Huntington, W.Va.- The Marshall University Softball team (10-16) dropped a double-header to the University of Virginia (31-13) this afternoon. Marshall led much of the way in the first contest, before a pair of Cavalier home runs handed them a 7-3 loss. The Herd fell 3-1 in the second game.

In the first contest of the afternoon, Marshall struck first scoring three unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning. Nichole Corrigan (Corona, Calif.) started off the big inning for the Herd reaching base on an error. Sierra Davenport (Tucson, Ariz.) bunted for a base hit, before De’Shaun Drake (Spring Valley, Calif.) then drilled a line drive which deflected off the third baseman to load the bases. Vanessa Clarkson (Moreno Valley, Calif.) knocked in the first run of the day when the Virginia second baseman misplayed a hard hit ball. The pitcher, Sarah Chamberlain, (Moses Lake, Wash.) knocked in two runs on a bouncer through the infield to help her cause.

Virginia came right back to score a run on a pair of doubles in the bottom of the inning to make the score 3-1 after four.

A couple of Cavaliers cranked up their bats in the bottom of the fifth as Ruby Rojas and Kristen Dennis knocked back-to-back home runs to account for four more Virginia runs. Virginia continued their rally in the sixth scoring two more runs on a couple of hits to put them up by the final score of 7-3.

Marshall scored three runs on only four hits. The pitcher, Chamberlain, knocked in two runs for the Herd at the plate, but got the loss on the mound. The Cavaliers committed four errors in the game.

Virginia scored a single run in the bottom of the first to start off the second game, after their leadoff batter was able to get aboard and steal her way around the bases. They added to their run total in the third , when M.K. White doubled, stole third and then the Cavaliers executed a nice squeeze play to score her.

The Herd came back in the top of the fifth inning to score when Wilcox tripled to deep right to plate Carrie Dean (Paradise, Calif.), making the score 2-1. The Cavaliers, although came right back to score a run in the bottom of the fifth and Marshall could not come up with an answer as the Herd fell 3-1.

Nikki Wilcox went 2-for-2 to lead the Herd at the plate. Randi Nielson (Tucson, Ariz.) received the loss on the mound as she gave up 10 hits, struck out four batters and walked four.

Marshall will immediately return to action as they will travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on Ohio State University at 2:00 pm for a double-header tomorrow.