Softball Sets Program Doubles Record in Sweep of Blue Raiders

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall softball team ripped off a program record seven doubles in a 9-1 victory over the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in six innings on Sunday. The win gave the Herd the series sweep.

The Thundering Herd improved to 19-9 overall and 3-3 in Conference USA play. The Blue Raiders fall to 15-18 overall and 2-4 in league action.

Marshall tallied 10 total hits in the game with eight going for extra bases. Five different players hit a double on Sunday. Fifth-year senior Katie Adams and senior Grace Chelemen led the way with two each. Fifth-year seniors Aly Harrell, Saige Pye, and Madison Whitaker had one each. Pye added a home run as well. The only singles in the victory came from fifth-year senior Armani Brown and sophomore Autumn Owen.

The Herd recorded six walks for the second-consecutive game. Harrell was walked three times for the second-straight game as well bringing her season total to 22 and 153 in her career.

Redshirt junior Sydney Nester earned her 12th win of the season throwing her 15th complete-game of the year. She allowed just three hits, one run and struck out nine.

Middle Tennessee scored first in the top of the first inning as Anyce Harvey hit a two-out, solo home run to left field. Nester rebounded immediately, retiring the very next batter on a ground out to first. The Blue Raiders managed to only put four more runners on base through the next five innings as Nester and the Herd Defense took control.

Marshall's offense answered as well in the bottom of the first scoring two runs to take the lead that it never relinquished. Harrell led off the inning with her first walk of the game. Senior Mya Stevenson reached base next on a hit-by-pitch. Pye delivered the first double of the day out to left-center that scored Harrell. Stevenson scored next as Owen reached on an infield error.

After Middle Tennessee was retired in order in the second, including Nester's first two strikeouts of the day, the Herd added three more runs in the bottom of the inning to take a four-run lead.

Adams led off the inning with Marshall's second double out to right-center. Brown then laid down a bunt and outran the throw to first for a base hit as Adams advanced to third. Harrell ripped the next double down the right field line that scored both Adams and Brown. Middle Tennessee made its first pitching change after Harrell's double.

Later in the inning with two outs and nobody on base, Pye belted a line drive homer over the fence in right. The solo shot was her eighth of the season and 22nd of her career. The bomb also made it five-straight games that the Herd has hit at least one homer.

Marshall managed just one base runner in the third and the fourth innings as Chelemen and Harrell reached on walks.

Nester struck out two more batters in the top of the fifth to bring her game total to seven, and Harrell finished the inning with an unassisted putout at first that stranded another runner on base for the Blue Raiders.

The doubles party took off in the bottom of the fifth with three more for the Herd, coming back-to-back-to-back, to tie the program record at six. Owen led off the inning with a walk. Two batters later, Whitaker hit double number four for Marshall down the left field line that scored Owen. Chelemen then hit the fifth double of the afternoon with a shot off the fence in left that allowed Whitaker to score. Adams then ripped her second double of the game, and sixth for the Herd, to left that advanced Chelemen to third. Freshman Rielly Lucas came in to pinch hit and drove in Chelemen on a ground out to second. Harrell was walked for the third time in the contest, but the Blue Raiders got out of the inning retiring the next batter. Marshall led 7-1.

Middle Tennessee put another on with a base hit in the top of the sixth, however Nester struck out the next batter for her ninth of the game and to finish the inning stranding another runner.

Owen got the offense started in the bottom of the sixth with a one-out single to left. Two batters later, Whitaker was walked to put two runners on base and move Owen into scoring position at second. Chelemen stepped up and attacked the first pitch she saw, ripping the seventh and record-breaking double to right-center. Owen crossed the plate to give Marshall the 8-run advantage and end the game by the mercy-rule.

The old record of six doubles was set back on Feb. 8, 2015, in an 8-0 win over UNC Greensboro. Recording the six doubles were Morgan Zerkle (two), Kylie Howard, Raquel Escareno, Katalin Lucas, and Emileigh Cooper. The mark was tied on March 20, 2021, in a 9-2 win at Chattanooga. Adams and Whitaker both had a double as Sierra Huerta and Kat Sackett had two each.

The Herd returns to action at Akron on Tuesday, March 29, with a doubleheader. Marshall gets back into Conference USA play at home as the Charlotte 49ers come to Dot Hicks Field, April 1-3.

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 Sets Program Doubles Record in Sweep of Blue Raiders

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Team Stats

Saige Pye

Grace Chelemen

Katie Adams

Aly Harrell

Players Mentioned

Katie Adams

Armani Brown

Grace Chelemen

Aly Harrell

Sierra Huerta

Rielly Lucas

Sydney Nester

Autumn Owen

Saige Pye

Kat Sackett

Mya Stevenson

Madison Whitaker

Players Mentioned

Katie Adams

Armani Brown

Grace Chelemen

Aly Harrell

Sierra Huerta

Rielly Lucas

Sydney Nester

Autumn Owen

Saige Pye

Kat Sackett

Mya Stevenson

Madison Whitaker

Marshall University Athletics