Softball Caps Thundering Herd March Madness with Comeback Win

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall softball team ended the Thundering Herd March Madness tournament with an 8-4, come-from-behind victory on Sunday over the Fairfield Stags at Dot Hicks Field. The win was the 11th-straight for Marshall, third-longest streak in team history.

The Thundering Herd improves to 16-5 overall and Fairfield falls to 4-9.

Redshirt junior pitcher Sydney Nester tossed a season-high 15 strikeouts, tying her career-high set against the College of Charleston in 2019 while pitching for North Carolina State. Nester went the distance allowing four hits, four runs, three earned and picked up her 10th win of the season. It was also her eighth game of the year with 10 or more strikeouts. Nester has 136 strikeouts for the season in 81.2 innings pitched.

Fairfield scored one run in the top of the second to take the early lead. Marshall tied the game in the bottom of the second. Senior Mya Stevenson led off with a single to center. After stealing second and getting into scoring position, Stevenson sprinted home on a double to left from sophomore Autumn Owen.

Fairfield put together a great third inning scoring three runs, highlighted by a two-run home run to left by Haley Updegraff. Nester ended the inning with her seventh strikeout, as the Stags led 4-1.

Marshall cut the deficit to two in the bottom of the third. Fifth-year senior Saige Pye drew a walk and then moved to third on a double to right-center by Stevenson. It was Stevenson's team-leading ninth double of the season. Next, Owen drove in Pye with a bloop single into shallow center.

Fairfield put two runners on in the fourth, but a great play by redshirt senior Armani Brown at second ended the inning, stranding the runners.

The Herd bats sprang to life in the bottom of the fourth. Brown led off the frame with a perfectly placed bunt for a single. Freshman Lauren Love then belted the first pitch of her at bat over the fence in center. The two-run shot tied the game at 4-4, and was Love's third home run of the season. The inning continued as fifth-year senior Aly Harrell drew a walk after a 10-pitch plate appearance. It was Harrell's 146th career walk, one away from tying Rachel Folden for the top spot in team history. Pye stepped up next and blasted Marshall's second home run of the inning for another two-run shot. The Herd now led 6-4 on Pye's team leading sixth homer of the year.

Once Marshall grabbed the lead, Nester settled in and completely shut down the Stags, not allowing another runner to reach base. She struck out two batters in the fifth with fifth-year senior Madison Whitaker making the play on the other out.

The Herd added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Harrell hit a two-out single and then advanced to third on a double from Pye. Both Harrell and Pye crossed the plate on a single down the left field line from Stevenson. Marshall led, 8-4. Owen and senior Grace Chelemen both drew walks after to load the bases, but Fairfield finally recorded the third out to end the inning.

Nester came out and struck out the side in the sixth and again in the seventh to finish the game. She struck out the last seven batters faced to reach 15 for the game. Nester's 15 strikeouts are tied for third-most by a Marshall pitcher in a single game, and the most by a Herd hurler since Jordan Dixon tallied 15 on April 22, 2015, against Northern Kentucky.

On offense, Marshall finished the game with 11 hits. It was the fourth-straight game that the Herd recorded double-digit hits and the eighth of the season. Marshall has put up 116 hits during the win streak. The Herd has outscored its opponents 96-18 over the span.

Stevenson and Owen each had three hits and two RBI in the win over Fairfield. Owen tied her career-high with two doubles and reached base safely all four times at the plate. The sophomore finished the tournament batting .875 (7-of-8), reaching base safely in 10-of-11 plate appearances for an on base percentage of .909. Stevenson finished the weekend batting .500, drove in four runs and slugged .900.

Pye collected two hits, drove in two, and set a career-high with three runs scored. Love also drove in two runs. Freshman Rielly Lucas drew two walks and had one hit-by-pitch. Brown had one hit, one walk and scored a run. Brown hit .571 (4-of-7) in the tournament.

As a team, the Herd bat .417 during the three games of Thundering Herd Madness and outscored its competition 23-10. Marshall hit 12 doubles and four home runs.

The Herd is back in action with a single game at the Ohio Bobcats on Wednesday, March 16. First pitch is set for 6 p.m., in Athens, Ohio. Marshall then begins Conference USA play on the road at UAB, March 18-20. The Blazers opened C-USA action over the weekend taking 2-of-3 from FIU.

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---

Softball Caps Thundering Herd March Madness with Comeback Win

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Team Stats

Mya Stevenson

Autumn Owen

Saige Pye

Lauren Love

Players Mentioned

Armani Brown

Grace Chelemen

Aly Harrell

Lauren Love

Rielly Lucas

Sydney Nester

Autumn Owen

Saige Pye

Mya Stevenson

Madison Whitaker

Players Mentioned

Armani Brown

Grace Chelemen

Aly Harrell

Lauren Love

Rielly Lucas

Sydney Nester

Autumn Owen

Saige Pye

Mya Stevenson

Madison Whitaker

Marshall University Athletics