Marshall Softball Dominates Pitt with 8-0 Shutout

 By Ben Anderson

    

    The dominance of Marshall Softball at Dot Hicks Field this season continued on Tuesday afternoon, shutting out the Pitt Panthers of the ACC 8-0 in six innings.


    The Thundering Herd entered the contest receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll. Marshall was also ranked 25 in the NCAA RPI Rankings. 


    Maddie Veal pitched her third complete game shutout of the season, limiting the Panthers to a single infield hit in the contest.


    Marshall has now won 85 wins in three seasons under Morgan Zerkle. 


    The bats were just as electric for the Thundering Herd, as it poured out 11 hits. Marshall got the scoring started in the second inning as Haleigh Adkins sent a double to right field to score Paige Simpson. The Herd tacked on another run in the third to take a 2-0 lead after the first three innings. Adkins is a perfect 6-for-6 in the Herd’s two midweek games at home this season. 


    What was working so well for the Herd at the beginning was not earning hits but instead working long at-bats against Pitt starter Kyra Pittman. The Herd forced Pittman to throw over 80 pitches in the first three frames.


    The offense erupted in the fourth, with the Herd scoring four runs off four hits. Chandler Hoskins smashed a 2-RBI double into left center, and Ava Blake launched her 12th home run of the season to left field. 


    Since moving to the leadoff spot in game two against the Appalachian State Mountaineers on Saturday, Hoskins is batting .417 with six RBI. 


    The Thundering Herd scored two runs in the sixth to pick up the run-rule victory with Sydni Burko homering into left field, and Bella Gerlach closing the contest with an RBI double to left center. 


    Marshall has won six straight, is 12-0 at Dot Hicks Field, and is 24-3 in its last 27 games.


    Marshall with the victory improved to 29-10, Pitt with the loss fell to 20-18.


    Marshall travels to Conway, S.C. for a three-game weekend series against Coastal Carolina. Pitt returns home for a three-game series against Clemson. 


PITT 000 000 – 0 1 0

MU 011 402 – 8 11 0

Pitching:  (P): Pittman, Kliethermes (4); (MU): Veal

Hitting: (P): Henne 1-2; (MU) Hoskins 2-4 2 RBI, Blake 1-4 2 RBI HR, Burko 2-4 HR, Gerlach 2-4 2 RBI


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