Marshall Holds On for Win at Liberty, 5-3
4/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Marshall earned a doubleheader sweep at Liberty, holding on for a 5-3 win during the nightcap, Wednesday at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium.
The Thundering Herd improves to 22-20 on the season after downing Liberty, 10-5 and 5-3, respectively in today's two games. Liberty, starting a stretch of five home games in four days, sees its record run even at 21-21.
During tonight's game, which lasted nearly three hours, Marshall left 10 runners on base, while Liberty stranded nine.
For Marshall, Elicia D'Oraznio went 3-for-4 with a triple and one run scored, while Kaelynn Greene batted 3-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored. Taylor McCord doubled and drove in two runs during a 3-for-4 evening.
Rylee Reynolds posted her second two-hit game of the day, batting 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Sarah Robertson also drove in one run while going 2-for-4. Tori Zavodny (1-for-3) recorded one run and one RBI.
Brittanie Fowler (1-0) earned the victory with 3 1/3 innings of relief during which she allowed one run on four hits, striking out two and walking two. Starting pitcher Jordan Dixon earned the save, pitched 3 2/3 total innings, giving up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and one walk during two separate stints in the circle.
Chandler Ball (4-4) drew the loss, allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits, striking out one in 5 2/3 innings of work. Julia DiMartino struck out three and allowed four hits in a scoreless 1 1/3 innings.
Marshall scored once during the first inning, as D'Orazio and Greene hit back-to-back singles to start the game. After one out, Briana Daiss hit an RBI single. Ball got out of the jam, with a groundout and strikeout.
Three straight Lady Flames reached base during a one-out rally in the bottom of the first, as Robertson's RBI base hit tied the score, 1-1. Reynolds gave Liberty a 2-1 lead with a sharp single to left, before Dixon struck out Kassidy McCoy to escape further damage.
The Thundering Herd manufactured a game-tying run in the third. With one out, Greene bunted for a single before stealing second. After a groundout sent Greene to third, she scored on an infield single by McCord.
Fowler entered the circle in relief of Dixon to start the third, pitching a 1-2-3 inning.
The visitors capitalized on two Liberty miscues in the fourth. Hayden Ellis reached on an error and she scored when a throwing error allowed Samantha Loose to reach base, giving Marshall a 3-2 advantage.
Liberty staged a two-out rally in the home half of the fifth inning. Alexia Taylor and Robertson hit back-to-back singles, before Deidra See walked. Fowler held the Lady Flames off the scoreboard, striking out Reynolds to end the inning.
Marshall extended its lead with a pair of sixth-inning runs. Lucas lined a leadoff double to left center, and scored on a two-out RBI single by Madi Marshall. DiMartino then came on in relief of Ball. D'Orazio tripled to left field, plating Marshall for a 5-2 lead.
The Lady Flames inched closer during the bottom of the sixth. After a single by Kotchey put runners on first and second, Dixon re-entered the circle for Marshall. Amader popped out, before Zavodny hit an RBI single and went to second on the throw. Liberty's Jasmeen Click was thrown out trying to steal home, sending the game to the seventh with a 5-3 score.
DiMartino worked out a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, striking out two in a row to keep the score at 5-3.
See hit a two-out single to center during Liberty's last time up, bringing the tying run to the plate. However, Dixon fanned Reynolds, clinching the victory for Marshall.
The Lady Flames begin the second half of their Big South schedule, hosting Campbell for a three-game set starting with a doubleheader on Friday at 5 p.m. at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium.
