Marshall University Athletics
Sunday, March 8
Huntington, W.Va.
11:30 AM
Marshall University
17-6
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vs
6
Bucknell University
8-10
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2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Bucknell
0
3
0
0
3
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6
7
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Marshall University
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1
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3
0
Softball Splits as Stevenson Hammers Two More Home Runs
3/8/2020 6:58:00 PM | Softball
Stevenson drove in seven runs versus Rutgers
Bucknell Box Score (PDF)
Rutgers Box Score (PDF)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall softball team fell in the first game on Sunday to the Bucknell Bison, 6-1, and then bounced back with a 9-1 victory in five innings over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Sophomore Mya Stevenson belted two more home runs, has eight in the last 11 games, and 12 for the year.
Marshall finished the Thundering Herd Round Robin with a 3-1 record and improved to 18-6 for the season. Bucknell won both games on Sunday to finish the weekend 2-2 and move to 8-10 for the year. Rutgers went 1-3 over the weekend and dropped to 9-14 overall.
The Herd's nine-game winning streak came to an end, however Marshall is 10-1 over the last two weeks.
Game One: Bucknell 6, Marshall 1
The Herd's bats couldn't get going in game one of the day at Dot Hicks Field. The Bucknell Bison were coming off a 7-1 win over Rutgers in the morning and kept up the momentum against Marshall.
Bucknell scored three runs in the second and three more in the fifth. The Herd scored its lone run in the fourth. Junior Aly Harrell led off with a walk and sophomore Rachel Pennington came in to run. A single from junior Saige Pye moved the speedy Pennington to third. Then junior Katie Adams drove in Pennington with a single to right.
The Herd managed just three hits in the contest with two coming in the fourth and Harrell adding a double in the sixth.
Junior Laney Jones started in the circle and took the loss, just her second of the season, allowing seven hits, six runs and striking out two in 4.2 innings. Junior Megan Stauffer came on in relief in the fifth and did not allow a base runner over the final 2.1 innings, while striking out two.
Game Two: Marshall 9, Rutgers 1 (5 innings)
The bats fired back to life in the final game of the weekend as Marshall cranked three home runs in the game and Mya Stevenson tied a career-high with two homers and seven RBI.
Freshman Ashley Blessin got the start in the circle and pitched the complete game, allowing just three hits, one run and striking out four. She also had three assists and received some great play from her defense.
Stevenson drove in her first run of the game with a single to left that scored senior Sierra Huerta who reached on a hit-by-pitch. The Scarlet Knights tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third, however the tie did not last long.
In the bottom of the third, with two outs, Huerta reached base with her second hit-by-pitch of the game and fifth of the year. For the 2019 NCAA leader in hit-by-pitches it was her sixth career game with two plunks. With Huerta on first, Saige Pye hit a single to left to put two runners on for Stevenson. The sophomore slugger hit her first home run of the game to right-center that gave her four RBI in the game, and Marshall a 4-1 lead.
After a quick top of the fourth that saw Rutgers go down in order in just eight pitches, the Herd added two more runs on a two-run home run from senior Haleigh Christopher, her sixth of the year. The blast to left, that hit the base of the old ACF building just behind the railroad tracks, brought in junior Rachel Rousseau who led off the inning with a single to center and then stole second base for her ninth steal of the year.
The Scarlet Knights managed to get one base runner on in the top of the fifth until Blessin ended the inning with her fourth strikeout. The game lasted just 13 more pitches.
Huerta led off the inning with a double to right-center and then Pye was walked to put two runners on again for Stevenson. The reigning Conference USA Player of the Week, on a full count, sent a towering shot to left-center that hit high up on the side of the old ACF building that ended the game as Marshall went up by eight, 9-1.
Stevenson hit two home runs in a game for the second time this season (Delaware State) and the fourth time in her career. The seven RBI tied her career-best, set in game two at Charlotte on March 16, 2019. She finished the game 3-for-3 and also scored twice.
The Herd totaled eight hits with six of the nine players in the lineup recording a hit. Huerta scored all three times that she reached base, tying her career-high set against Howard on Feb. 29.
Marshall returns to the field with a single, midweek game at top-ranked Kentucky on Wednesday, March 11. First pitch from Lexington is set for 6 p.m. The Wildcats entered the weekend 10th overall in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll.
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 fell in the first game on Sunday to the Bucknell Bison, 6-1, and then bounced back with a 9-1 victory in five innings over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Sophomore Mya Stevenson belted two more home runs, has eight in the last 11 games, and 12 for the year.
Marshall finished the Thundering Herd Round Robin with a 3-1 record and improved to 18-6 for the season. Bucknell won both games on Sunday to finish the weekend 2-2 and move to 8-10 for the year. Rutgers went 1-3 over the weekend and dropped to 9-14 overall.
The Herd's nine-game winning streak came to an end, however Marshall is 10-1 over the last two weeks.
Game One: Bucknell 6, Marshall 1
The Herd's bats couldn't get going in game one of the day at Dot Hicks Field. The Bucknell Bison were coming off a 7-1 win over Rutgers in the morning and kept up the momentum against Marshall.
Bucknell scored three runs in the second and three more in the fifth. The Herd scored its lone run in the fourth. Junior Aly Harrell led off with a walk and sophomore Rachel Pennington came in to run. A single from junior Saige Pye moved the speedy Pennington to third. Then junior Katie Adams drove in Pennington with a single to right.
The Herd managed just three hits in the contest with two coming in the fourth and Harrell adding a double in the sixth.
Junior Laney Jones started in the circle and took the loss, just her second of the season, allowing seven hits, six runs and striking out two in 4.2 innings. Junior Megan Stauffer came on in relief in the fifth and did not allow a base runner over the final 2.1 innings, while striking out two.
Game Two: Marshall 9, Rutgers 1 (5 innings)
The bats fired back to life in the final game of the weekend as Marshall cranked three home runs in the game and Mya Stevenson tied a career-high with two homers and seven RBI.
Freshman Ashley Blessin got the start in the circle and pitched the complete game, allowing just three hits, one run and striking out four. She also had three assists and received some great play from her defense.
Stevenson drove in her first run of the game with a single to left that scored senior Sierra Huerta who reached on a hit-by-pitch. The Scarlet Knights tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third, however the tie did not last long.
In the bottom of the third, with two outs, Huerta reached base with her second hit-by-pitch of the game and fifth of the year. For the 2019 NCAA leader in hit-by-pitches it was her sixth career game with two plunks. With Huerta on first, Saige Pye hit a single to left to put two runners on for Stevenson. The sophomore slugger hit her first home run of the game to right-center that gave her four RBI in the game, and Marshall a 4-1 lead.
After a quick top of the fourth that saw Rutgers go down in order in just eight pitches, the Herd added two more runs on a two-run home run from senior Haleigh Christopher, her sixth of the year. The blast to left, that hit the base of the old ACF building just behind the railroad tracks, brought in junior Rachel Rousseau who led off the inning with a single to center and then stole second base for her ninth steal of the year.
The Scarlet Knights managed to get one base runner on in the top of the fifth until Blessin ended the inning with her fourth strikeout. The game lasted just 13 more pitches.
Huerta led off the inning with a double to right-center and then Pye was walked to put two runners on again for Stevenson. The reigning Conference USA Player of the Week, on a full count, sent a towering shot to left-center that hit high up on the side of the old ACF building that ended the game as Marshall went up by eight, 9-1.
Stevenson hit two home runs in a game for the second time this season (Delaware State) and the fourth time in her career. The seven RBI tied her career-best, set in game two at Charlotte on March 16, 2019. She finished the game 3-for-3 and also scored twice.
The Herd totaled eight hits with six of the nine players in the lineup recording a hit. Huerta scored all three times that she reached base, tying her career-high set against Howard on Feb. 29.
Marshall returns to the field with a single, midweek game at top-ranked Kentucky on Wednesday, March 11. First pitch from Lexington is set for 6 p.m. The Wildcats entered the weekend 10th overall in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll.
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 (7-0)
L: Jaden Vickers (2-5)
Batting:
RBI: Payton Lincavage 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Aleah Marra 1
HBP: Gabrielle Callaway 2 ; Payton Lincavage 1
Batting:
2B: Huerta, Sierra 1 ; Adams, Katie 1
HR: Stevenson, Mya 2 ; Christopher, Haleigh 1
RBI: Stevenson, Mya 7 ; Christopher, Haleigh 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Huerta, Sierra 3 ; Pye, Saige 1 ; Pennington, Rachel 1 ; Stevenson, Mya 2 ; Rousseau, Rachel 1 ; Christopher, Haleigh 1
SB: Rousseau, Rachel 1
HBP: Huerta, Sierra 2
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
3
RBI
7
AB
1
R
3
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballP
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