, and Pye collecting two each. Stevenson drove in four runs and Brown had two RBI.
Marshall returns to the field on Sunday for the final day of the Thundering Herd Round Robin. The Herd plays Bucknell at 11:30 a.m. and then Rutgers at 1:30 p.m. The games are broadcast on ESPN3 as well as 88.1 WMUL-FM with audio streamed online at www.marshall.edu/wmul.
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!
Rutgers Box Score (PDF)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall softball team pushed its win streak to nine-straight with victories over the Bucknell Bison, 4-3, and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 9-8, Saturday at Dot Hicks Field. Sophomore Mya Stevenson hit her 10th home run of the year and became the fastest player in team history to hit 10 in a season.
The Thundering Herd improved to 17-5.
Game One: Marshall 4, Bucknell 3
The Herd pulled out a narrow victory over Bucknell in a game that the offense was not quite in sync. Marshall was outhit, 5-3, however the Herd took came through with clutch hits when it was needed.
Marshall also received a great game in the circle from freshman Ashley Blessin who earned her sixth win and struck out a career-high seven batters. All three of Bucknell's runs came in the first inning, then Blessin and the Herd defense settled in.
The Herd responded in the bottom of the first as junior Aly Harrell led off with a double. Senior Sierra Huerta then swapped places with Harrell with a double that scored Harrell for the first run. Later in the inning, Huerta scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to one, 3-2.
Marshall took the lead in the bottom of the fourth as junior Katie Adams smacked her second home run of the season, driving in junior Saige Pye. The Herd led 4-3 and held on the rest of the way.
Junior Laney Jones came in to pitch for the top of the seventh and earned the save, her third of the season.
Game Two: Marshall 9, Rutgers 8
Marshall took the first lead and then had to fight back late to hold off Rutgers for the 9-8 win. The Herd led 3-0, then 4-2, and then fell behind 7-4 before exploding for five runs in the bottom of the sixth.
In the third inning, senior Haleigh Christopher led off with a double and then sophomore Chloe Lee came in to run. Two batters later, junior Armani Brown plated Lee with a single down the left field line. Aly Harrell then reached on a fielder's choice that retired Brown. With Harrell at first, Sierra Huerta hit a triple off the fence in center that scored Harrell. It was Huerta's first triple in a Marshall uniform. Mya Stevenson next scored Huerta with an infield single.
The Scarlet Knights scored two runs in the top of the fourth and then Marshall scored one more in the bottom of the frame. Junior Rachel Rousseau scored on a base hit from Brown. The Herd led 4-2, however that did not last much longer.
Rutgers scored four runs in the top of the fifth and added one more in the sixth to lead 7-4. Laney Jones received the start and was pulled in the fourth inning. Junior Megan Stauffer came in next and was credited with 0.2 innings pitched before Ashley Blessin entered the circle. Blessin faced two batters before senior Kailee Williamson came in and finished the fifth recording the final two outs, and pitched through the sixth allowing one run.
In the bottom of the sixth, Marshall got back into rhythm. With one out, sophomore Grace Chelemen drew a walk and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Brown. Harrell got the two-out rally going with a single to right that scored Chelemen. Huerta then drilled a double to right field that put two runners on for Stevenson. The sophomore slugger belted a three-run homer over the scoreboard in left-center as Marshall took back the lead.
Stevenson hit her 10th home run of the season in just the 22nd game of the year. She became the fastest to reach double-digits, breaking the old record of 23 games set by Rachel Folden (2005-08) in 2006.
However, the inning was not over as Saige Pye made it back-to-back homers with a blast to left. Marshall led 9-7.
Jones re-entered the circle to start the seventh inning. Rutgers scored one more run, but the Marshall defense made the plays as Jones earned her second save of the day and fourth of the year. Williamson was credited with the victory.
The Herd totaled 12 hits in the game with Huerta, Stevenson, and Pye collecting two each. Stevenson drove in four runs and Brown had two RBI.
Marshall returns to the field on Sunday for the final day of the Thundering Herd Round Robin. The Herd plays Bucknell at 11:30 a.m. and then Rutgers at 1:30 p.m. The games are broadcast on ESPN3 as well as 88.1 WMUL-FM with audio streamed online at www.marshall.edu/wmul.
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: Blessin, Ashley (6-0)
L: Burton, Kaiya (2-2)
S: Jones, Laney (3)
Batting:
3B: Volpe, Allyse 1 ; Mariano, Halie 1
RBI: Mariano, Halie 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Knapp, Chase 1 ; Rivait, Nicole 1 ; Alemany, Marisa 1
SB: Volpe, Allyse 1 ; Knapp, Chase 1
CS: Hom, Jess 1
Batting:
2B: Harrell, Aly 1 ; Huerta, Sierra 1
HR: Adams, Katie 1
RBI: Huerta, Sierra 1 ; Adams, Katie 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Harrell, Aly 1 ; Huerta, Sierra 1 ; Pye, Saige 1 ; Adams, Katie 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
2
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
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P
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INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
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P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballP
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballMarshall Softball Class of 2025 Graduates
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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