Marshall University Athletics
Baseball Cruises Past Charleston Southern 16-7
2/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Baseball Cruises Past Charleston Southern 16-7
2/22/2002
CHARLESTON, S.Car?The Marshall University baseball team recorded its? first win of the season when they defeated Charleston Southern University 16-7 today. With the victory, Marshall improves to 1-5 while Charleston Southern dropped to 1-10.
Down 7-4 entering the top of the fifth, the Thundering Herd scored 12 unanswered runs over the course of the game to pull away. The Thundering Herd pitchers did their part over the last five innings as well, allowing zero hits and only two runners on base as Charleston Southern never mounted a comeback.
"After the first few innings, we played extremely well," head coach Dave Piepenbrink said. "After getting down early, Grant Harper did a good job of keeping us in the game and our offense was able to put them away."
Trailing 7-4, Marshall started their rally in the fifth inning when hits by Joe Shetler and Adam Fairman gave the Thundering Herd runners on second and third with nobody out. Shetler scored on a groundout by Homer Renshaw, then Gregg Hiller hit his third home run of the season to tie the score, 7-7.
Marshall took the lead for good in the top of the sixth. After a leadoff double by Marty Rini, Rini advanced to third on a single by Mike Koitsopoulos. Rini was then able to score on a sacrifice fly by David Colangelo.
Leading 8-7, the Thundering Herd put the game away with five runs in the seventh. Matt White opened the inning with a home run to center field, his second of the season. Marshall then loaded the bases with nobody out and Hiller scored on a single up the middle by Mike Koitsopoulos. A single by Colangelo scored Craig Dziedziejko, then Joe Shetler finished the scoring in the inning when his single scored Rini and Koitsopoulos.
Marshall added one run in the eighth and two in the ninth to make the final score 16-7.
Grant Harper (1-2) went seven innings allowing seven runs, only two earned, and nine hits to record the victory. Ian Holmen (0-3) allowed eight runs in 5.1 innings for the loss.
Marshall will now face Hofstra University tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. in the second game of the round-robin Charleston Southern Invitational. The game will be played on the campus of the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC.
