HUNTINGTON, W.Va. D, Ky. – Morehead State played toe-to-toe with home standing Marshall in Wednesday's non-conference softball game at Dot Hicks Field, but the Eagles eventually succumbed to the powerful Thundering Herd bats, falling 9-1 in five innings.
The game was competitive through four and a half innings, before the hosts were able to take control with their bats by scoring eight runs off four hits, coupled with two errors, in the bottom of the fifth.
"I was proud of how the girls' battled today," Morehead State coach
Samantha Jones said. "(Sophomore) Lennon (Spicer) pitched a great game. She had some tough calls on pitches that looked awfully close to being strikes, but were called balls, and as the game went on she wore down and they were able to get some hits off us in the fifth inning."
But the Eagles made Marshall earn the win, threatening the host's perfect 17-0 home record.
"We did a good job getting a bat on the ball and for the most part played good defense," coach Jones said. "We just ran out of steam there at the end."
Right from the start the signs were promising for MSU as junior left fielder Maddi Gailor led off the game with a single up the middle, but she was eventually thrown out trying to steal second and the Eagles ended the inning scoreless.
MSU retired the side in the bottom of the first and all three Eagles who came to the plate in the second got a bat on the ball, but hit into outs. The story was similar in the third, although Marshall pitcher junior Sydney Nester did have one strikeout.
After surrendering a Mya Stevenson solo homer in the second, Morehead State (5-28) was able to tie the score in the top of the fourth with some scrappy play. In her homecoming, former Cabell Midland High product junior shortstop
Kirya Kingery drew a one-out walk and
Peyton Slater singled to right field.
Peyton Jordan's sacrifice bunt pushed everyone up a base, with an error on the play allowing Kingery to go home, narrowly beating the throw to the plate to even the score at 1-1.
The inning continued with senior first baseman
Alexis Strother reaching on a fielder's choice. Freshman pinch runner
Ilencia Lightbody entered in place of Strother and stole second base, giving the Eagles two in scoring position with two outs. But the pair were left stranded when the inning ended.
In the bottom of the fourth, sophomore third baseman Autumn Owen hit a one-out double deep to right-center field. The Thundering Herd drew a walk to put runners on the corners. The Eagles caught a break on the next play when a ground ball to senior
Peyton Rose at third was overthrown forcing Strother to jump to catch the ball. On her way down, she made a swiping tag, but the batter was initially ruled safe with Owen scoring on the play. After the umpires conferred, the call was overturned and the visitors escaped the inning unscathed.
However, the undermanned Eagles, which were down to just 14 players, were unable to keep Marshall (29-11) in check in the fifth inning. The Thundering Herd drew a pair of one-out walks, with a single sandwiched in between, before Stevenson was able to put the hosts back on top with a single to right field that plated two runs. The next batter, Owen, broke the game open with a three-run homer over the fence in right field. Marshall was able to pad its lead as the next three batters reached base via a hit batsman, single and walk. With the bases loaded, a fielder's choice and two more walks led to the game's early conclusion. The contest ended with one out and the bases loaded.
Two batters after the second homer, coach Jones made a change in the circle, turning to freshman
Maya Morris, who pitched to the final five batters.
Lennon Spicer took the loss, falling to 4-14, after surrendering seven hits, six earned runs and three walks in four and one third innings. She also struck out two. Morris finished the game and allowed two runs on one hit, with three walks.
Gailor and Slater both singled to provide the biggest chunk of the offense. Kingery scored the team's only run after drawing the Eagles' lone walk.
Gailor (13 of her last 14 outings) and Kingery (13 of her past 15 contests) both extended their runs of reaching base safely, while MSU had its three-game win streak stopped. The Eagles also dropped their 27th consecutive road contest.
Stevenson and Owen led the Thundering Herd batters, each collecting two hits and three RBI. Fifth-year second baseman Madison Whitaker and senior center fielder Grace Chelemen also finished with a pair of hits. Stevenson also scored twice.
Nester picked up the win to improve to 21-5. She went the distance and allowed two hits. MSU's run was unearned and she also walked a batter. Despite averaging 10 strikeouts a game, Nester too found the strike zone tough to reach, and she finished with just three K's.
Morehead State returns to conference play as it continues its seven-game road swing with a weekend stop at Belmont for three contests. The Eagles and Bruins open with a doubleheader on Saturday and conclude with a single game on Sunday.
