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Herd Punches Postseason Ticket to Orlando, Denies Houston 5-2 Sunday
May 6, 2007 HOUSTON - Facing the possibility of ending its season prematurely, the Marshall Thundering Herd rebounded from Saturday's twin bill demise, roughing up Houston pitching with three home runs to secure a 5-2 win Sunday. With the win, Marshall (31-24, 11-13 C-USA) clinched the fifth spot in the Conference USA Championship Presented by Coca-Cola next week in Orlando, Fla. The Herd will face No. 4 UCF Thursday. Houston (39-16, 20-4 C-USA), for the first time this season, was on the losing end of a home Conference USA contest. The Cougars had won 11 consecutive home games before Sunday's defeat, dating back to Houston's twin bill losses to No. 4 Texas A&M. Senior hurler Amanda Luers (Dover, Ohio, Dover) nailed down the win, allowing two runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings of work. Luers (12-5) struck out a game-high four batters. Abigail Harter (Monmouth, Ore./Santiam Christian) secured her first save of the season, retiring the only batter she faced. Houston's Angel Shamblin (26-7) allowed five runs on five hits in seven innings, while allowing three Marshall home runs. Two-time Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year Rachel Folden (Baldwin Park, Calif./Diamond Bar) went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs and a walk. Samantha Rodriguez (Oakley, Calif./Freedom) went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run, while Gina Guzzo (Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville) accounted for Marshall's only other hit, going 1-for-3. Haley Valis, Laura Durham and Elaina Nordstrom each had two hits, while Laurie Wagner and Amanda Grote each drove in a Houston run. Sunday's series finale began with momentum swinging in Marshall's favor as Folden delivered her 40th career home run on Shamblin's first pitch of the game. Folden's solo shot gave the Herd a quick 1-0 lead.
Houston pushed across the equalizing run in the fourth inning as Grote's RBI single scored Durham, knotting the game at 1-1. The Herd regained the lead in the ensuing inning with a second home run. This time, it was Rodriguez who cleared the bases with a three-run shot, giving the visitors a 4-1 lead. Houston pulled to within two runs, 4-2, in the home half of the fifth inning on a Wagner RBI bases-loaded walk, which scored Nordstrom from third. However, that would be all the Cougars would score in the frame. Marshall added a much-needed insurance run in the seventh on Folden's second solo home run of the afternoon, giving the Herd a 5-2 lead. Then, Houston's batters began to rough up Luers, who had runners on the corners with one out before being relieved by Harter. The southpaw forced Shamblin to ground out into an unconventional 6-4-3-2 fielder's choice double play to end the game and give Marshall the 5-2 victory. The Marshall Thundering Herd returns to action Thursday, May 10, when it faces the No. 4-seeded UCF Golden Knights in the opening round of the 2007 Conference USA Championship Presented by Coca-Cola. Game times will be announced Monday.
Marshall 5, Houston 2 (05/06/07 at Houston, Texas) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Marshall............ 100 030 1 - 5 5 3 (31-24, 11-13 C-USA) Houston............. 000 110 0 - 2 8 0 (39-16, 20-4 C-USA) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitchers: Marshall - Luers, Amanda; HARTER, Abigail(7). Houston - Shamblin. Win-LUERS, Amanda(12-5) Save-HARTER, Abigail(1) Loss-Shamblin(26-7) T-1:52 A-221 HR MARSHALL - Folden, Rachel 2 (14); Rodriguez, Samantha (11). |
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