Marshall University Athletics
Wednesday, May 12
Bowling Green, Ky.
3:30 PM ET/2:30 PM CT
Marshall University
20-12
9
vs
2
Louisiana Tech
22-30
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Marshall
0
6
0
0
0
0
3
9
16
1
LA Tech
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
5
1
Mya Stevenson greeted after hitting her second home run of the day
Photo by: Conference USA
Softball Battles but Season Comes to a Close at C-USA Tournament
5/13/2021 2:30:00 AM | Softball
Stevenson homers twice
Box Scores (PDF) Louisiana Tech | Charlotte
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Marshall softball team showed a lot of fight, heart and grit before ultimately the 2021 season ended on Wednesday in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament. The Herd defeated No. 6 seed Louisiana Tech 9-2 in the first game, but then fell to the No. 3 seed Charlotte 49ers 8-4 in the nightcap. Junior slugger Mya Stevenson went deep twice with one in each game.
The Thundering Herd ends the year with a 20-13 record.
Game One: No. 7 Marshall 9, No. 6 Louisiana Tech 2
The Herd exploded in the second inning with six runs to take the early lead, one that it never let go, in the first game of the single elimination day. Eleven batters came to the plate in the second for Marshall.
Junior Grace Chelemen led off the second with a double and then freshman Paige Halliwill ripped a single to right that brought home Chelemen. Junior Camryn Michallas dropped down a bunt and reached first. Two batters later with one out, Harrell drove a pitch into right field that scored Halliwill. Senior Saige Pye drew a walk that loaded the bases for Stevenson.
With a 2-2 count, and on the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Stevenson annihilated the pitch into the third deck of the parking garage beyond left field for a grand slam. The ball, that was still on a line when it entered the garage, was Stevenson's first career grand slam and her 39th career home run. The Herd led 6-0.
Louisiana Tech scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the Marshall lead down to four. However, the Herd tacked on three more runs in the top of the seventh.
Chelemen got things rolling again with her second double of the game, a career-high. Halliwill then just missed out her fifth home run of the season with a shot off the top of the fence in right-center, which became her second triple of the year and scored Chelemen. Next, Michallas plated Halliwill on an infield single. Two batters later, Harrell delivered another hit to right that scored Michallas.
Freshman Brianna McCown received the start in the circle and went the distance for the win. It was McCown's first complete game of the season. She allowed five hits, two runs and struck out three. McCown also received some great defensive play behind her as Michallas and graduate Sierra Huerta combined for three putouts and five assists on the left side of the infield. Senior Armani Brown at second had two putouts and two assists. Stevenson in right field started a double play to end the fourth inning, catching a liner and then throwing back to Harrell at first to nab the runner as well. McCown had the assist on the final out with a great snag on a chopper back up the middle and the easy toss to Harrell at first base.
At the plate, Marshall finished with a season-high 16 hits. Its most since totaling 15 at Norfolk State back on March 1, 2020. Harrell, Pye, Chelemen and Halliwill all tallied three hits each. Harrell and Halliwill each drove in two runs while Chelemen, Michallas and Halliwill all scored two runs each. Stevenson, of course, had the four RBI on the grand slam. Brown and senior Katie Adams each had a hit as well.
Game Two: No. 3 Charlotte 8, No. 7 Marshall 4
The Herd fought all the way through the end and never gave up, however the 49ers took the win in the end to advance to the second round.
Senior Megan Stauffer earned her first start in a Marshall uniform. The right-hander had 15 starts in two seasons at Monmouth, but had 18 appearances all in relief in two years with the Herd. Stauffer pitched 3.2 innings before being pulled in the fourth. Stauffer also made a few great defensive plays in the circle as well.
The game featured great defensive play from both sides.
For Marshall, Armani Brown made a couple of incredible plays up the middle to retire batters and tied her career-high with five assists. Grace Chelemen had a diving catch by the left-field line that ended the bottom of the first and stranded a Charlotte runner on base. In the second, with a runner at first, Lindsey Walljasper for the 49ers hit double back to the fence in left. Chelemen fired the back to Michallas at third who then dove at the bag as the Charlotte runner had rounded too far and was attempting to dive back. Michallas got the tag, and then the very next batter was retired as Stauffer tallied an assist to end the inning.
Marshall got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second as Katie Adams drilled a shot over the wall in right-center for her fourth homer of the season, and seventh of her career. The solo shot gave the Herd a 1-0 lead.
Charlotte started to string some hits together and had the bases loaded in the third, however the Marshall defense got out of the jam with a flyout to Paige Halliwill in center. The 49ers though kept the offensive momentum going and scored three runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead.
In the top of the sixth, Aly Harrell led off with a single to center, with junior Chloe Lee entering to run for Harrell at first. Saige Pye then drew a walk, with junior Rachel Pennington coming to run for Pye, to put two runners on for Mya Stevenson. The junior slugger then launched another shot to left, not nearly as far as the one against Louisiana Tech, but still over the fence for a game-tying, three-run homer. The shot was Stevenson's 40th of her career that put her back into a tie with Harrell for second all-time in program history.
Charlotte responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame to take a four-run lead, 8-4. In the top of the seventh, Marshall did not go away quietly as Halliwill beat the 49ers' defensive shift with a bunt to the left side for a leadoff single. Unfortunately, from there, the next three batters were retired, but they all went down swinging and putting the ball in play.
Harrell tallied two more hits to finish the day with five between the two games. Stevenson, with three more RBI, finished the first round with seven runs driven in. Chelemen and Brown both had hits as well, Brown recorded her second career triple.
Marshall will be returning a very talented squad for next season. The only graduating losses for the Herd are Blakely Burch, Sierra Huerta, Megan Stauffer and Laney Jones.
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!
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Marshall softball team showed a lot of fight, heart and grit before ultimately the 2021 season ended on Wednesday in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament. The Herd defeated No. 6 seed Louisiana Tech 9-2 in the first game, but then fell to the No. 3 seed Charlotte 49ers 8-4 in the nightcap. Junior slugger Mya Stevenson went deep twice with one in each game.
The Thundering Herd ends the year with a 20-13 record.
Game One: No. 7 Marshall 9, No. 6 Louisiana Tech 2
The Herd exploded in the second inning with six runs to take the early lead, one that it never let go, in the first game of the single elimination day. Eleven batters came to the plate in the second for Marshall.
Junior Grace Chelemen led off the second with a double and then freshman Paige Halliwill ripped a single to right that brought home Chelemen. Junior Camryn Michallas dropped down a bunt and reached first. Two batters later with one out, Harrell drove a pitch into right field that scored Halliwill. Senior Saige Pye drew a walk that loaded the bases for Stevenson.
With a 2-2 count, and on the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Stevenson annihilated the pitch into the third deck of the parking garage beyond left field for a grand slam. The ball, that was still on a line when it entered the garage, was Stevenson's first career grand slam and her 39th career home run. The Herd led 6-0.
Louisiana Tech scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the Marshall lead down to four. However, the Herd tacked on three more runs in the top of the seventh.
Chelemen got things rolling again with her second double of the game, a career-high. Halliwill then just missed out her fifth home run of the season with a shot off the top of the fence in right-center, which became her second triple of the year and scored Chelemen. Next, Michallas plated Halliwill on an infield single. Two batters later, Harrell delivered another hit to right that scored Michallas.
Freshman Brianna McCown received the start in the circle and went the distance for the win. It was McCown's first complete game of the season. She allowed five hits, two runs and struck out three. McCown also received some great defensive play behind her as Michallas and graduate Sierra Huerta combined for three putouts and five assists on the left side of the infield. Senior Armani Brown at second had two putouts and two assists. Stevenson in right field started a double play to end the fourth inning, catching a liner and then throwing back to Harrell at first to nab the runner as well. McCown had the assist on the final out with a great snag on a chopper back up the middle and the easy toss to Harrell at first base.
At the plate, Marshall finished with a season-high 16 hits. Its most since totaling 15 at Norfolk State back on March 1, 2020. Harrell, Pye, Chelemen and Halliwill all tallied three hits each. Harrell and Halliwill each drove in two runs while Chelemen, Michallas and Halliwill all scored two runs each. Stevenson, of course, had the four RBI on the grand slam. Brown and senior Katie Adams each had a hit as well.
Game Two: No. 3 Charlotte 8, No. 7 Marshall 4
The Herd fought all the way through the end and never gave up, however the 49ers took the win in the end to advance to the second round.
Senior Megan Stauffer earned her first start in a Marshall uniform. The right-hander had 15 starts in two seasons at Monmouth, but had 18 appearances all in relief in two years with the Herd. Stauffer pitched 3.2 innings before being pulled in the fourth. Stauffer also made a few great defensive plays in the circle as well.
The game featured great defensive play from both sides.
For Marshall, Armani Brown made a couple of incredible plays up the middle to retire batters and tied her career-high with five assists. Grace Chelemen had a diving catch by the left-field line that ended the bottom of the first and stranded a Charlotte runner on base. In the second, with a runner at first, Lindsey Walljasper for the 49ers hit double back to the fence in left. Chelemen fired the back to Michallas at third who then dove at the bag as the Charlotte runner had rounded too far and was attempting to dive back. Michallas got the tag, and then the very next batter was retired as Stauffer tallied an assist to end the inning.
Marshall got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second as Katie Adams drilled a shot over the wall in right-center for her fourth homer of the season, and seventh of her career. The solo shot gave the Herd a 1-0 lead.
Charlotte started to string some hits together and had the bases loaded in the third, however the Marshall defense got out of the jam with a flyout to Paige Halliwill in center. The 49ers though kept the offensive momentum going and scored three runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead.
In the top of the sixth, Aly Harrell led off with a single to center, with junior Chloe Lee entering to run for Harrell at first. Saige Pye then drew a walk, with junior Rachel Pennington coming to run for Pye, to put two runners on for Mya Stevenson. The junior slugger then launched another shot to left, not nearly as far as the one against Louisiana Tech, but still over the fence for a game-tying, three-run homer. The shot was Stevenson's 40th of her career that put her back into a tie with Harrell for second all-time in program history.
Charlotte responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame to take a four-run lead, 8-4. In the top of the seventh, Marshall did not go away quietly as Halliwill beat the 49ers' defensive shift with a bunt to the left side for a leadoff single. Unfortunately, from there, the next three batters were retired, but they all went down swinging and putting the ball in play.
Harrell tallied two more hits to finish the day with five between the two games. Stevenson, with three more RBI, finished the first round with seven runs driven in. Chelemen and Brown both had hits as well, Brown recorded her second career triple.
Marshall will be returning a very talented squad for next season. The only graduating losses for the Herd are Blakely Burch, Sierra Huerta, Megan Stauffer and Laney Jones.
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: McCown, Brianna (4-1)
L: HERNANDEZ, B (9-12)
Batting:
2B: Chelemen, Grace 2
3B: Halliwill, Paige 1
HR: Stevenson, Mya 1
RBI: Harrell, Aly 2 ; Stevenson, Mya 4 ; Halliwill, Paige 2 ; Michallas, Camryn 1
SH: Michallas, Camryn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Harrell, Aly 1 ; Pye, Saige 1 ; Stevenson, Mya 1 ; Chelemen, Grace 2 ; Halliwill, Paige 2 ; Michallas, Camryn 2
CS: Chelemen, Grace 1
Batting:
2B: GOFF, Kar 1
RBI: ELLINGSON, O 1
Base Running:
RUNS: NEEL, Kylie 1 ; SMITH, Tanja 1
SB: ELLINGSON, O 1
HBP: COURT, Trist 1 ; EASOM, Carol 1 ; GOFF, Kar 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
C
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INF
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INF
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OF
/ SoftballOF
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INF
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INF
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P
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P
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INF
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OF
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P
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P
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