Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
18-10, 7-6
Charlotte
28-16, 12-5
Softball Falls at Charlotte
5/7/2021 10:22:00 PM | Softball
Harrell 3-for-3 at the plate
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Marshall softball team dropped the first game of the series at Charlotte, 8-7, on Friday. The Herd battled back but fell short in the end.
The Thundering Herd is now 18-10 overall and 7-6 in Conference USA. The 49ers improve to 28-16 and 12-5 in conference.
Marshall scored first in the first inning. Senior Aly Harrell led off with a hit-by-pitch, and then two batters later junior Mya Stevenson was walked. Senior Katie Adams drove a pitch up the middle for a single to load the bases. Graduate Sierra Huerta then grounded into a fielder's choice that plated Harrell from third.
The 49ers took the lead with two runs in the first, added one in the second and then three runs in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead. Marshall's offense got rolling again in the top of the fifth.
Harrell started the fifth with a single to right and then senior Saige Pye was walked. Stevenson ripped a double down the left field line that scored Harrell. Adams then hit a hard grounder to the right side that was bobbled and the ball rolled into right field. Freshman Paige Halliwill, who was in to run for Pye, scored along with Stevenson on the error. The Herd cut the deficit to two at 6-4.
Charlotte scored one more in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead back to three at 7-4. Marshall scored two more in the top of the sixth. Senior Madison Whitaker came in for a pinch hit and drew a one out walk. Harrell followed with a double, her third hit of the day, and then Pye was hit by a pitch. Adams came up clutch again with a 2-run single scoring Whitaker and Harrell.
The 49ers added one more run in the bottom of the sixth to bring the lead back to two at 8-6. In the top of the seventh, Huerta drilled a solo home run to left-center to lead off the inning, her seventh of the season and 25th of her career, cutting the deficit to one. However, Marshall's offense could not keep the inning going as Charlotte retired the next three batters.
Harrell finished the day 3-for-3 and reached in all four plate appearances adding the hit-by-pitch in the first. She also tied her career-high with three runs scored. Adams recorded two hits and drove in three.
Redshirt sophomore Cailey Joyce had the start and pitched the first three innings and took the loss. Freshman Brianna McCown came on in relief in the fourth and then was relieved by senior Megan Stauffer in the sixth. Stauffer finished the game.
The Saturday doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. The games will be streamed on CUSAtv as well as broadcast on 88.1 WMUL-FM with audio streamed online at www.marshall.edu/wmul with Scott Hall on the call.
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!
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: WALLJASPER, Lindsey (13-8)
L: Joyce, Cailey (5-3)
Batting:
2B: Harrell, Aly 1 ; Stevenson, Mya 1
HR: Huerta, Sierra 1
RBI: Stevenson, Mya 1 ; Adams, Katie 3 ; Huerta, Sierra 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Harrell, Aly 3 ; Halliwill, Paige 1 ; Stevenson, Mya 1 ; Huerta, Sierra 1 ; Whitaker, Madison 1
HBP: Harrell, Aly 1 ; Pye, Saige 1 ; Adams, Katie 1
Batting:
2B: BOWMAN, Nicole 2 ; WALLJASPER, Lindsey 1 ; HENDERSON, Cori 1
3B: GRAY, Spenser 1 ; WASHINGTON, Ashleigh 1
HR: HENDERSON, Cori 1
RBI: GREMILLION, Kourtney 1 ; BOWMAN, Nicole 2 ; GARRETT, Kiyah 2 ; ROCHELLE, Imani 1 ; HENDERSON, Cori 1
Base Running:
RUNS: VANNOY, Bailey 1 ; GRAY, Spenser 1 ; GREMILLION, Kourtney 1 ; MARCHIANDO,Maddie 1 ; BOWMAN, Nicole 1 ; WASHINGTON, Ashleigh 2 ; HENDERSON, Cori 1
SB: WASHINGTON, Ashleigh 1
CS: ROCHELLE, Imani 1
HBP: GREMILLION, Kourtney 1
