Herd splits doubleheader with Valparaiso, looks for improvement

The Marshall University softball team split a pair of games Tuesday afternoon against Valparaiso at Don Hicks Field. Marshall won the first game of the doubleheader 8-0 in five innings, but fell 6-4 in seven innings in the second.

Pitcher Katie Murphree pitched five scoreless innings for the Herd, allowing only one hit and striking out eight as Marshall beat Valparaiso in the error-ridden first game. 

"I felt confident about my performance, and it feels good to do that going into conference," Murphree said. "I was happy with the first game. We just needed to bring that intensity to the second."

Marshall grabbed the lead early as Rebecca Gamby drove in Caitlyn Jackson on a double at the bottom of the first inning.  An error by left fielder Jill Jacobson moved Gamby in moving to third base. Jessica Hughes drove in Gamby to make the score 2-0.

A chaotic fourth inning helped lift Marshall (14-7) over Valparaiso (13-5) in the first game.

During the inning, the Herd cycled through its lineup and scored three runs without a hit.  Marshall loaded the bases on an error by Valparaiso and two walks by Alex Lagesse. 

With the bases loaded, Lagesse walked in Marcena Bertoldo, extending Marshall's lead to 3-0, which led to her getting pulled in favor of Shaleigh Jansen.  She struck out the first two batters she faced but threw the ball past catcher Jordan Rutkowski, allowing the Herd to score two more runs.

"We probably played one of the worst games all year the first game,"said Valparaiso head coach Randy Schneider. "We just talked and said we needed to pick it up. We don't make thousand-mile trips to play like we did in the first game."

In the second game, the Herd jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.

Samantha Spurlock scored the first run on a sacrifice fly by Jessica Valle to give the Herd 1-0 lead. Then Alianna Telles hit a two RBI double, and Jackson drove in Telles to extend the score to 4-0.

In the top of the third inning, Valparaiso scored its first two runs of the day. However, Marshall was able to stop the floodgates as Rutkowski was caught stealing in the third.  Rutkowski had a poor first game as catcher, committing a pair of errors that led to Marshall runs and was designated hitter in the second game.

The Crusaders were not done as Kelsey Phalen led off the fourth inning with a solo homerun over the center field wall. Tori Brown put Valparaiso in the lead 5-4 with a two-run home run late in the inning.  Rachel Rillo came in to relieve Jackson after the second home run and allowed one run the rest of the contest while striking out five, including three straight at the top of the seventh.    

Marshall couldn't muster any offense and didn't have a single player reach base in the third and fourth innings.  In the bottom of the seventh, Marshall's offense showed signs of life as Melissa Loesing and Telles each hit a single to start the inning, but Marshall was unable to drive in any runs and lost the game.

"I'd would like to see us continue to play how we played in the first game, but we learn things going into conference play this weekend," said Marshall head coach Shonda Stanton. "The thing we have got to be prepared for is that all teams make mistakes and who battles back from mistakes, separates teams."

Stanton said she has seen the team improve over the season by making adjustments and with their communication.

Marshall faces UTEP three times this weekend in El Paso, Texas with a doubleheader on Saturday and a game on Sunday.

Patrick Miller can be reached at miller490@marshall.edu