April 18, 2006

HUNTINGTON - After a decisive 5-1 victory in game one, the Marshall Thundering Herd mounted a 9-8 comeback victory in game two, completing a doubleheader sweep of the Ohio Bobcats Tuesday at Dot Hicks Field.

With the win, Marshall (27-20) ran its non-conference home mark to 6-1 and has now won 11 of its last 13 games at home. Ohio dropped to 22-26 overall with the pair of losses.

Jessica Williams (Powder Springs, Ga./Harrison) extended her hitting streak to nine games, going 5-for-7 with two RBI during the twin bill. Ashley Mitchell (Kennesaw, Ga./Harrison) saw her 12-game hitting streak come to an end in game two. Mitchell went 2-for-4 with an RBI in game one, before going 0-for-3 in the second game.

Ohio's Kelly Rodriguez paced the Bobcats offensively, going 4-for-8 with five RBI.

Game 1 (Marshall 5, Ohio 1)

Abigail Harter (Monmouth, Ore./Santiam Christian) pitched a complete-game four-hitter, as the Herd knocked off the Ohio Bobcats 5-1 in game one. Harter (12-9) struck out three batters, winning back-to-back games by an identical 5-1 score.

Mitchell went 2-for-4 with an RBI, extending her hitting streak to 12 games. Jessica Williams went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while senior third baseman Leigh Wintter (Acworth, Ga./North Cobb) went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Three different Bobcats registered hit, including Robin Miller who went 2-for-2.

Ohio starting pitcher Michelle Sauter (11-10) was handed the loss, allowing five runs on five hits in three innings. Katlyn Mallette pitched three innings of scoreless relief, scattering two hits.

Ohio took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning on Rodriguez's solo home run to left field.

The Herd, however, responded with a four-run second inning to take a 4-1 lead. With one out, Jessica Williams doubled down the left field line. Wintter's infield single advanced Williams to third. After Wintter stole second, Williams scored on a fielding error by Amanda Sacks. Wintter later scored on an Amanda Williams (Powder Springs, Ga./Harrison) walk.

Sara Spenia (Las Vegas, Nev./Durango) then scored on a Mitchell RBI grounder to third base. Courtney Kacenga (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena) ended the four-run barrage, scoring on a Sauter wild pitch.

Marshall added an insurance run in the ensuing inning, taking a 5-1 advantage in the third. With two outs, Jessica Williams singled to Sacks. After stealing second, Williams scored on Wintter's RBI single through the left side.

From there, it would be all Harter needed as she allowed only one base runner during the last four innings to clinch the victory.

Marshall 5, Ohio University 1 (Apr 18, 2006 at Huntington, W.Va.) (Game 1)
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Ohio University..... 010 000 0 -  1  4  3      (22-25)
Marshall............ 041 000 X -  5  7  0      (26-20)
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Pitchers: Ohio - Sauter; Mallette(4). Marshall - Abigail Harter.
Win-Abigail Harter(12-9)  Loss-Sauter(11-10)  T-1:39  A-186
HR Ohio - Rodriguez (1).

Game 2 (Marshall 9, Ohio 8)

In game two, the Herd scored seven unanswered runs, coming back from a 8-2 deficit, to take a 9-8 victory over the Bobcats.

Amanda Luers (Dover, Ohio/Dover) scattered five hits in four innings of scoreless relief, earning her third victory of the season. Luers (3-0) struck out one, while walking another.

Marshall starting pitcher Veronica Ralston (Tucson, Ariz./Catalina Foothills) allowed all eight of the Bobcats' runs on eight hits in three innings. Ralston issued three walks and was unable to strike out a batter.

Ohio's Natalie Armstrong (2-4) suffered the loss, surrendering the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Armstrong allowed the lone run on two hits in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Jessica Williams went 3-for-4 with two RBI, while freshman Joscelyn Bitner (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.

Rodriguez paced the Bobcats offensively, going 3-for-5 with four RBI, while Sacks went 2-for-2 with two RBI.

The Bobcats cracked the scoreboard first, scoring three runs in the opening inning to take a quick 3-0 lead. Debbie Szalejko led off with a single through the left side, followed by Marian Davis' single to center field. Rodriguez then plated Szalejko with an RBI single, giving Ohio a 1-0 lead.

Three batters later, Sacks' two-RBI single to center field scored Rodriguez and Davis, extending Ohio's lead to three runs.

Marshall responded in the bottom half of the first. Jessica Williams' RBI single to center field scored sister Amanda, cutting Ohio's lead to 3-1.

The Herd scored another run in the second, cutting the deficit in half, 3-2. With two on and two out, Noelle Adams (Wheeling, W.Va./The Linsly School) stole home on a double steal, plating the Herd's second run.

In the third inning, however, Ohio scored five runs to put the game seemingly out of reach. Maghan Lunsford's RBI single to center field plated Miller for the Bobcats' first run. Two batters later, Davis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, which allowed Alicia Catlette to score. Rodriguez then cleared the bases with a three-RBI double to left field, giving the Bobcats the 8-2 lead.

The Herd continued to chip away at the lead, scoring two runs in both the third and fourth innings. Bitner's two-RBI double to center field in the third cut Ohio's lead to 8-4. In the fourth, Wintter scored on a dropped fly by Sacks. Spenia later plated Deanna Tourville (Rescue, Calif./Ponderosa) with an RBI single to left field, trimming the deficit to two runs, 8-6.

Marshall would score one more run in each of the last three innings, ultimately taking the 9-8 comeback victory. In the fifth inning, Jessica Williams' RBI single to left field allowed Amanda Williams to score, pulling the Herd to within one run.

Samantha Rodriguez (Oakley, Calif./Freedom) tied the game at eight apiece in the sixth inning with her sixth home run of the season - a solo shot to left field.

In the seventh, Rachel Folden (Baldwin Park, Calif./Diamond Bar) drew a lead-off walk, followed by a Jessica Williams walk. After Wintter's sacrifice bunt, both runners moved into scoring position. That set the stage for Tourville whose RBI single through the left side scored Folden for the game-winning run.

The Thundering Herd concludes its eight-game home stand this weekend when it welcomes the Tulsa Golden Hurricane for a three-game Conference USA set at Dot Hicks Field. A 1 p.m. doubleheader is set for Saturday, followed by a 1 p.m. single game Sunday. The Herd will bid farewell to its seven seniors Sunday during Senior Day festivities prior to start of the series finale.

Marshall 9, Ohio University 8 (Apr 18, 2006 at Huntington, W.Va.) (Game 2)
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Ohio University..... 305 000 0 -  8 13  2      (22-26)
Marshall............ 112 211 1 -  9 13  3      (27-20)
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Pitchers: Ohio - Davis; Warden (1); Mallette(3); Sauter(4); Armstrong(6).
Marshall - Veronica Ralston; Amanda Luers(4).
Win-Amanda Luers(3-0)  Loss-Armstrong(2-4)  T-3:07  A-211
HR MARSHALL - Samantha Rodriguez (6).