Five Times! Nester Named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week

IRVING, Texas – Marshall softball redshirt junior pitcher Sydney Nester was named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week for the fifth time this season, the league office announced on Monday. Nester continues to strike down Herd records while earning wins.

The Hillsville, Virginia, native has been honored by C-USA with the weekly award on Feb. 14, Feb. 28, March 14, March 28, and now April 11. She has won it every other week so far during the season.

In just her first year with Marshall, Nester continues to put her name among the best to ever pitch in Herd history. She will have one more year of eligibility remaining when the 2022 season comes to an end.

Nester had another great weekend on the road down in Boca Raton, Florida, against the Florida Atlantic Owls. She had two appearances, two starts, two complete games, two wins, just three earned runs, a 1.40 ERA and struck out 26 batters in 15 innings. She held the Owls to a .185 batting average. Nester added two more double-digit strikeout performances to her resume, bringing her season total to 10. Since 2000, she is just the third pitcher in team history to have 10 or more double-figure strikeout contests in a single season.

In game one, Nester tossed all eight innings good for a season-high and tied her career-best with 15 strikeouts as the Herd pulled off its fourth-straight comeback victory. She struck out 10-of-11 Owls that came to the plate for at least one at bat and scattered out four hits allowing two runs. Nester ended six innings by the strikeout. She had four Ks through the first three innings and then picked up two more in the fourth before striking out the side in the fifth bringing her game total to nine.

Nester recorded all three outs in the bottom of the sixth by a strikeout, however the Owls scored two runs to take the lead. After Marshall blasted back in the top of the seventh to tie the game, Nester retired the next six batters not allowing another runner to reach base in the seventh or the eighth innings and ended both frames with another strikeout. Her K to end the seventh was her 13th of the game and 200th of the season as Nester became the fastest in team history to reach 200. She sent two more back to the dugout by a swing-and-miss in the eighth to tie her career-high of 15.

The redshirt junior had the start again on Sunday for the rubber match as the Herd and the Owls battled for the series win. Nester pitched all seven innings, allowed six hits but just one earned run. She struck out 11 more batters. This time the bats got Marshall on the scoreboard first in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the frame, Nester struck out the side taking her game total to five strikeouts. She tallied all three outs by the K again in the fifth after allowing the leadoff batter to reach on a walk. Florida Atlantic did not go away quietly scoring a run in the seventh to cut the Herd's lead to one. With a runner on base, and two outs, Nester struck out the next batter in three pitches to end the game.

Nester tallied her 200th strikeout of the season to end her 137th inning pitched, and in her 26th outing of the year to beat the old record of the quickest to reach 200 which was held by Andi Williamson (2011-13). Williamson set the mark in 2013 reaching 200 Ks in her 29th outing and 153.1 innings pitched on March 22 at UCF. Jordan Dixon (2014-17) was the next closest in 2015 getting to 200 strikeouts in her 30th outing, 165.1 innings pitched, on March 28 at Furman.

With Nester also tallying double-digit strikeouts in 10 games, she now joins Marshall Hall of Famer Sara Gulla (1998-2001) and Williamson as the only pitchers with 10 or more in a single season. Gulla accomplished the feat in 2001 with 11 games and finished the year with 270 strikeouts. Williamson holds the single-season record with 12 during the 2013 campaign and ended with the single-season mark of 364 strikeouts.

Marshall returns to the field on Tuesday, April 12, for a doubleheader at Northern Kentucky with first pitch of game one set for 2 p.m. The Herd will be back at Dot Hicks Field this Thursday through Saturday, April 14-16, for a three-game set against the FIU Panthers.

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---

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Five Times! Nester Named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week

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