Thundering Herd seniors seek C-USA softball crown

HUNTINGTON -- Marshall seniors Rachel Folden, Sam Rodriguez and Dee Tourville have certainly grown together in their four years playing softball for the Thundering Herd.

All made an immediate impact during their time at Marshall, and the journey is nearing its completion.

Before they ride off into the sunset, these three amigos want to stroll through Houston and capture a Conference USA championship. Tournament play begins today at 9 p.m. against East Carolina.

"We've been great in April and a big reason is the three of them," Marshall coach Shonda Stanton said. "I'm very excited to see how they are going to lead us into the conference tournament."

For all four years, Folden and Rodriguez have figuratively been known as the Herd's 1-2 punch offensively, but as seniors that has taken on a more literal meaning.

Stanton moved Folden and Rodriguez to the leadoff and No. 2 spots in the order to get them more at-bats in late-game situations.

Folden has garnered much of the national attention for her ability to hit home runs and teams started pitching around her, but Rodriguez has made teams pay over the last two years. Stanton said one particular memory stood out.

"She is the only kid that you look at around the area that can hit behind Folden and teams start second-guessing strategy," Stanton said. "I remember a time at Akron when they decided not to pitch to Folden and Sam hit a walk-off home run to end it. In the second game, they pitched to Folden and she hit a walk-off home run."

Tourville has not amassed the power numbers that her fellow seniors have, but Folden went as far to call her clutch when it came to getting the key hit.

Two years ago, Tourville's home run was the only run scored in a 1-0 win over Tulsa in the C-USA Tournament. Last weekend, she geared up for the tourney by blasting two home runs in a win over Georgetown.

This trio leads the Herd as one senior unit. Anywhere that one of them is, the other two are not far behind. They share the common bonds of leadership and a desire to win, but Folden said their differences help bring them close as well.

"It's just cool that we have different aspects of the game. Sam is that bulldog on offense and Dee is the same way on defense," Folden said. "Dee is the creative one, Sam is the most independent one and the funniest and I'd say I'm the goof-off that's always in somebody's ear."

There won't be any goofing around this week as the three hope to add to their 129 career wins, starting tonight against an East Carolina team that they swept in a pair of close conference games earlier this season.

Fittingly enough for the Herd's seniors, they will need three wins to clinch the championship. One of those is likely to be against Houston, a team that embarrassed the Herd in the opening series at the new Dot Hicks Field.

Folden has not forgotten that series, but knows that there is a bigger meaning in her last conference tournament as a Herd player.

"Getting back at Houston is huge, but we also want to do something special for the program to build on," Folden said. "When the next round of freshmen come in, they know what they have to live up to.

"We want it to be a benchmark that we always win a Conference USA championship."