Softball Completes Sweep of Panthers on Emileigh Cooper Day

Box Score (PDF)

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall softball team finished its sweep of the FIU Panthers, 8-0, in five innings on Saturday on Emileigh Cooper Day. Fifth-year senior Aly Harrell was named the recipient of the 2022 Warrior Award named in honor of Emileigh Cooper.

The Thundering Herd improved to 28-11 overall and 11-4 in Conference USA play. The Panthers fall to 17-24 and 3-12 in league action.

Harrell is the fifth winner of the Warrior Award, which Marshall started in 2017. No award was given in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Past winners are Rebecca Myslenski (2017), Madi Marshall (2018), Hayden Ellis (2019) and Blakely Burch (2021). Harrell's love of the game, her team, and her school have been evident since she arrived in Huntington. Just like Cooper during her time with the Herd in 2012-15. Cooper tragically passed away in Feb. of 2016 in an auto accident.

Redshirt junior Sydney Nester earned her 20th win of the season pitching all five innings, allowing just two hits and struck out four. She received great defensive play behind her all game long. Sophomore Autumn Owen and fifth-year senior Armani Brown had three assists each. Fifth-year senior Madison Whitaker had two putouts and one assist. Harrell tallied 10 putouts at first base.

On offense, Marshall recorded 10 hits. It was the 15th time this year that the Herd has tallied double-digit hits.

In the top of the first, FIU put two runners on base by a hit and a walk, but could not drive them in to score first. Nester fielded a grounder, checked the runner at third and then threw to Harrell at first for the second out. Nester struck out the next batter to end the inning.

Fifth-year senior Saige Pye smashed a solo home run to center in the bottom of the first to give Marshall a 1-0 lead. It was the 29th of her career and 28th in her time with the Herd. She is now eighth all-time in team history.

In the top of the second, Nester struck out two batters and Owen had the assist from third for the 1-2-3 inning. Owen and Brown at short made two more great plays in the third and Nester had her fourth strikeout.

Marshall added one more run in the third to take a 2-0 lead. Senior Grace Chelemen ran out an infield single and then moved to second on a walk to Pye. After a pitching change, senior Mya Stevenson drove home Chelemen with a base hit to left-center.

The defense continued to make great plays in the fourth and fifth innings to keep the Panthers off the scoreboard.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Marshall offense got rolling to string together hits, free passes and runs to end the game early. Harrell led off the inning with a walk and sophomore Kay Kay Kenney came in to run at first. Chelemen followed up with a single to right to put two runners on base. Pye loaded the bases with a single to left. Stevenson drove home Kenney with a base-loaded hit-by-pitch. Next, Owen reached on a fielder's choice that the FIU defense got the force out at home. The Herd led 3-0 with one out.

Fifth-year senior Katie Adams sent home Pye and Stevenson to put Marshall up 5-0. Two batters later, freshman Rielly Lucas was in to pinch hit for Brown. On the third pitch of Lucas' at bat, a wild pitch allowed Owen to score from third and Adams took third. Next, Lucas got a base hit to right that plated Adams and pushed the lead to 7-0.

Freshman Alex Coleman dropped down a perfect bunt and outran the throw to first for a base hit. Brown came back in to run for Lucas at second base. Harrell returned to the plate for the second time in the fifth inning and drew another walk to load the bases. Chelemen stepped up and the first pitch ended up in the backstop. Brown sprinted home from third on the wild pitch and slid across the plate for the eighth and final run of the game.

Chelemen, Pye and Whitaker all had two hits each. Whitaker increased her on base streak to 15-straight games. Stevenson and Adams had two RBI each. Pye also scored two runs. Harrell was walked twice and it was the ninth time this season and 44th of her career that Harrell has been walked at least twice.

Marshall returns to action on Wednesday, April 20, at home against Morehead State. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.

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 Completes Sweep of Panthers on Emileigh Cooper Day

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Team Stats

Grace Chelemen

Saige Pye

Madison Whitaker

Mya Stevenson

Players Mentioned

Katie Adams

Armani Brown

Blakely Burch

Grace Chelemen

Alex Coleman

Aly Harrell

Kay Kay Kenney

Rielly Lucas

Sydney Nester

Autumn Owen

Saige Pye

Mya Stevenson

Madison Whitaker

Marshall University Athletics