On the Road Again, Softball Travels to Camel Stampede

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Marshall softball team hits the road one more time for an early season tournament, heading down to the Camel Stampede hosted by Campbell. The Herd will play Campbell, Kent State and Howard, Feb. 25-27.

The Thundering Herd enter the weekend with a 5-4 overall record. The games will all be broadcast on 88.1 WMUL-FM with audio streamed online at www.marshall.edu/wmul. Marshall's games against Kent State and Howard will also be streamed on Facebook Live. The game against the host team Campbell, will not have a video stream. Links are below.

Tournament Details
Marshall Game Notes (PDF)
Friday: vs Kent State 10 a.m. FACEBOOK LIVE | LIVE STATS
            at Howard 12:30 p.m. FACEBOOK LIVE | LIVE STATS
Saturday: vs. Howard 10 a.m. FACEBOOK LIVE | LIVE STATS
                  at Campbell 12:30 p.m. FACEBOOK LIVE | LIVE STATS
Sunday: vs. Kent State 10:30 a.m. FACEBOOK LIVE | LIVE STATS
Series History: 36th all-time meeting with Kent State – Marshall leads 22-13
                          2nd all-time meeting with Howard – Marshall leads 1-0
                          5th all-time meeting with Campbell – Series ties 2-2

Marshall is coming off a 2-3 weekend at the Battle at the Beach taking on Coastal Carolina, South Carolina and Fordham. The Herd lost its first three games before defeating Coastal Carolina 9-7 on Saturday and then Fordham, 8-0, on Sunday.

Fifth-year senior Aly Harrell leads the team hitting .440 with 11 hits, and sports an on base percentage of .563. Senior Mya Stevenson leads in home runs (three), doubles (four) and RBI (seven). Redshirt junior Sydney Nester has a 4-2 record, a 1.55 ERA, three shutouts and 52 strikeouts in 31.2 innings to lead the Herd.

Following Marshall's trip to the Camel Stampede, the Herd has its home-opener with the Marshall Round Robin, March 4-6.

Welcome to NCAA Softball Bub Feringa
Freshman Bub Feringa had made two appearances in the circle before getting her first shot at the plate with an at bat. Feringa starred both as a pitcher and a hitter at Cactus High School in Glendale, Arizona. Her first plate appearance came with a pinch hit in the top of the seventh against Coastal Carolina.

With a 1-1 count, Feringa belted a two-run home run out to right-center, two runs that proved to be the difference after the Chanticleers put together a furious comeback in the bottom of the seventh. Feringa joined exclusive company in Marshall softball history, becoming just the fifth player since 2000 to begin a career with a home run in their very first plate appearance, and the first since 2016.

Home Runs in First Plate Appearance
Amanda Lara - Feb. 11, 2011 vs. USF (lost 8-4)
    opened the game with a solo shot, only HR of MUSB career
Taylor Winton - Feb. 11, 2011 vs. USF (lost 8-4)
    entered to pinch hit in the seventh, solo shot, 8 career HRs
Taylor Estes - Feb. 28, 2014 at Coastal Carolina (lost 10-1)
    entered to pinch hit in the fifth, solo shot, only HR of career
Briana Daiss - Feb. 14, 2016 vs. Alabama State (Won 4-2)
    entered to pinch hit in the bottom of the eighth with the game
    tied at 2-2, hit a walkoff 2-run HR, 26 career HRs
Bub Feringa - Feb. 19, 2022 at Coastal Carolina (Won 9-7)
    entered to pinch hit, drove in Kay Kay Kenney

Kenney Takes Advantage
Sophomore Kay Kay Kenney entered the Herd's Saturday game against South Carolina off the bench to fill in for an injury after Madison Whitaker went down. Lauren Love was in left field and moved to the infield, and Kenney took left. With her first at bat against the Gamecocks in the third, and two outs, Kenney sent a screamer over the fence in center for a 3-run home run. It was the second homer of her young career. She finished the game with two hits and a hit-by-pitch. Kenney started the nightcap against Coastal Carolina and had an RBI double and scored a run. Against Fordham, the Highland Village, Texas, native reached on a walk and scored as well.

Adams Ends Slump with a BANG
Fifth-year senior Katie Adams was experiencing an early season slump through the Battle at the Beach (Feb. 18-20), going 0-for-12 through the first four games. She only reached base with a hit-by-pitch in the second game against Coastal Carolina and later scored a run. Several times through the first four games, Adams made solid contact but unfortunately for her, the ball went straight to a defender who made the play. Finally, in the last game of the weekend against Fordham, Adams came to the plate in the third with the bases loaded. On an 0-2 count, Adams cranked a shot to right-center for a grand slam. It was the first grand slam of the season for Marshall and the first of Adams' career. Marshall went on to win 8-0.

The Opponent
Kent State
The Golden Flashes begin the season 2-3. Kent State played at the FGCU Kickoff Classic, Feb. 11-13, and did not play this past weekend. The Golden Flashes played two games versus LIU, winning both, including a 5-4 walkoff win in the eighth inning to open the season. The team took losses to No. 15 Clemson (8-0) and two to Boston College by one run each.

Kent State is hitting .252 as a team with three players batting over .300 in Alexandria Whitmore (.429), Brenna Brownfield (.375) and Savannah Wing (.333). Whitmore hit the walkoff base hit that scored Jess Dodd from third against LIU. Whitmore did not play in the final game versus Boston College. The Golden Flashes have hit just one homer to start the year, off the bat of Sabrina Kerschner. However, Kent State has only allowed one home run as well.

Andrea Scali leads in innings with 12 and sports a 1.17 ERA with 14 strikeouts. Kylie Ringler pitched a complete-game shutout over LIU and came on in relief against Boston College. The freshman has yet to allow a run in 7.1 innings. Anilese Kelly has a 1.40 ERA in five innings. Jessica LeBeau has 8.1 innings, pitching against Clemson and Boston College. She has 10 strikeouts.

Head coach Eric Oakley is in his seventh season at Kent State with a 165-138 record. He has 218 overall wins in his coaching career.

Howard
The Bison enter the Camel Stampede with a 3-5 record. This past weekend Howard took two games from Quinnipiac, 6-5 and 19-5, then lost twice to Iowa State, 10-2 and 10-1.

Freshman Alyssa Vasquez was named MEAC Rookie of the Week after going 7-of-12 (.583) at the plate, scored three runs, hit four doubles and drove in two runs. The Downey, California, native has started all eight games and is hitting .444 with 12 hits, five runs, five doubles and eight RBI. Camille Navarro has 11 hits, batting .393, scored seven runs, four doubles and one home run. Howard is hitting .308 as a team, scored 49 runs and combined for 19 extra base hits.

In the circle, the Bison have a staff ERA of 7.14. Analise De La Roca has the most innings at 16.1, a 5.57 ERA and 11 strikeouts with a 1-1 record. Sydney Hixenbaugh sports a 4.20 ERA in 6.2 innings with four strikeouts.

In the field, Howard has a team fielding percentage of .967 committing just seven errors through its first eight games.

Head coach Tori Tyson is in her fourth season at the helm and has 42 wins.

Campbell
The Camels come to its home tournament, and 2022 home-opener, with a 3-5 record. Campbell began the season at the River City Leadoff in Jacksonville and finished 3-1, capping the weekend with an 18-0 win over Jacksonville. The Camels fell in all four contests at the Charlotte Invitational, Feb. 18-20, with two losses to Charlotte, one to UConn and another to No. 22 James Madison.

Campbell is hitting .245 as a team. Tyra Parker leads the way with a .417 average, five hits and three runs. Claudia Ware has the most hits with seven, is batting .280 and has scored seven runs. The Camels have hit three runs, off the bats of three different players, and have given up seven homers.

In the circle, the Camels have a staff ERA of 4.14. Isabella Smith leads the team with a 2.33 ERA, four complete games, one shutout and 18 strikeouts in 24 innings. Georgeanna Barefoot has a 2-2 record in 19.2 innings and a 5.34 ERA.

Head coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley is in her fourth season leading Campbell. She has 64 wins in her career and took the Camels to the NCAA Tournament in 2021 after winning the Big South double with the Regular Season Championship and the Tournament title. Campbell went to the Stillwater Regional and finished 1-2. The Camels began the regional with a loss to No. 5 Oklahoma State, defeated Boston University and then lost to Mississippi State to get eliminated.

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.

---HerdZone.com---

On the Road Again, Softball Travels to Camel Stampede

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Players Mentioned

Katie Adams

Bub Feringa

Aly Harrell

Kay Kay Kenney

Lauren Love

Sydney Nester

Mya Stevenson

Madison Whitaker

Marshall University Athletics