Marshall’s bats went quiet at the wrong moment, resulting in a 6-0 loss to Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt Conference quarterfinal game.
The Thundering Herd managed just one hit against Coastal Carolina left-hander Abby Henderson. Coastal Carolina, the No. 10 seed, defeated the No. 2 Thundering Herd, advancing in the Sun Belt Tournament.
Chanticleers’ Strong Offence
Coastal Carolina got all the runs it needed in the first inning. Delaney Keith walked, and Georgia Hood hit her 23rd homer of the season, giving the Chanticleers a 2-0 lead.
Coastal Carolina broke the game open in the fifth. Brie Normandin hit a triple, Kaelin Cash walked, and McKennah Metzger singled to load the bases. Libby Pippin then launched a grand slam, increasing the advantage to 6-0.
Marshall’s Offensive Struggles
Diamond Leslie had a single in the first, which was the lone Marshall hit. Henderson struck out a season-high five.
In the regular-season finale the previous week, Marshall only managed three hits over the final two games against James Madison. The Dukes won twice, denying the Herd a chance to win the SBC regular season crown.
NCAA Tournament Hopes
Marshall coach Morgan Zerkle hopes the team’s season record will lead to an NCAA Tournament at-large berth. The Herd entered Friday with a RPI ranking of 27 and has 26 Top-100 wins, including four Top-50 victories.
“The Sun Belt is one of the top conferences,” Zerkle said. “It shows no matter what team we’re facing all season long, it is so competitive and I think that gives us a real shot to compete against the best of the best. We started out in February competing against the best of the best, I think we have it in us to do it again. The Sun Belt is competitive and it has prepared us for the Regional Tournament if we are given the opportunity.”
What’s Next
Coastal Carolina will meet No. 3 Texas State in a semifinal. Texas State eliminated No. 6 James Madison, 5-2, in Thursday’s quarterfinal.
- Coastal Carolina extends their tournament win streak to six games.
- The Chanticleers were swept at home by Marshall in the regular season.
- This was the second straight tournament matchup between these teams.
The winner of the Sun Belt Tournament gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Marshall will learn its fate on Sunday.