Marshall University Athletics
Sunday, March 20
Birmingham, AL
1:00 PM/12:00 PM CT
Marshall University
16-9, 0
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University of Alabama at Birmingham
17-10, 0
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Marshall
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UAB
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Photo by: David Dermer
Softball Fights but Falls in Finale at UAB
3/20/2022 4:49:00 PM | Softball
Box Score (PDF)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Marshall softball team showed a lot of fight and grit but ultimately could not get the win in the finale at UAB on Sunday. The Herd fell 8-7. Senior Mya Stevenson hit two home runs and drove in five in the loss.
The Thundering Herd is now 16-9 overall and 0-3 to begin Conference USA play. The Blazers with the sweep improve to 17-10 overall and 5-1 in league action.
It was a pitching and defensive battle once again early on as neither team scored through the first three innings. UAB finally got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead.
Marshall responded in the top of the fifth. With two outs, fifth-year senior Aly Harrell hit a double down the right field line. It was her 44th career double, moving into sole possession of third all-time in program history. Harrell then advanced to third on a passed ball. Just three pitches later, Stevenson drilled a shot out to center for a 2-run home run. The homer was her team-leading eighth of the season and 48th of her career. The game was tied at 2-2.
The Blazers manufactured more offense and took advantage of an error in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-2 lead. However, this time, Marshall did not go down quickly in the top of the seventh.
Fifth-year senior Madison Whitaker came in to pinch hit for senior Grace Chelemen to lead off the seventh. Whitaker reached after getting hit on the elbow and Chelemen re-entered to run at first. Freshman Bub Feringa stepped up next to pinch hit for fifth-year senior Armani Brown. Feringa reached safely on catcher's interference, and Brown came back out to run at first. After a pitching change for UAB, and with two runners on, Harrell singled to right that scored Chelemen from second cutting the deficit to two, 5-3.
Stevenson came up next and blasted a towering shot out to the parking lot in left on the first pitch of the at-bat. The 3-run shot gave the Herd the lead, 6-5. It was the fifth time in Stevenson's career with two home runs in a single game. The home run was her ninth of the year and 49th of her career, putting Stevenson within 10 home runs of surpassing Rachel Folden (2005-08) for the top spot all-time. Folden holds the career record with 58 homers. Stevenson has hit six home runs over the last eight games.
The bomb resulted in another pitching change for UAB. Two batters later, sophomore Autumn Owen went deep to right-center for a solo home run. It was her second of the season and 19th of her collegiate career. The Herd led 7-5 after the top of the seventh.
The Blazers then came back up in the bottom of the seventh and battled its way to a walkoff victory. Jolie Readeaux drove in the last two runs on a shot to deep right field.
Redshirt junior Sydney Nester went the distance for Marshall allowing 11 hits, eight runs with five earned.
The Herd's offense produced 10 hits. Harrell, Stevenson, fifth-year senior Saige Pye, and Owen had two hits each. Sophomore Kay Kay Kenney and freshman Lauren Love had one hit each. Stevenson finished with a season-high five RBI bringing her career total to 140, surpassing Jazmine Valle (2010-13) for sixth all-time in team history. Harrell brought her career hits total to 196, 13th all-time, and RBI to 153, third all-time.
Marshall returns to the field on Tuesday, March 22, for a road doubleheader at Bellarmine in Louisville, Kentucky. First pitch of the twinbill is set for 1 p.m. The Herd gets back into Conference USA play, and back at home, March 25-27 as the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders visit Dot Hicks Field for a three-game set.
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.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Marshall softball team showed a lot of fight and grit but ultimately could not get the win in the finale at UAB on Sunday. The Herd fell 8-7. Senior Mya Stevenson hit two home runs and drove in five in the loss.
The Thundering Herd is now 16-9 overall and 0-3 to begin Conference USA play. The Blazers with the sweep improve to 17-10 overall and 5-1 in league action.
It was a pitching and defensive battle once again early on as neither team scored through the first three innings. UAB finally got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead.
Marshall responded in the top of the fifth. With two outs, fifth-year senior Aly Harrell hit a double down the right field line. It was her 44th career double, moving into sole possession of third all-time in program history. Harrell then advanced to third on a passed ball. Just three pitches later, Stevenson drilled a shot out to center for a 2-run home run. The homer was her team-leading eighth of the season and 48th of her career. The game was tied at 2-2.
The Blazers manufactured more offense and took advantage of an error in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-2 lead. However, this time, Marshall did not go down quickly in the top of the seventh.
Fifth-year senior Madison Whitaker came in to pinch hit for senior Grace Chelemen to lead off the seventh. Whitaker reached after getting hit on the elbow and Chelemen re-entered to run at first. Freshman Bub Feringa stepped up next to pinch hit for fifth-year senior Armani Brown. Feringa reached safely on catcher's interference, and Brown came back out to run at first. After a pitching change for UAB, and with two runners on, Harrell singled to right that scored Chelemen from second cutting the deficit to two, 5-3.
Stevenson came up next and blasted a towering shot out to the parking lot in left on the first pitch of the at-bat. The 3-run shot gave the Herd the lead, 6-5. It was the fifth time in Stevenson's career with two home runs in a single game. The home run was her ninth of the year and 49th of her career, putting Stevenson within 10 home runs of surpassing Rachel Folden (2005-08) for the top spot all-time. Folden holds the career record with 58 homers. Stevenson has hit six home runs over the last eight games.
The bomb resulted in another pitching change for UAB. Two batters later, sophomore Autumn Owen went deep to right-center for a solo home run. It was her second of the season and 19th of her collegiate career. The Herd led 7-5 after the top of the seventh.
The Blazers then came back up in the bottom of the seventh and battled its way to a walkoff victory. Jolie Readeaux drove in the last two runs on a shot to deep right field.
Redshirt junior Sydney Nester went the distance for Marshall allowing 11 hits, eight runs with five earned.
The Herd's offense produced 10 hits. Harrell, Stevenson, fifth-year senior Saige Pye, and Owen had two hits each. Sophomore Kay Kay Kenney and freshman Lauren Love had one hit each. Stevenson finished with a season-high five RBI bringing her career total to 140, surpassing Jazmine Valle (2010-13) for sixth all-time in team history. Harrell brought her career hits total to 196, 13th all-time, and RBI to 153, third all-time.
Marshall returns to the field on Tuesday, March 22, for a road doubleheader at Bellarmine in Louisville, Kentucky. First pitch of the twinbill is set for 1 p.m. The Herd gets back into Conference USA play, and back at home, March 25-27 as the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders visit Dot Hicks Field for a three-game set.
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---
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Makenna Pierce (4-2)
L: Nester, Sydney (10-5)
Batting:
2B: Harrell, Aly 1
HR: Stevenson, Mya 2 ; Owen, Autumn 1
RBI: Harrell, Aly 1 ; Stevenson, Mya 5 ; Owen, Autumn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Harrell, Aly 1 ; Coleman, Alex 1 ; Stevenson, Mya 2 ; Owen, Autumn 1 ; Chelemen, Grace 1 ; Brown, Armani 1
HBP: Whitaker, Madison 1
Batting:
2B: Bella Wiggins 1 ; Sierra Frazier 1 ; Lilly Crowe 1
3B: Jolie Readeaux 1
RBI: Lilly Crowe 1 ; Jolie Readeaux 2 ; Alyssa Aguilar 1 ; Lauren Brock 1 ; Lindsey Smith 2 ; Olivia Valbak 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Faith Hegh 1 ; Sierra Frazier 2 ; Chloe Bahruth 1 ; Lilly Crowe 2 ; Alyssa Aguilar 1 ; Lauren Brock 1
HBP: Sierra Frazier 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
5
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P/UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballC/INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
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