Marshall University Athletics
Saturday, March 5
Huntington, W.Va.
11:00 AM
Marshall University
12-5
6
vs
0
Winthrop University
5-14
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Winthrop
0
0
0
0
0
0
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0
2
1
Marshall
2
4
0
0
0
0
X
6
6
0
Lauren Love with one of her five hits combined in the doubleheader.
Photo by: Adam Gue
Softball Dominates Final Day of Thundering Herd Round Robin
3/5/2022 8:25:00 PM | Softball
Herd allowed one run in 29 innings
Winthrop Box Score (PDF)
Maryland Eastern Shore (PDF)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall softball team closed out its 2022 home-opening tournament with two more dominating victories on Saturday at Dot Hicks Field. The Herd shutout Winthrop 6-0 and then defeated Maryland Eastern Shore 14-1.
Marshall outscored the opposition 43-1 during the five-game homestand. The Thundering Herd improved to 13-5 and have won eight in-a-row, tied for the fifth-longest winning streak in team history.
Game One: Marshall 6, Winthrop 0
The sun was shining with temperatures getting into the seventies as the action began with Marshall volleyball's Macy McElhaney delivering a strike on a ceremonial first pitch celebrating women in sports. After the strike from McElhaney, it was a meeting of teams without a loss during the Round Robin, and ended with the Herd's four-straight shutout and seventh of the year. Redshirt junior pitcher Sydney Nester was at it again with 11 more strikeouts, her seventh game of 10 or more strikeouts this season, and her sixth shutout. Nester allowed just two hits and only one walk.
The Marshall offense gave Nester some early run support scoring two in the first inning. Fifth-year senior Aly Harrell reached on her 144th career walk, and then stole second. Two batters later, with two outs, senior Mya Stevenson legged out an infield single that moved Harrell to third. Stevenson then stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Freshman Bub Feringa delivered a single to right that scored both Harrell and Stevenson.
Nester came right back out and struck out the side in the second, bringing her game total to four.
Marshall rolled out four more runs in the bottom of the second to take the 6-0 lead. Sophomore Autumn Owen led off with an infield single and then stole second. Freshman Alex Coleman drew a walk to put two runners on. Fifth-year senior Armani Brown grounded out, but allowed both runners to advance. Freshman Lauren Love drilled a pitch over the head of the leftfielder out to the fence scoring both Owen and Coleman for a double.
Harrell kept the inning going with another walk, the 145th of her career and the 38th time with at least two walks in a game. Harrell needs just three more walks to surpass four-time All-American Rachel Folden (2005-08) and become Marshall's all-time leader. Fifth-year senior Saige Pye reached on a fielder's choice with everyone safe that drove home Love. Stevenson then plated Harrell on a sacrifice fly to center.
The defense came through with great plays behind Nester all game long. Brown and Owen each had one of their three assists in the third and Love finished off the 1-2-3 inning with a catch on the run in foul territory. The top of the third lasted just seven pitches.
The contest turned into a pitching and defensive battle the rest of the way. Nester tallied two more strikeouts in the fourth to reach 450 in her career. She had two more in the fifth including one that ended the inning stranding a runner at second. The Hillsville, Virginia, native ended the sixth inning with her ninth strikeout, lining herself up for another double-digit strikeout day.
Marshall took care of the Eagles with another 1-2-3 inning in the seventh. Owen tallied her third assist of the game for the first out, and then Nester sat down the next two with strikeouts.
Nester finished the weekend not allowing a run in 19 innings pitched. She tallied a 3-0 record including her first no-hitter in a Marshall uniform. Nester recorded 31 more strikeouts, and has 112 for the year. It was the second time this season that the redshirt junior made it through a weekend tournament without allowing a run. She blanked the competition at the Buzz Classic, Feb. 11-12.
Love finished the game 3-of-4 at the plate with two RBI and one run. Harrell scored two runs and had one hit to go along with her two walks. Feringa had two RBI.
Game Two: Marshall 14, Maryland Eastern Shore 1
The sun was still shining as offense, defense and pitching also shined once again for the Herd. Redshirt junior pitcher Cailey Joyce picked up her second win of the weekend and fourth of the season. Joyce pitched all five innings, allowed five hits, one run, no walks and struck out six. The Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, native came through with several clutch pitches to strand runners on base for the Hawks.
Marshall's offense had another explosive first inning picking up nine runs on nine hits, two walks and one hit-by-pitch. All nine batters in the lineup scored a run in the first.
The onslaught began with Aly Harrell getting plunked in the right shoulder. The one-out hit-by-pitch was the 40th of Harrell's career, third all-time in team history. Saige Pye moved Harrell to second with a single to right-center. Mya Stevenson sent in the first run as Harrell crossed the plate on Stevenson's double to left. It was Stevenson's team-leading eighth double of the year, and 29th of her career good for 16th all-time in team history. Bub Feringa stepped up next and scored both Pye and Stevenson with a single to center.
Freshman Rielly Lucas drew a walk and Autumn Owen hit a single to right to load the bases. Sophomore Kay Kay Kenney entered to pinch hit for freshman Alex Coleman and put a shot down the left field line that went to the corner and ricocheted off the fence back into fair territory. Kenney raced around to third for her first career triple as all three runners came home. Marshall led 6-0.
The inning did not end there as Armani Brown put down a bunt and outran the defense for her first hit of the season. Brown then stole second before Love got a base hit into right that scored Kenney and moved Brown to third. Harrell drove in Brown and Love for the final two runs of the inning with a single down the left field line.
In the top of the third, the Hawks had a chance to get on the scoreboard with as Tatum Kresley hit a out-out triple off the fence in center. However, Joyce sat down the next batter on a called strike three, and then finished the inning with another strikeout to strand Kresley at third. Joyce picked up her fourth strikeout of the afternoon and the 150th of her collegiate career.
Harrell led off the bottom of the third with her second hit of the game and then head coach Megan Smith Lyon sent in redshirt freshman Amaya Lee to run for Harrell at first. The extra speed was not necessary as Stevenson belted a towering shot to the railroad track beyond the fence in left-center. The two run home run was Stevenson's fourth of the season and 44th of her career. Marshall led 11-0.
Joyce recorded two more strikeouts in the top of the fourth around an assist by Brown in the 1-2-3 inning.
The Herd added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 14-0. Coleman re-entered and led off reaching on an infield error. Brown tallied her second hit of the game and moved Coleman to second. Love came through with another base hit that scored Coleman. Harrell the scored Brown with a double. Two batters later, Harrell came home on a sacrifice fly to left by Stevenson.
The Hawks managed to plate one run in the top of the fifth to end Marshall's scoreless streak. It was the first run that the Herd had allowed since the bottom of the seventh at Campbell on Feb. 26 at the Camel Stampede, a span covering 28 innings. However, Joyce and the Marshall defense handled its business after the run with back-to-back pop outs, one to Brown and another to Love, to end the inning and the game.
The Herd bats put a season-high 16 hits, tied for the fourth-best total in team history. It was the fifth time this season that Marshall tallied 10 or more hits and its third game with double-digit runs.
Harrell was 3-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. The Gahanna, Ohio, native now has 182 hits in her career and moves into 16th place in team history. Harrell's final run of the game put her career total to 115, surpassing Shaelynn Braxton (2013-15, '17) to move into 10th all-time. Harrell also moved into third all-time in career RBI with 146, jumping ahead of Samantha Rodriguez (2005-08). Harrell trails only Braxton (171) and Folden (196) on the all-time charts. Harrell is also tied with Braxton for fourth all-time with 348 total bases.
Pye was 3-of-4 and increased her Marshall career batting average to .413, good for second all-time behind only Morgan Zerkle's .451 (2014-17). Stevenson had two hits, two runs and four RBI. The Mesquite, Texas, native moved into seventh place all-time with 128 career RBI.
Love finished the game with two hits, two runs and two RBI. Owen and Brown both had two hits and one run each. Feringa tallied two RBI for the second time during the day. Kenney tallied three RBI off the bases loaded triple and Lucas drew two walks.
Marshall gets back on the diamond with another home tournament. Thundering Herd March Madness is set for March 11-13 at Dot Hicks Field. Marshall welcomes Norfolk State, Fairfield and Western Carolina to town.
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.
Maryland Eastern Shore (PDF)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall softball team closed out its 2022 home-opening tournament with two more dominating victories on Saturday at Dot Hicks Field. The Herd shutout Winthrop 6-0 and then defeated Maryland Eastern Shore 14-1.
Marshall outscored the opposition 43-1 during the five-game homestand. The Thundering Herd improved to 13-5 and have won eight in-a-row, tied for the fifth-longest winning streak in team history.
Game One: Marshall 6, Winthrop 0
The sun was shining with temperatures getting into the seventies as the action began with Marshall volleyball's Macy McElhaney delivering a strike on a ceremonial first pitch celebrating women in sports. After the strike from McElhaney, it was a meeting of teams without a loss during the Round Robin, and ended with the Herd's four-straight shutout and seventh of the year. Redshirt junior pitcher Sydney Nester was at it again with 11 more strikeouts, her seventh game of 10 or more strikeouts this season, and her sixth shutout. Nester allowed just two hits and only one walk.
The Marshall offense gave Nester some early run support scoring two in the first inning. Fifth-year senior Aly Harrell reached on her 144th career walk, and then stole second. Two batters later, with two outs, senior Mya Stevenson legged out an infield single that moved Harrell to third. Stevenson then stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Freshman Bub Feringa delivered a single to right that scored both Harrell and Stevenson.
Nester came right back out and struck out the side in the second, bringing her game total to four.
Marshall rolled out four more runs in the bottom of the second to take the 6-0 lead. Sophomore Autumn Owen led off with an infield single and then stole second. Freshman Alex Coleman drew a walk to put two runners on. Fifth-year senior Armani Brown grounded out, but allowed both runners to advance. Freshman Lauren Love drilled a pitch over the head of the leftfielder out to the fence scoring both Owen and Coleman for a double.
Harrell kept the inning going with another walk, the 145th of her career and the 38th time with at least two walks in a game. Harrell needs just three more walks to surpass four-time All-American Rachel Folden (2005-08) and become Marshall's all-time leader. Fifth-year senior Saige Pye reached on a fielder's choice with everyone safe that drove home Love. Stevenson then plated Harrell on a sacrifice fly to center.
The defense came through with great plays behind Nester all game long. Brown and Owen each had one of their three assists in the third and Love finished off the 1-2-3 inning with a catch on the run in foul territory. The top of the third lasted just seven pitches.
The contest turned into a pitching and defensive battle the rest of the way. Nester tallied two more strikeouts in the fourth to reach 450 in her career. She had two more in the fifth including one that ended the inning stranding a runner at second. The Hillsville, Virginia, native ended the sixth inning with her ninth strikeout, lining herself up for another double-digit strikeout day.
Marshall took care of the Eagles with another 1-2-3 inning in the seventh. Owen tallied her third assist of the game for the first out, and then Nester sat down the next two with strikeouts.
Nester finished the weekend not allowing a run in 19 innings pitched. She tallied a 3-0 record including her first no-hitter in a Marshall uniform. Nester recorded 31 more strikeouts, and has 112 for the year. It was the second time this season that the redshirt junior made it through a weekend tournament without allowing a run. She blanked the competition at the Buzz Classic, Feb. 11-12.
Love finished the game 3-of-4 at the plate with two RBI and one run. Harrell scored two runs and had one hit to go along with her two walks. Feringa had two RBI.
Game Two: Marshall 14, Maryland Eastern Shore 1
The sun was still shining as offense, defense and pitching also shined once again for the Herd. Redshirt junior pitcher Cailey Joyce picked up her second win of the weekend and fourth of the season. Joyce pitched all five innings, allowed five hits, one run, no walks and struck out six. The Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, native came through with several clutch pitches to strand runners on base for the Hawks.
Marshall's offense had another explosive first inning picking up nine runs on nine hits, two walks and one hit-by-pitch. All nine batters in the lineup scored a run in the first.
The onslaught began with Aly Harrell getting plunked in the right shoulder. The one-out hit-by-pitch was the 40th of Harrell's career, third all-time in team history. Saige Pye moved Harrell to second with a single to right-center. Mya Stevenson sent in the first run as Harrell crossed the plate on Stevenson's double to left. It was Stevenson's team-leading eighth double of the year, and 29th of her career good for 16th all-time in team history. Bub Feringa stepped up next and scored both Pye and Stevenson with a single to center.
Freshman Rielly Lucas drew a walk and Autumn Owen hit a single to right to load the bases. Sophomore Kay Kay Kenney entered to pinch hit for freshman Alex Coleman and put a shot down the left field line that went to the corner and ricocheted off the fence back into fair territory. Kenney raced around to third for her first career triple as all three runners came home. Marshall led 6-0.
The inning did not end there as Armani Brown put down a bunt and outran the defense for her first hit of the season. Brown then stole second before Love got a base hit into right that scored Kenney and moved Brown to third. Harrell drove in Brown and Love for the final two runs of the inning with a single down the left field line.
In the top of the third, the Hawks had a chance to get on the scoreboard with as Tatum Kresley hit a out-out triple off the fence in center. However, Joyce sat down the next batter on a called strike three, and then finished the inning with another strikeout to strand Kresley at third. Joyce picked up her fourth strikeout of the afternoon and the 150th of her collegiate career.
Harrell led off the bottom of the third with her second hit of the game and then head coach Megan Smith Lyon sent in redshirt freshman Amaya Lee to run for Harrell at first. The extra speed was not necessary as Stevenson belted a towering shot to the railroad track beyond the fence in left-center. The two run home run was Stevenson's fourth of the season and 44th of her career. Marshall led 11-0.
Joyce recorded two more strikeouts in the top of the fourth around an assist by Brown in the 1-2-3 inning.
The Herd added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 14-0. Coleman re-entered and led off reaching on an infield error. Brown tallied her second hit of the game and moved Coleman to second. Love came through with another base hit that scored Coleman. Harrell the scored Brown with a double. Two batters later, Harrell came home on a sacrifice fly to left by Stevenson.
The Hawks managed to plate one run in the top of the fifth to end Marshall's scoreless streak. It was the first run that the Herd had allowed since the bottom of the seventh at Campbell on Feb. 26 at the Camel Stampede, a span covering 28 innings. However, Joyce and the Marshall defense handled its business after the run with back-to-back pop outs, one to Brown and another to Love, to end the inning and the game.
The Herd bats put a season-high 16 hits, tied for the fourth-best total in team history. It was the fifth time this season that Marshall tallied 10 or more hits and its third game with double-digit runs.
Harrell was 3-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. The Gahanna, Ohio, native now has 182 hits in her career and moves into 16th place in team history. Harrell's final run of the game put her career total to 115, surpassing Shaelynn Braxton (2013-15, '17) to move into 10th all-time. Harrell also moved into third all-time in career RBI with 146, jumping ahead of Samantha Rodriguez (2005-08). Harrell trails only Braxton (171) and Folden (196) on the all-time charts. Harrell is also tied with Braxton for fourth all-time with 348 total bases.
Pye was 3-of-4 and increased her Marshall career batting average to .413, good for second all-time behind only Morgan Zerkle's .451 (2014-17). Stevenson had two hits, two runs and four RBI. The Mesquite, Texas, native moved into seventh place all-time with 128 career RBI.
Love finished the game with two hits, two runs and two RBI. Owen and Brown both had two hits and one run each. Feringa tallied two RBI for the second time during the day. Kenney tallied three RBI off the bases loaded triple and Lucas drew two walks.
Marshall gets back on the diamond with another home tournament. Thundering Herd March Madness is set for March 11-13 at Dot Hicks Field. Marshall welcomes Norfolk State, Fairfield and Western Carolina to town.
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: Nester, Sydney (8-3)
L: ROY, Bella (1-5)
Batting:
2B: SMITH, Mackenzie 1
Batting:
2B: Love, Lauren 2
RBI: Love, Lauren 2 ; Pye, Saige 1 ; Stevenson, Mya 1 ; Feringa, Bub 2
SF: Stevenson, Mya 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Love, Lauren 1 ; Harrell, Aly 2 ; Stevenson, Mya 1 ; Owen, Autumn 1 ; Coleman, Alex 1
SB: Harrell, Aly 1 ; Chelemen, Grace 1 ; Stevenson, Mya 1 ; Owen, Autumn 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballP/UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballC/INF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballMarshall Softball Class of 2025 Graduates
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Marshall Softball: Kaleea Washington & Brooklyn Ulrich (Post-Radford)
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Marshall Softball: HC Morgan Zerkle, Haleigh Adkins, Paige Maynard (Post-Coastal)
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Hype and Harmony: the Team Personality Fuels Success #softball
Thursday, April 17