Softball Travels to Longwood for Doubleheader

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Marshall softball team travels for the first time in the 2021 season for a doubleheader with the Longwood Lancers. First pitch is scheduled for Wednesday at 3 p.m.

The Thundering Herd comes in with a 6-1 record. The Lancers are currently 4-11 with a doubleheader at Liberty on Tuesday, just before playing the Herd.

Game Details
Live Stats: LONGWOODLANCERS.COM
There will not be a live stream or broadcast. Only live stats.
Series History: 3 all-time meetings, Marshall leads 2-1
Last Meeting: March 26, 2019, Longwood won 13-1 in Farmville

Marshall finally began its 2021 season at home with a doubleheader against the Akron Zips and then the Thundering Herd Round Robin. It was the first time in program history that the Herd opened a season at home. Marshall swept the twinbill with Akron, and then won the first four games of the Round Robin before dropping the final game, 5-4, to Valparaiso.

Senior pitcher Laney Jones was named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week on Monday. Jones was 2-0 with a save last week. Her two wins were both shutouts, and she finished with seven strikeouts in her win over Saint Francis. Sophomore Ashley Blessin is also 2-0 and has 11 strikeouts. Redshirt freshman Madi Garay finished the week 1-1, with a win and seven strikeouts in her first career outing against Valparaiso this past Saturday. Freshman Brianna McCown totaled seven strikeouts and a win in first career appearance with five innings in relief versus Bowling Green. Redshirt sophomore Cailey Joyce earned a start against Valpo on Sunday and pitched four innings allowing one run and striking out three.

The Thundering Herd has already been mashing the ball, picking up right where it left off in 2020 when Marshall was leading the country in home runs per game (1.92). The Herd hitters have already belted 14 bombs this season in just seven games with eight different batters contributing. Marshall is tied for fifth in the NCAA in home runs per game (2.00). Senior Aly Harrell and freshman Paige Halliwill lead with three each. Redshirt senior Blakely Burch and senior Grace Chelemen each have two. The others with one homer apiece are graduate Sierra Huerta, seniors Katie Adams and Saige Pye and junior Mya Stevenson.

Chelemen leads the Herd batting .500 and three stolen bases. Harrell and fellow senior Armani Brown are both hitting .455, while Harrell leads the team in slugging at .909. Adams started the year with four doubles in the doubleheader with Akron. Halliwill has started her career off with a bang. She has six hits this season with five going for extra bases. Along with her three homers she has one double, one triple and is slugging .818.

THE OPPONENT
Longwood is beginning a new era this season as longtime head coach Kathy Riley retired in the summer of the 2020. The Lancers hired Dr. Megan Brown as the new head coach. A standout player at Division II Florida Southern, Coach Brown brings a lot of experience at many levels, with the most recent as the pitching coach at Cal.

Longwood has faced some tough competition to begin the year and has wins over No. 16 Georgia (3-2), Seton Hall (3-2) and two over former C-USA member East Carolina. Prior to the doubleheader at Liberty at press time on Tuesday, the Lancers last contest was a 10-0 loss at Liberty on Sunday.

As a team, Longwood is batting .188 with Sydney Jacobsen leading with a .267 average, 12 hits with six going for extra bases. She also leads with 11 RBI. When the Lancers have gotten on base, the team has been aggressive with 20 stolen bases in 25 attempts. The squad has also allowed 18-of-20 stolen bases to its opponents.

Teams are batting .312 against Longwood to begin the year. The leader in the circle has been Sydney Backstrom with a 3-5 record, 3.79 ERA, 43 strikeouts and a batting average against her of .232, in 51.2 innings. Leigha Hill is next with 20.2 innings, a 1-4 record and an 8.47 ERA.

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!

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Players Mentioned

Katie Adams

Ashley Blessin

Armani Brown

Blakely Burch

Grace Chelemen

Madi Garay

Paige Halliwill

Aly Harrell

Sierra Huerta

Laney Jones

Cailey Joyce

Brianna McCown

Saige Pye

Mya Stevenson

Marshall University Athletics