RELEASE
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Marshall softball team’s historic run ended Saturday night with a 3-2 13-inning loss to Virginia Tech.
Marshall had eliminated Notre Dame 3-1 earlier in the day, the Herd’s first regional win since 1996.
In the course of the doubleheader Saturday, senior Andi Williamson became Marshall’s career strikeouts leader (surpassing Sara Gulla’s mark of 727). Williamson tied the record in the bottom of the ninth against Virginia Tech and passed it in the bottom of the 10th. She ended the day with 15 strikeouts, 731 in her career.
The pitcher’s duel between Williamson and the Big East Player of the Year Laura Winter set the tone of the Notre Dame game early.
Marshall junior Savanah Webster (1-for-3) smashed her fourth homer of the season into the right-field stands to lead off the bottom of the second. Sophomore Emileigh Cooper came in to pinch run for senior Alysia Hively, who drew a walk from Winter. After advancing on a sacrifice bunt from freshman Katalin Lucas (1-for-2), Cooper advanced to third and scored on a throwing error by the Fighting Irish’s catcher to make it 2-0.
Notre Dame took one run back in the third, but Marshall regained it in the bottom half. After a fielding error allowed senior Ashley Gue to reach first, Gue stole second and third before the Alexandra Bayne’s RBI triple.
In Game 2, the Hokies took a 1-0 lead in the bottom using a hit batter and a and stolen base.
Marshall tilted the game into its favor in the top of the fifth, after a leadoff single from freshman Kaelynn Greene (3-for-7) fired up the Herd. Gue (3-for-6) bunt singled, and Valle reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. Bayne’s two-run single into the left-field gap to put the Herd up 2-1.
The Hokies tied the game at 2-all in the top of the sixth, the last one either team allowed until Tech pushed across the game-winner seven innings later.
Marshall squandered a golden chance in the top of the 13th, after back-to-back singles from Bri Anna Hope and Greene and walk to Gue loaded the bases with no outs. But the Herd couldn’t come up with a clutch hit to take the lead.