March 8, 2010
Marshall Softball Falls 4-1 to Kent State, Outlasts Cleveland State 4-3 in Nine Innings
Herd softball finishes 3-2 on the weekend
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
Huntington, WV (HNN) – In the final day of the Marshall Holiday Invitational, the Thundering Herd softball team (13-6) fell 4-1 to Kent State in the early game and outlasted Cleveland State 4-3 in extra innings in the tournament’s final contest.
In game one against Kent State (6-9), the Golden Flashes registered three home runs in the first three innings, including a two-run round tripper to take a 4-0 lead.
Lauren Grimes started KSU off with a homer to left center in the first; the Golden Flashes would then tag on another in the second inning with a long ball from Mary Holt to put the game at 2-0.
Grimes would strike again with a two-run bomb to right center to plate Leah Archual and give KSU a 4-0 lead in the third.
Jazmine Valle would have nothing of it as she answered the call with her third home run on the year to center field to close the gap at 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth.
Valle would go 2-for-4 at the plate with one run scored and one RBI.
Two-out lightning would strike in the bottom of the fifth as BriAna Hope brought home Caitlyn Jackson and Melanie Stoehr on an single to short stop to inch the Herd closer at 4-3.
The Golden Flashes would not let down as they came back with a two-out grand slam from Jessica Blanton that brought around Jessica Carmichael, Grimes and Archual, all unearned, to give KSU an 8-3 advantage.
“We dug too big of a hole,” said head coach Shonda Stanton. “Our defensive mistake extended the inning and gave them the opportunity to load the bases and hit the grand slam. That did not give us the opportunity to come back.”
In the bottom of the seventh, MU would tack on a run after Jackson came across the plate on a Stoehr single to center field. The late rally would not be enough as the Herd would eventually fall 8-4. Jackson finished the game going 2-for-2 with two runs scored.
Katie Murphree would garner the loss, moving her to 6-4 as of game one on Sunday. The senior came out after 2.0 innings of work to be replaced by Rachel Rillo in the third. Rillo would record three strikeouts in a 3.0 inning performance before Jackson would close the game with four strikeouts in 2.0 innings in the circle.
KSU pitcher Kylie Reynolds (4-8) went the distance to pick up the win while striking out eight batters along the way.
In game two, the Herd fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first as Cleveland State (8-6) put up the early run on a sacrifice fly to right field from Lia Gordon to score Jessica Burt, unearned.
The Vikings tacked another run on the board in the third, as Burt came home on a Tess Sito single up the middle to allow a 2-0 CSU cushion.
Jackson would once again come up huge for the Herd as she shot a two-run homer to center to plate Alianna Telles and tie the game at 2-2.
“We had a great offensive day,” said Stanton. “The difference for us, why in the second game it was so close, was our defensive mistakes. Four errors in a ball game will to keep it close. If you do not hit as well as we did it will cause you to lose a game.”
The score would teeter-totter once more as Dara Toman would come home, unearned, on a Marshall fielder’s choice to make it a 3-2 CSU favor in the fourth.
The outfield parking lot was suspect to another home run in the fifth, as Telles would hit her fifth-career long ball to tie the game at 3-3.
It was Marshall who would come out on top in suspenseful extra innings as base runner Telles was placed on second and would score in the ninth on a Rebecca Gamby single through the right side.
Gamby was 3-for-4 in the game with her sole RBI coming in the final play.
“I was pleased with how we continued to fight,” said Stanton. “We eventually got the game-winning hit when we needed it. We did have a number of opportunities early that we did not come through on. I was pleased that the girls continued to battle just like we did in game one.”
Jackson made the start for Marshall, but would come out in the fourth with one strikeout. Murphree, who struck out eight Viking batters, notched the win to push her record to 7-5 on the year.
Amanda Macenko (6-6) took the loss after 8.2 innings pitched and six strikeouts.
Thundering Herd softball will take to the Dot on Tuesday when it hosts a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. against Valparaiso.
www.Herdzone.com
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Marshall Softball Falls 4-1 to Kent State, Outlasts Cleveland State 4-3 in Nine Innings
Herd softball finishes 3-2 on the weekend
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
Huntington, WV (HNN) – In the final day of the Marshall Holiday Invitational, the Thundering Herd softball team (13-6) fell 4-1 to Kent State in the early game and outlasted Cleveland State 4-3 in extra innings in the tournament’s final contest.
In game one against Kent State (6-9), the Golden Flashes registered three home runs in the first three innings, including a two-run round tripper to take a 4-0 lead.
Lauren Grimes started KSU off with a homer to left center in the first; the Golden Flashes would then tag on another in the second inning with a long ball from Mary Holt to put the game at 2-0.
Grimes would strike again with a two-run bomb to right center to plate Leah Archual and give KSU a 4-0 lead in the third.
Jazmine Valle would have nothing of it as she answered the call with her third home run on the year to center field to close the gap at 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth.
Valle would go 2-for-4 at the plate with one run scored and one RBI.
Two-out lightning would strike in the bottom of the fifth as BriAna Hope brought home Caitlyn Jackson and Melanie Stoehr on an single to short stop to inch the Herd closer at 4-3.
The Golden Flashes would not let down as they came back with a two-out grand slam from Jessica Blanton that brought around Jessica Carmichael, Grimes and Archual, all unearned, to give KSU an 8-3 advantage.
“We dug too big of a hole,” said head coach Shonda Stanton. “Our defensive mistake extended the inning and gave them the opportunity to load the bases and hit the grand slam. That did not give us the opportunity to come back.”
In the bottom of the seventh, MU would tack on a run after Jackson came across the plate on a Stoehr single to center field. The late rally would not be enough as the Herd would eventually fall 8-4. Jackson finished the game going 2-for-2 with two runs scored.
Katie Murphree would garner the loss, moving her to 6-4 as of game one on Sunday. The senior came out after 2.0 innings of work to be replaced by Rachel Rillo in the third. Rillo would record three strikeouts in a 3.0 inning performance before Jackson would close the game with four strikeouts in 2.0 innings in the circle.
KSU pitcher Kylie Reynolds (4-8) went the distance to pick up the win while striking out eight batters along the way.
In game two, the Herd fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first as Cleveland State (8-6) put up the early run on a sacrifice fly to right field from Lia Gordon to score Jessica Burt, unearned.
The Vikings tacked another run on the board in the third, as Burt came home on a Tess Sito single up the middle to allow a 2-0 CSU cushion.
Jackson would once again come up huge for the Herd as she shot a two-run homer to center to plate Alianna Telles and tie the game at 2-2.
“We had a great offensive day,” said Stanton. “The difference for us, why in the second game it was so close, was our defensive mistakes. Four errors in a ball game will to keep it close. If you do not hit as well as we did it will cause you to lose a game.”
The score would teeter-totter once more as Dara Toman would come home, unearned, on a Marshall fielder’s choice to make it a 3-2 CSU favor in the fourth.
The outfield parking lot was suspect to another home run in the fifth, as Telles would hit her fifth-career long ball to tie the game at 3-3.
It was Marshall who would come out on top in suspenseful extra innings as base runner Telles was placed on second and would score in the ninth on a Rebecca Gamby single through the right side.
Gamby was 3-for-4 in the game with her sole RBI coming in the final play.
“I was pleased with how we continued to fight,” said Stanton. “We eventually got the game-winning hit when we needed it. We did have a number of opportunities early that we did not come through on. I was pleased that the girls continued to battle just like we did in game one.”
Jackson made the start for Marshall, but would come out in the fourth with one strikeout. Murphree, who struck out eight Viking batters, notched the win to push her record to 7-5 on the year.
Amanda Macenko (6-6) took the loss after 8.2 innings pitched and six strikeouts.
Thundering Herd softball will take to the Dot on Tuesday when it hosts a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. against Valparaiso.
www.Herdzone.com
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