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Herd Runs Win Streak to Eight Games, Sweeps Georgetown in Final Series at "The Dot"
April 28, 2007
HUNTINGTON - Dot Hicks Field, Marshall softball's home for the last 13 seasons, was given a storybook send-off Saturday afternoon. Behind two complete-game outings by its senior pitching staff, the Thundering Herd posted a solid doubleheader sweep of the Georgetown Hoyas, running its winning streak to a season-best eight games. The Herd (30-22) closed one chapter in the program's young history, winning the final five games at "The Dot" to finish with a 140-73 all-time mark at home. Georgetown (12-41) has now lost 19 of its last 23 games, including a 2-13 road mark during that span. Marshall relied on a balanced offensive attack, including home runs from Samantha Rodriguez (Oakley, Calif./Freedom), Rachael Sofie (Everett, Wash./Cascade) and Rachel Folden (Baldwin Park, Calif./Diamond Bar). Prior to the beginning of game two, the Herd honored its four-member Senior Class of 2007 - Abigail Harter (Monmouth, Ore./Santiam Christian), Gina Guzzo (Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville), Ashlee Nichol (Washington, Pa./Trinity) and Amanda Luers (Dover, Ohio/Dover). Game 1 (Marshall 6, Georgetown 3) Luers was three outs away from recording her first shutout of the season, but was able to hold off a furious late-inning Georgetown rally during Marshall's 6-3 win in game one. Luers (11-5) allowed three runs on five hits with three strikeouts in seven innings. Georgetown's Jennifer Connell (9-23) suffered the first of her two losses Saturday in game one. Connell allowed six runs on eight hits, while striking out four batters in six innings. Rodriguez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, becoming only the fourth player in school history to drive in 50 or more runs in a single season. Freshman Caitlyn Jackson (Ontario, Calif./Pomona Catholic) went 1-for-2 with two RBI, while Sofie went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run. Marshall jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the opening inning as Rodriguez delivered her 10th home run of the season over the left field fence. The Herd extended its lead to 3-0 in the ensuing inning as Sofie hit her second home run - her first out-of-the-park effort - in her last two games. Last Sunday, she hit an inside-the-park home run against Memphis. Marshall would later double its lead in the fifth inning, taking a 6-0 advantage. Jackson's two-RBI single to centerfield plated Folden and Kristina Knecht (Concord, Calif./Daytona Beach CC) for a 5-0 Marshall lead. Guzzo drove in the Herd's final run of the game with an RBI ground out. Georgetown made the game closer than it actually was in the seventh inning scoring three runs in the final frame. However, the Hoyas were unable to get any closer as the Herd held on for a 6-3 win.
Marshall 6, Georgetown 3 (04/28/07 at Huntington, W.Va.) (Game 1) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Georgetown.......... 000 000 3 - 3 5 0 (12-40) Marshall............ 120 030 X - 6 8 0 (29-22) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitchers: Georgetown - CONNELL. Marshall - Luers, Amanda. Win-LUERS, Amanda(11-5) Loss-CONNELL(9-23) T-1:44 A-307 HR MARSHALL - Rodriguez, Samantha (10); Sofie, Rachael (2).
Game 2 (Marshall 8, Georgetown 2)
Marshall scored five runs in the third inning and later added runs in the next three innings to seal an 8-2 victory in game two. Harter (13-13) has now won back-to-back outings, allowing two runs on six hits with a season-high eight strikeouts for the complete-game victory. Connell (9-24) was dealt her second loss of the afternoon, allowing seven runs - two earned - on eight hits with four strikeouts in five innings. Folden went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Deanna Tourville (Rescue, Calif./Ponderosa) went 1-for-2 with two RBI. It took nearly three innings, but Marshall was able to crack the scoreboard first, pushing across five runs in the third inning. Nichol began the scoring frenzy by reaching a throwing error by Samantha Peters. Folden then delivered a towering two-run home run to left field - her 12th of the season - to give the Herd a 2-0 lead. Three batters later, Tourville drilled a two-RBI double to right-center field, scoring Guzzo and Rodriguez for a 4-0 lead. Tourville later scored on Sofie's RBI single to left field, extending the Herd advantage to five runs, 5-0. Georgetown would cut into the Herd lead in the fourth inning. Suria Bahadue crushed a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left field, cutting the deficit to 5-2. It was only Georgetown's 12th homer of the season as a team - the same number as Folden. Marshall would later score a run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to eventually take an 8-2 lead. Harter then retired the Hoyas side in order in the seventh inning to claim the complete-game victory. The Marshall Thundering Herd will put its eight-game winning streak on the line next weekend when it travels to Houston, Texas, to face the Conference USA leading Houston Cougars for a three-game series.
Marshall 8, Georgetown 2 (04/28/07 at Huntington, W.Va.) (Game 2) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Georgetown.......... 000 200 0 - 2 6 3 (12-41) Marshall............ 005 111 X - 8 10 0 (30-22) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitchers: Georgetown - CONNELL; KAMENSKI(6). Marshall - Harter, Abigail. Win-HARTER, Abigail(13-13) Loss-CONNELL(9-24) T-1:51 A-307 HR GTOWN - BAHADUE (1). HR MARSHALL - Folden, Rachel (12). |
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