Softball clenches doubleheader

HUNTINGTON, W.Va.– The Marshall University softball team rolled to a 13-3 five-inning win against Delaware and edged a 4-2 victory against Cleveland State as the sun set Saturday afternoon at Dot Hicks Field.

In game one against Delaware (2-9), the Thundering Herd (12-5) posted its most electric start in a game this season with an 11-run showing in the bottom of the first. Marshall would record eight hits during the inning en route to eight different athletes crossing the plate.

Rebecca Gamby jumpstarted the Herd with a single through the right side to plate Caitlyn Jackson and Alianna Telles. Victoria Marvin then made it a 4-0 ball game with a double to right center to bring around Jessica Hughes and Melanie Stoehr.

Jazmine Valle got in on the action with a RBI single to right to score Ashley Gue. Taylor Thompson would then come home on a passed ball, unearned, to stretch a 6-0 lead. The final five runs of the inning would go unearned. Telles got her second hit of the inning with a double down the left line to bring home Valle.

Both Valle and Gamby would finish the game going 2-for-3 and two RBI. Jackson would tally a 1-for-3 clip with three RBI and two runs scored.

Jackson stepped up two batters later with a three-run hit to right center that scored Marcena Bertoldo and Telles. Stoehr followed with a back-to-back homer to cap the inning with Marshall ahead 11-0.

"I am pleased with how we came out swinging the bats in game one," said head coach Shonda Stanton. "The only thing I would have liked to see improvement on was our level of intensity and enthusiasm."

The Herd wasn't finished, as it tagged on a pair of runs in the second to extend a 13-0 lead. Valle doubled to right to send Gue across the plate and Telles hit an RBI-single to left field to plate Melissa Loesing.

Telles would finish the game 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBI.

The Blue Hens would break up the shutout in the top of the fourth as Michelle Grap homered to left center to score Mary Ann Magee and Cecile Egan – putting the final mercy rule at 13-3.

Rachel Rillo snagged the win, after 2 innings and three strikeouts - moving her to 2-0 on the year. Jackson also registered 2 innings on the mound with three strikeouts, as Jessica Ferrick would close the game in the final inning and strikeout one Delaware batter.

"It was a great game in a sense that everyone had an opportunity to contribute," Stanton said. "Caitlyn,    Rillo and Ferrick did a nice job for us in the circle."

Grap was the top Delaware hitter going 1-for-2, with three RBI and one run scored. Bertie Lake would take the loss after 0.1 innings of work. Amanda Stacevicz and Alexa Baldasare also made appearances in the game for Delaware.

In game two, the Cleveland State Vikings (7-5) posted a run in the opening frame after Jessica Burt scored, unearned, on a Marshall error.

In the bottom of the first, Telles answered right back with a home run that went back past center field to tie the game at 1-1. The long ball is her fourth of the season.

Marshall claimed a 2-1 lead three batters later as Bertoldo ran home on a Stoehr sacrifice fly in foul territory at left field.

"I am really proud of the girls and how they responded to the challenge of creating our own dynamic," Stanton said. "We had a number of positives from two double plays, picking a runner off and getting the timely hits when we needed them. It was a total team effort and Caitlyn really stepped up big for us."

Telles continued her hot streak in the box in the second, scoring Gue on a double to right center to extend a 3-1 advantage. Telles finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored.

Cleveland got its second run of the game in the fourth off a Caila Ferro double that scored. The Herd closed the scoring at 4-2 in the sixth when Thompson came home in a BriAnna Hope at-bat.

The Herd defense sealed the win in the top of the seventh on a pop-up double play turned by Bertoldo to Stoehr.

Jackson (3-2) garnered the win in 3.2 innings of work and three strikeouts as starter Katie Murphree came out after 3.1 innings and five strikeouts.

Amanda Macenko (6-5) took the loss for Cleveland State after going the distance and tallying five strikeouts.