Softball Begins C-USA Tournament Versus Louisiana Tech

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Marshall softball team, as the No. 7 seed, takes on No. 6 seed Louisiana Tech on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT, in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament. The tournament is hosted by WKU.

The first day is single elimination. Double elimination play is Thursday and Friday, with the Championship game on Saturday. Games on Wednesday through Friday will be streamed on ESPN+, and the Championship game will be broadcast on CBS College Sports Network. Marshall's games will also be broadcast on 88.1 WMUL-FM and online at www.marshall.edu/wmul with Scott Hall on the call.

The Thundering Herd finished the regular season at 19-12 and 8-8 in C-USA play. The Lady Techsters ended the regular season at 22-29 overall and 10-10 in conference action. The first round matchup is the fifth time that Marshall and Louisiana Tech have met in the conference tournament. The winner moves on to play the No. 3 seed Charlotte 49ers Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT.

Game Details
Marshall Game Notes (PDF)
2021 Conference USA Tournament Bracket
Championship Central Page
Live Video Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: WKUSports.com
Marshall Radio: 88.1 WMUL- FM and online www.marshall.edu/wmul
Series History: 10 all-time meetings, series tied 5-5
Last Meeting: May 11, 2019 in Birmingham, Ala., C-USA Championship game – LA Tech won 3-1

Marshall is in the C-USA Tournament for the 10th-straight year and the 14th time since the Herd moved in to the league for the 2006 season. Marshall enters the tournament after falling in the season finale at Charlotte. The Herd's offense has been near the top of the conference all season and leads in slugging percentage (.532), on base percentage (.392), home runs per game (1.52) and is second in total home runs with 47.

Seniors Aly Harrell and Saige Pye were named First Team All-Conference while junior Mya Stevenson was honored on the second team.

Harrell leads the team in batting average (.400), hits (34), home runs (10), RBI (27), slugging percentage (.847), and on base percentage (.523). She is tied for second in doubles with eight and is also second on the team with 17 walks. Pye has been on a tear in conference play batting .475 with 19 hits and 18 RBI and has reached base safely in the last 16 contests. Stevenson's bat has also been on the rise since entering league play batting .385 with 20 hits, seven doubles and three home runs in 16 games.

Harrell and Stevenson have continued their friendly competition for career home runs. Harrell has taken the lead with 40, second-best all-time in Marshall history, while Stevenson is third with 38.

Senior Katie Adams leads the team with nine doubles and has come through clutch at the plate in several situations this season. Graduate Sierra Huerta leads the Herd with 19 walks and 10 hit-by-pitches, and is second with a .515 on base percentage. Huerta is also second with seven home runs and has 25 in her career, 11th all-time in program history.

The Opponent
Louisiana Tech ended the regular season being swept by No. 1 seed North Texas. The Lady Techsters have a team batting average of .234 with Madie Green leading the way batting .302. Louisiana Tech has totaled 54 doubles, eight triples and 20 home runs this season. Eleven different players have hit a homer and Green is again the leader with four, and she also is tied for the team lead in doubles with eight.

In the circle Bre Hernandez has leads with 134.2 innings pitched, a 3.12 ERA, 94 strikeouts and nine victories. Audrey Pickett has also thrown over 100 innings this year with 122.1, has a 3.66 ERA, 71 strikeouts and five wins.

Series History
Marshall and Louisiana Tech's history is a short one, only going back to 2014 when the Lady Techsters joined C-USA. However, it has been an intense series. The two teams have met just twice in the regular season in 2014 and again in 2019, both in Huntington. Marshall won both series taking the sweep senior weekend in 2014 and then winning 2-of-3 in 2019 with Blakely Burch hitting a walkoff, 2-run double on Emileigh Cooper Day for the series win.

The programs have met in the C-USA Tournament four times in three separate seasons, with the Lady Techsters winning all four. Louisiana Tech eliminated Marshall in 2016 and 2017. The Herd then lost two close games in 2019 including the Championship game.

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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Softball Begins C-USA Tournament Versus Louisiana Tech

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Players Mentioned

Katie Adams

Blakely Burch

Aly Harrell

Sierra Huerta

Saige Pye

Mya Stevenson

Marshall University Athletics