Wednesday, March 3
Huntington, W.Va.
12:30 PM
Marshall University
7
vs
4
University of Akron
Photo by: Adam Gue
Bats Heat Up as Softball Takes Two from Akron
3/3/2021 8:04:00 PM | Softball
Adams hits four doubles in doubleheader
Game One Box Score (PDF)
Game Two Box Score (PDF)
Postgame Press Conference Video: Coach Smith Lyon | Katie Adams | Paige Halliwill
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall softball team overcame some early mistakes as the bats caught fire in the season-opening wins over the Akron Zips, 7-4 and 8-0 in five innings, on Wednesday at Dot Hicks Field.
Marshall begins the year 2-0, while the Zips fall to 1-3.
"Great to finally get out and play again after a long time coming," Herd head coach Megan Smith Lyon said. "I think in that first game, there may have been some nerves, or maybe we were pressing a little too much, but we came out of it. And we definitely showed what type of team we are in game two. I was excited to see that.
"We are just tickled to death to be out there playing finally. We were really ready for our season to begin, but then that two-week break was just kind of a shot to the gut. We are just very grateful that we were able to come out and play today."
The last time Marshall had stepped on the field was March 11, 2020 at No. 11 Kentucky, a span of 357 days. The Herd was scheduled to begin the 2021 season back on Feb. 19 at the Winthrop Kickoff, but due to a pause in activities, Marshall had to miss the Winthrop weekend and the following tournament at Coastal Carolina.
Senior Katie Adams hit four doubles for the day with two in each game. The lefty catcher also threw out two base runners with one caught stealing in each game. Freshman Paige Halliwill got her collegiate career started with a bang, hitting two home runs with one in each contest.
Game One: Marshall 7, Akron 4
The Herd managed to overcome some early mistakes and inflicted wounds and found its rhythm. Marshall committed four errors, helping to lead to a 4-0 deficit after the top of the third. Adams finally got the Herd on the scoreboard with her first double of the day, and drove in senior Saige Pye.
Marshall's defense rebounded in the top of the fourth with a 1-2-3 inning, and the offense carried that momentum forward throughout the rest of the day. The Herd exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 6-4 lead. Marshall's offense took advantage of three free passes, a walk and back-to-back hit-by-pitches to load the bases. Redshirt senior Blakely Burch and Halliwill were both plunked.
Senior Aly Harrell started the scoring barrage with a 2-run double that brought home senior Rachel Rousseau and Burch. Pye then grounded out to second, but the play allowed Halliwill to score from third. The game was tied at 4-4. Junior Mya Stevenson drew a walk to join Harrell on base as Adams delivered again with her second double, scoring Harrell and Stevenson, as the Herd took the lead.
Sophomore pitcher Ashley Blessin continued to pitch well and the defense kept playing cleanly, as Akron was retired in order again in the fifth.
Marshall's final run of game one came off the first home run of Halliwill's career, as well as the first homer of the season for the Herd, with a shot to right-center. Marshall led the nation in home runs per game in 2020 with 1.92. Halliwill's solo blast gave the Herd a three-run lead, 7-4.
Akron produced five hits in game one with four coming from the top two hitters in the lineup, Anna Aquino and Molly McChesney. Marshall totaled six hits, but also drew six walks and three hit-by-pitches. Huerta was the other Herd player to get hit by a pitch, the 37th of her career.
Blessin pitched the complete game for the win. She tied her career-high with seven strikeouts and only one of the four runs allowed was earned. Blessin also walked only one batter.
Game Two: Marshall 8, Akron 0 (5 innings)
Marshall dominated from start to finish in game two with the run-rule victory. Senior pitcher Laney Jones and a relaxed Herd defense began the contest with great plays. Sierra Huerta tallied the first out, running down a pop up in foul territory from her shortstop position. After an Akron batter reached on a single, Katie Adams threw her out attempting to steal second. Four pitches later, Jones recorded her first strikeout to end the inning.
Following the lead of the defense, and the momentum of the latter half of game one, Halliwill started the bottom of the first with her second career home run. This one went down the right-field line for another solo shot. The hits kept coming in the inning as the Herd's offense forced a pitching change after six batters, three runs scored and two outs. Huerta's 2-run triple down the right field line, scoring Saige Pye and Adams, brought the change in the circle.
Leading 3-0, Marshall put up two more runs in the second when senior Armani Brown drove in Blakely Burch with a double to left-center, and the Aly Harrell plated Brown with another double to the left-center gap. The Herd had a 5-0 lead.
Akron began the third with a double, but then Jones bounced right back with her second strikeout of the game. The next two batters were retired on the first pitch of their respective at bats on groundouts to Huerta at short.
Adams led off the bottom of the third inning with her first double of the second game, and third of the day. Junior Chloe Lee came in to run at second for Adams, and Lee scored two batters later when senior Grace Chelemen came through with a base hit to right.
The Zips managed to get a few base runners on in the fourth and fifth innings, but could not find the timely hit as Jones and the Marshall defense made the plays.
Adams stepped up once again to lead off the bottom of the fifth and rolled out her fourth double of the day finding the fence in left. Two batters later, Chelemen ended the day with a two-run home run to left field. It was the second homer of her career, with the first coming in 2020 at No. 11 Kentucky.
Adams finished game two going 3-for-3 at the plate and scoring two runs. Chelemen was 2-for-3 and drove in three. Huerta finished with two RBI and her second career triple. Harrell finished the doubleheader with four hits and three RBI. Jones pitched the complete game and earned the shutout victory, her second shutout in a Herd uniform.
As a team, Marshall rang up 12 hits and held Akron to four. The Herd defense did not have an error in game two.
Next up for Marshall is the Thundering Herd Round Robin as Bowling Green, Valparaiso and St. Francis come to Huntington. The weekend of softball at Dot Hicks Field begins Friday morning at 11:30. The first Marshall game on Friday is set for 1:30 p.m. against Bowling Green. The Herd will play five games over the three days.
For all of the latest information on the Marshall Softball team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdSB, Facebook at Marshall University Softball and on www.herdzone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
Game Two Box Score (PDF)
Postgame Press Conference Video: Coach Smith Lyon | Katie Adams | Paige Halliwill
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall softball team overcame some early mistakes as the bats caught fire in the season-opening wins over the Akron Zips, 7-4 and 8-0 in five innings, on Wednesday at Dot Hicks Field.
Marshall begins the year 2-0, while the Zips fall to 1-3.
"Great to finally get out and play again after a long time coming," Herd head coach Megan Smith Lyon said. "I think in that first game, there may have been some nerves, or maybe we were pressing a little too much, but we came out of it. And we definitely showed what type of team we are in game two. I was excited to see that.
"We are just tickled to death to be out there playing finally. We were really ready for our season to begin, but then that two-week break was just kind of a shot to the gut. We are just very grateful that we were able to come out and play today."
The last time Marshall had stepped on the field was March 11, 2020 at No. 11 Kentucky, a span of 357 days. The Herd was scheduled to begin the 2021 season back on Feb. 19 at the Winthrop Kickoff, but due to a pause in activities, Marshall had to miss the Winthrop weekend and the following tournament at Coastal Carolina.
Senior Katie Adams hit four doubles for the day with two in each game. The lefty catcher also threw out two base runners with one caught stealing in each game. Freshman Paige Halliwill got her collegiate career started with a bang, hitting two home runs with one in each contest.
Game One: Marshall 7, Akron 4
The Herd managed to overcome some early mistakes and inflicted wounds and found its rhythm. Marshall committed four errors, helping to lead to a 4-0 deficit after the top of the third. Adams finally got the Herd on the scoreboard with her first double of the day, and drove in senior Saige Pye.
Marshall's defense rebounded in the top of the fourth with a 1-2-3 inning, and the offense carried that momentum forward throughout the rest of the day. The Herd exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 6-4 lead. Marshall's offense took advantage of three free passes, a walk and back-to-back hit-by-pitches to load the bases. Redshirt senior Blakely Burch and Halliwill were both plunked.
Senior Aly Harrell started the scoring barrage with a 2-run double that brought home senior Rachel Rousseau and Burch. Pye then grounded out to second, but the play allowed Halliwill to score from third. The game was tied at 4-4. Junior Mya Stevenson drew a walk to join Harrell on base as Adams delivered again with her second double, scoring Harrell and Stevenson, as the Herd took the lead.
Sophomore pitcher Ashley Blessin continued to pitch well and the defense kept playing cleanly, as Akron was retired in order again in the fifth.
Marshall's final run of game one came off the first home run of Halliwill's career, as well as the first homer of the season for the Herd, with a shot to right-center. Marshall led the nation in home runs per game in 2020 with 1.92. Halliwill's solo blast gave the Herd a three-run lead, 7-4.
Akron produced five hits in game one with four coming from the top two hitters in the lineup, Anna Aquino and Molly McChesney. Marshall totaled six hits, but also drew six walks and three hit-by-pitches. Huerta was the other Herd player to get hit by a pitch, the 37th of her career.
Blessin pitched the complete game for the win. She tied her career-high with seven strikeouts and only one of the four runs allowed was earned. Blessin also walked only one batter.
Game Two: Marshall 8, Akron 0 (5 innings)
Marshall dominated from start to finish in game two with the run-rule victory. Senior pitcher Laney Jones and a relaxed Herd defense began the contest with great plays. Sierra Huerta tallied the first out, running down a pop up in foul territory from her shortstop position. After an Akron batter reached on a single, Katie Adams threw her out attempting to steal second. Four pitches later, Jones recorded her first strikeout to end the inning.
Following the lead of the defense, and the momentum of the latter half of game one, Halliwill started the bottom of the first with her second career home run. This one went down the right-field line for another solo shot. The hits kept coming in the inning as the Herd's offense forced a pitching change after six batters, three runs scored and two outs. Huerta's 2-run triple down the right field line, scoring Saige Pye and Adams, brought the change in the circle.
Leading 3-0, Marshall put up two more runs in the second when senior Armani Brown drove in Blakely Burch with a double to left-center, and the Aly Harrell plated Brown with another double to the left-center gap. The Herd had a 5-0 lead.
Akron began the third with a double, but then Jones bounced right back with her second strikeout of the game. The next two batters were retired on the first pitch of their respective at bats on groundouts to Huerta at short.
Adams led off the bottom of the third inning with her first double of the second game, and third of the day. Junior Chloe Lee came in to run at second for Adams, and Lee scored two batters later when senior Grace Chelemen came through with a base hit to right.
The Zips managed to get a few base runners on in the fourth and fifth innings, but could not find the timely hit as Jones and the Marshall defense made the plays.
Adams stepped up once again to lead off the bottom of the fifth and rolled out her fourth double of the day finding the fence in left. Two batters later, Chelemen ended the day with a two-run home run to left field. It was the second homer of her career, with the first coming in 2020 at No. 11 Kentucky.
Adams finished game two going 3-for-3 at the plate and scoring two runs. Chelemen was 2-for-3 and drove in three. Huerta finished with two RBI and her second career triple. Harrell finished the doubleheader with four hits and three RBI. Jones pitched the complete game and earned the shutout victory, her second shutout in a Herd uniform.
As a team, Marshall rang up 12 hits and held Akron to four. The Herd defense did not have an error in game two.
Next up for Marshall is the Thundering Herd Round Robin as Bowling Green, Valparaiso and St. Francis come to Huntington. The weekend of softball at Dot Hicks Field begins Friday morning at 11:30. The first Marshall game on Friday is set for 1:30 p.m. against Bowling Green. The Herd will play five games over the three days.
For all of the latest information on the Marshall Softball team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdSB, Facebook at Marshall University Softball and on www.herdzone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
---HerdZone.com---