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Randi Nielson leads Marshall on the mound this season with a 1.62 ERA. (Photo by Matt Riley)

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall University softball team will have an opportunity to take over possession of the Mid-American Conference East lead this weekend when it spars with rival Miami (Ohio) at Dot Hicks Field on Saturday and Sunday.

Marshall (26-18, 7-3) is fresh off a come-from-behind win at Ohio University on Thursday. Down by one in the top of the seventh, a clutch home run by senior Sarah Wilson (Washington, W.Va.) salvaged the Herd’s chance to grab its first game of the three game series with the Bobcats, after dropping the first two nine days ago. MU then busted out for four runs in the eighth for the conference win.

Sierra Davenport (Tucson, Ariz.) continues to dominate the conference in hits (55) while riding a 16-game hitting streak into this weekend’s match-up with the RedHawks. Randi Nielson (Tucson, Ariz.) picked up the win on the mound at Ohio on Thursday, pitching the first five innings and returning for the final two. Nielson is 12-9 in 2004 with a 1.62 ERA and pushed over the century mark in strikeouts on Thursday and now sits at 104.

Miami (16-18, 9-3) sits atop of the MAC East and picked up the last game against the Herd in the conference tournament a year ago, a loss that shoved the conference regular season champions out of the play-offs. Marshall did, however, sweep the regular season venture, 3-0. The RedHawks are led by 2003 all-MAC selection Jackie Poggendorf. The pitcher/outfielder paces Miami in RBIs (16) in the box while posting an 8-5 record and a 1.59 ERA on the mound. Two batters, Becca Garcia (.350) and Bianca Paz (.307), are hitting over .300 this season.

The all-time series sits in favor of the Herd, 12-6.

Saturday’s doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. at Dot Hicks Field. The series cap on Sunday will also kick off at 1 p.m. and all three games will be broadcast via the internet by WMUL by clicking on the above link. All games at Dot Hicks are free to the public.