Softball Hosts Marshall In C-USA Series This Weekend
March 31, 2006 | Softball
March 31, 2006
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- East Carolina will conclude its longest homestand of the season this weekend as it hosts Marshall in a three-game Conference USA series beginning Saturday, April 1, at 1 p.m. The two teams will play a doubleheader Saturday followed by a single game Sunday.
ECU, winners of three in-a-row, enters the game with a 23-15 overall record and a 1-5 conference mark. Since winning its C-USA opener against Houston, the Pirates have lost five straight league games.
Marshall also enters the series on a three-game winning streak. The Thundering Herd is currently in second place in Conference USA with a 7-2 record and has compiled a 19-14 record overall.
The Pirates are 5-7 during their current 12-game homestand, but have won four of their last six home games with its two losses coming against sixth-ranked California, 5-4, and Big 10 foe Penn State, 2-1.
ECU and Marshall have already met once this season at the College of Charleston Cougar Classic. Senior Alison Monce hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the second inning to propel the Pirates to a 5-1 victory back on February 21. Senior pitcher Stephanie Hayes scattered five hits over 5.1 innings, while striking out four. Despite being limited to two hits by MU pitcher Veronica Ralston, the Pirates were able to capitalize on three errors to earn the victory.
With its earlier season victory over Marshall, ECU tied the all-time series at 2-2. The two played for the first time in Raleigh during the 1998 Triangle Classic with Marshall recording a 2-0 shut out win over ECU. The two didn't meet again until last season's Pirate Clash here, splitting a pair of games.
