RELEASE
ORLANDO, Fla. – Marshall softball (2-6) played through two rain delays and five and a half hours to finish with an 8-3 victory over Delaware (2-6). The Thundering Herd had its second game canceled due to worsening weather conditions, but has three games scheduled for Sunday.
Marshall had 15 hits on the day, a new season-high for the Herd. The last time the team recorded 15 hits was against Houston April 6, 2013.
Eight games into the season, the Herd has three sophomores hitting in the .400’s – Shaelynn Braxton (Woodbridge, Va.) leads with a .462 average, followed by Kaelynn Greene (Eastvale, Calif.) with a .429 average and Katalin Lucas (Agua Dulce, Calif.), who boasts an even .400 average.
With the rescheduling of Fairfield and picking up a third game, Marshall will now face Lamar, Mercer and Fairfield on Sunday. The Herd will take on the Cardinals, Bears and Stags at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.
Marshall 8, Delaware 3
Marshall was off to a strong start against Delaware, shutting the Blue Hens down in the first inning and leading off the bottom half of the inning with four back-to-back hits.
Greene (3-for-4) led off for the Herd and after a single and stolen base, she was caught stealing. Freshman Morgan Zerkle (Milton, W.Va.) reached on a slap single and Lucas (2-for-4) put one into play in the infield to put two runners on with one out on the board. S. Braxton (4-for-4) kept the ball in action with a hit up the middle to load the bases.
Two runs scored after a line out to the pitcher evolved into a throwing error by the Blue Hens’ hurler, which advanced all the runners, allowing Zerkle (2-for-4) and Lucas to touch home, 2-0.
Freshman Lindsey Fadnek (Coalfield, Tenn.) and the Herd kept the Blue Hens scoreless through three innings, but in the fourth inning Delaware loaded the bases with two drawn walks and a single. A two-RBI shot from the Blue Hens’ leadoff tied the game at two apiece.
Freshman Morgan Kelley (Milton, W.Va.) earned her first collegiate hit with a leadoff single into right field in the top of the fourth. After about a two and half hour rain delay, sophomore Emileigh Cooper (Jackson, Ohio) sacrificed bunted to move pinch runner Jessica Watts (Wayne, W.Va.) to second base. Junior Kristina Braxton (Woodbridge, Va.) walked and Greene singled to load the bases, but two force outs ended the inning with both teams still tied, 2-2.
The Herd held Delaware scoreless in the top of the fifth, and Marshall loaded the bases again in the bottom of the inning. A force out and strike out put two-out pressure on K. Braxton (2-for-2), who connected for a base-clearing double to break the tie and push Marshall ahead, 5-2.
Delaware took one run back in the sixth after three back-to-back singles brought in a Blue Hens’ runner. A lineout to freshman hurler Jordan Dixon (Edmond, Okla.) turned into a double play, as the throw back to first base took out the runner. Zerkle threw out a runner at home for the third out of the inning.
Marshall earned the insurance run back and more, as a Zerkle leadoff single and stolen base put her in scoring position for Lucas, who earned the RBI with a single. Before the third out of the sixth inning, S. Braxton connected for an RBI-double and scored on a passed ball to stretch the lead by five, 8-3.
The Blue Hens were unable to score in the seventh, and the Herd secured the win with its first errorless game of the season.
Marshall outhit Delaware 15-to-7, and Dixon (2-5) earned the victory with six strikeouts.