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Huntington (HNN) — After giving up a lead-off double to start the game, Marshall pitcher Randi Nielson settled into a groove as the Thundering Herd defeated Eastern Kentucky 2-0 in softball Wednesday afternoon, March 30, 2005.
 
Nielson was dominant throughout the middle innings of the game before she made things interesting with two-outs in the top of the seventh.
 
Eastern Kentucky was down to its final out and appeared to be finished when Nielson induced a pop up. However, she tried making the play herself and dropped the ball resulting in new life for the Colonels.
 
The Thundering Herd faithful got a little on edge when Nielson followed the error with a walk, putting the go-ahead run at the plate. However, Marshall second basemen Deanna Tourville made a backhanded stop and then flipped the ball out of her glove to J. Williams for the final out, preserving the shutout and pushing Marshall's record to 17-12.
 
Prior to the seventh inning, Nielson had scattered three base-runners over the prior six innings as she dominated Colonels hitters with a mixture of her fastball and off-speed pitches.
 
Eastern Kentucky starter Shelby Thompson was just as effective in the first two innings against the Thundering Herd before Noelle Adams reached on an infield single for Marshall's first hit and followed that up by stealing second base.
 
Reigning Mid-American Conference player of the week Amanda Williams just missed hitting a home run to center, but Adams tagged and went to third on the deep flyout.
 
Amanda's twin sister Jessica Williams then followed with a hard single to left field scoring Adams and giving the Thundering Herd all they would need in the contest.
 
Gina Guzzo belted a 3-2 pitch to the Marshall tennis courts over left field to give Marshall an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth. Guzzo's sixth homer of the season chased Thompson from the game.
 
For Eastern Kentucky, a lead-off double by Alysha Jones proved to be Eastern Kentucky's only hit of the contest as Nielson went wire-to-wire for the complete game shutout. Nielson allowed four walks to the Colonels, but settled in to end each inning with no damage.
 
Adams was Marshall's only batter with multiple hits and she followed those up with a pair of stolen bases on the afternoon.
 
Marshall will be back in action this weekend as they host the Akron Zips in a MAC East match-up. Action kicks off with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 2, 2005 starting at 1 p.m. with the final game slated for Sunday, April 3 at 1 p.m.
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