The 'Wright' stuff

The Marshall University softball team won both games of a doubleheader Wednesday against Wright State University at Dot Hicks Field in Huntington.

The two wins came just one day after beating Ohio University in both games of a doubleheader and brought the Herd to a .500 record (22-22) on the season.

After starting the season with seven straight wins, the team had been up and down in its performances. Now it is playing some of its best softball of the season.

Two quality relief pitching performances from seniors Caitlyn Jackson and Katie Murphree were the key to success on Wednesday.

Marshall won the first game 5-4 in extra innings, and a strong relief performance from Jackson was the key to the victory. Jackson pitched five and a third innings giving up just three hits and was able to hold Wright State (13-22-1) to just one run.

In the second game Murphree relieved Jackson after she gave up four runs in the first inning. Murphree blanked Wright State the rest of the way, pitching six innings of no-hit softball. That gave Marshall the opportunity to come back from the 4-0 deficit and capture a 9-4 victory.

"In that situation I have to come in and shut it down," Murphree said. "It's a new slate and a new start. I come in and try to bring up the energy and our offense did the rest."

The offense was carried by freshman third-baseman Jazmine Valle, who went five for six in the two games with five RBI.

"It feels really good to come out and hit like that," Valle said. "Last week I wasn't hitting too well so it feels great to make the adjustments and see results."

Valle has been a quality hitter all season, batting over .300 and leading the team with 31 RBI but she said lately she has been trying to be more selective and focused at the plate.

"I have been much more patient in my pitch selection," Valle said. "I have been trying to drive the ball and get the timing right so I am not getting under the ball as much."

The four-game winning streak is the longest for the Herd since it opened the season 7-0, and Murphree said the key to the current streak has been the team's focus.

"Our focus has been immaculate," Murphree said. "Our bats have really saved us and our slappers have really stepped it up. We have been putting the ball in play and our speed has been getting us on base."

Marshall has come back from 5-0 and 4-0 deficits in two of the four wins, and Valle said even when the team is down they still believe they can win.

"We just keep telling ourselves that it's early in the game and we still have a chance to come back," Valle said. "We know there is nothing we can't do as a team so we just keep believing."

Marshall has eleven games left before the Conference USA tournament and Valle said it is great to be playing so well at this time of the season.

"We keep joking around saying that we are going on a run," Valle said. "We have won four straight now so our focus is to keep winning and winning and that is what we plan to do."

Marshall returns to action on Sunday for a doubleheader against Dayton University at Dot Hicks Field starting at 1 p.m.

   Troy Hemingway can be contacted at hemingway@marshall.edu.