Posted: April 13, 2018 | Source: The Morehead News
The Morehead State softball team split games on Wednesday afternoon with Marshall as they scored a 3-2 win and dropped a 3-0 decision at Dot Hicks Field.
The Eagles now hold an overall record of 19-11, while the two-game split gives the ‘Herd a 19-21-1 mark for the season.
MOREHEAD STATE 3, MARSHALL 2
Morehead State jumped out to the lead in the top of the first inning when senior infielder Ellen Barrett’s single to left field drove home senior leadoff hitter Taylor Wheeler from second base. Wheeler led the game off with a single of her own before advancing to second on a wild pitch, allowing her to easily score the game’s first run.
The Eagles padded their lead with runs in the second and fifth frames. Sophomore Cassie Griffin smoked a double into left field to score pinch runner Abigail Rhodesin the second, and then in the fifth, Allison Rager pulled a ball into left that platedAubrey Bennett to round out Morehead State’s scoring for the day.
Left-handed ace Chelsea McManaway held the Thundering Herd scoreless for 6.2 innings before giving up a two-run home run in the seventh. The senior walked the following batter but managed to regain composure and get a fly out to wrap up the Eagles’ 3-2 victory. McManaway improved to 13-4 and added to her Ohio Valley Conference-best strikeout total (158) by fanning eight batters at the plate.
Morehead State logged 10 hits off the bats of six different Eagles in the win. Bennett and Barrett joined Wheeler in going 2-for-4 while Allison Rager also had multiple hits going 2-for-3. Senior Kylie Holton and Griffin had single hits in the victory. Barrett, Rager, and Griffin also had one RBI apiece.
MARSHALL 3, MOREHEAD STATE 0
Morehead State matched the Thundering Herd with six hits but left eight runners on base in the shutout defeat.
The right-handed Rager, who fell to 5-6 for the season, had a solid outing in the pitchers’ circle other than a rough third inning where the hurler gave up three earned runs which proved to be all Marshall needed. The Elkview, W.Va., native allowed six hits, struck out four, and walked two in the complete-game defeat.
Senior Robyn Leighton, freshman Paige Scruggs, Wheeler, and Holton all recorded single hits while senior Hannah Murphy had a 2-for-3 performance offensively.
NEXT UP
Morehead State will return to OVC play on Friday with a road trip to Belmont for a doubleheader date. The teams were originally scheduled to take the field Saturday, but due to expected inclement weather. were rescheduled to Friday with first pitch set to be thrown at 3 p.m. at E.S Rose Park in Nashville.
