May 11, 2006

Tulsa, Okla. - Marshall third baseman Leigh Wintter tied a tournament record with four RBI as the No. 2 seed Thundering Herd defeated No. 6 seed Southern Miss, 7-4, in game three of the 2006 Conference USA Softball Championship on Thursday at the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex. The Herd advanced to Friday's semfinals to face the winner of the Tulsa-East Carolina contest, which is set for 6:30 p.m.

Wintter gave the Herd a 7-1 advantage with a three-run homer in the fifth inning. The blast was her 27th of her four-year career, tying Rachel Folden for the Marshall school record. Folden, a sophomore, also delivered two big hits in the ball game, as she had a pair of run-producing singles.

Abigail Harter collected her sixth-consecutive win as a starter and improved 16-9 overall. The junior scattered six hits and allowed four earned runs.

"We weren't pleased with how we played, but we're pleased with the final result," Marshall head coach Shonda Stanton said. "The difference was, obviously, our team being able to hit the ball and execute, putting a squeeze down and then hit the long ball. We had enough runs to hold back their comeback."

Ashley Brenan hit the first home run of the championship in the top of the first inning to give the Golden Eagles' a brief 1-0 lead. Brenan's home run extended her career-high total to eight this season.

The Thundering Herd quickly tied the game in the bottom of the first after Ashley Mitchell scored on a RBI-single by Folden, who was named the C-USA Player of the Year on Wednesday. Mitchell blooped a one-out double down the rightfield line to put herself in scoring position. Marshall took the lead in the frame after Wintter was hit by a Lacey Gros pitch with the bases loaded.

The Herd extended its lead to 3-1 in the fourth on Folden's second RBI single of the game. J.J. Bitner led off the frame with a triple, but was thrown out on the plate trying to score on a bloop single by Amanda Williams.

Marshall put up a four-spot in the fifth inning thanks to a fielder's choice sac bunt by Deanna Tourville that scored a run and the three-run shot by Wintter, which was her fourth of the season. The four-run frame built the Herd's lead to 7-1 and proved to be meaningful after Southern Miss answered with three runs in the top of the sixth. Harter managed to stay out of trouble after Brenan's solo blast in the first until the Golden Eagles' rally in the sixth.

Jennifer Fox drew her second walk of the game and advanced to third after a single and a throwing error put Jessica Huerta on second. That set the stage for Kristin Pilgrim, who delivered a three-run shot to cut the lead to 7-4. Pilgrim's home run was her second of the season. The Golden Eagles will play No. 4 seed UAB at 10 a.m. on Friday in the first elimination game of the championship.

Freshman Lacey Gros took the loss for Southern Miss, falling to 14-19 on the campaign. Gros allowed five earned runs in four innings of work.

Marshall's Jessica Williams set a C-USA Championship record by walking four times in the game.