Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
30-3, 0
Georgia State
13-21, 0
Herd Softball Sweeps Georgia State To Surpass 30-Win Mark
4/2/2023 5:23:00 PM | Softball
Marshall slugs four home runs in doubleheader sweep
HUNTINGTON, W.Va — The streak has been built to 21 games for the Marshall softball team (31-3, 7-0 SBC). The Herd swept the Georgia State Panthers (13-22, 2-7 SBC) by a pair 5-1 and 6-0 scorelines Sunday at Dot Hicks Field.
Dr. Dot Hicks was in the stands to see Coach Megan Smith Lyon's team cap off a perfect 7-0 homestand. The Herd is 17-0 at home in 2023.
Offensively, MU hit four home runs, including Autumn Owen's 16th homer in the 1st inning of the second game, a number that leads the country.
Pitchers Savannah Rice and Sydney Nester earned the victories in the circle, escaping trouble on the basepaths. Nester's eighth shutout of the season Sunday is tied with Kentucky's Schoonover and South Alabama's Lackie for the country's lead.
First Game: Marshall 5, Georgia State 1
Saturday's big performer, Grace Chelemen singled home Owen in the 1st inning of Sunday's opener with two outs.
All five of Marshall's runs in the first game came with two outs. Chelemen would later score on a Rielly Lucas single in the 5th.
Rice battled for her eighth win of the year in four innings of work. The junior struck out two while scattering five hits and stranding six Panthers on base.
Bri Godfrey entered in relief to earn her second save of the year, wrapping up the final three innings. Strong defense aided the MU pitching, with Sydney Bickel doubling up a GSU runner off first base after snagging a liner.
Second Game: Marshall 6, Georgia State 0
Owen's 16th blast set the tempo for the Herd in game two. The junior's home run followed Lauren Love's home run in the opener.
Brooklyn Ulrich and Lucas also found the parking lot past the right field wall in the series finale.
Nester scored her eighth shutout of the season with seven innings of five-hit work. The redshirt-senior has now struck out 159 batters, 24 more than any other pitcher in the conference.
The 6-0 win makes Marshall's 2023 team the fastest in program history to the 30-win mark.
UP NEXT
Marshall travels to Monroe, Louisiana for the first time in program history to face the ULM Warhawks. The series opener is set for Thursday, April 6 at 7:00 p.m. eastern, 6:00 p.m. central.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rice, Savannah (8-0)
L: Adams, Hallie (3-8)
S: Godfrey, Bri (2)
Batting:
2B: Mumpfield, Maia 1
RBI: Deady, Carolyn 1
SF: Deady, Carolyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Richardson, Bailee 1
SB: Brown, Emily 1
HBP: Goodwin, Jaycee 1
Batting:
2B: Owen, Autumn 1 ; Michallas, Camryn 1
HR: Love, Lauren 1
RBI: Owen, Autumn 1 ; Chelemen, Grace 1 ; Lucas, Rielly 1 ; Love, Lauren 1 ; Ulrich, Brooklyn 1
SH: Love, Lauren 1
SF: Ulrich, Brooklyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Owen, Autumn 1 ; Chelemen, Grace 1 ; Michallas, Camryn 1 ; Love, Lauren 1 ; Ulrich, Brooklyn 1
SB: Coleman, Alex 1 ; Chelemen, Grace 2
HBP: Feringa, Bub 1
