Marshall University Athletics
Herd Splits Opening Day Doubleheader with Mercer
2/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Herd Splits Opening Day Doubleheader with Mercer
2/14/2003
- Game One Box Score
- Game Two Box Score
MACON, Ga. ? After trailing 6-1 through four innings, head coach Dave Piepenbrink made a change in his lineup that paid major dividends. Joe Glevenyak (West Palm Beach, Fla.) stepped in as a pinch runner in the top of the fifth inning, did not score, but two home runs later the sophomore left his mark on game two of the Thundering Herd?s doubleheader split the Mercer Bears with an 11-7 final score. Mercer upended the Herd 6-4 in game one.
Marshall opened a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning before Mercer jumped ahead 6-1 after four innings of play. Then Herd newcomer Glevenyak, an outfielder, stepped in and went 2-for-2, with two solo home runs. Just as important as Glevenyak?s entry into the game was that of freshman Chris Koutsavlis (Pittsburgh, Pa.), who pitched five innings of relief, giving up four hits and allowing only one run to earn his first collegiate victory. Koutsavlis replaced starter Patrick Molinari (Plainfield, Ill.) in the third inning, who gave up five earned runs.
?Koutsavlis was the MVP of the game,? Piepenbrink said. ?He?s wasn?t a High School All-American for nothing, he can pitch. Joe absolutely killed that first home run and his opposite field shot was powerful, too. He really came through for us when we needed a lift.?
Junior shortstop Mike Koitsopoulos (Markham, Ont.) was 4-for-4 on the nightcap, scoring three runs. Gregg Hiller (Greenville, Ohio) clubbed a pinch-hit triple in the fifth inning that scored senior first basemen Craig Dziedziejko (Kitchener, Ont.). Dziedziejko doubled down the left field line in the first inning, scoring Koitsopoulos.
?We hit the ball hard at times, but we struck out too much,? Piepenbrink said. Mercer pitchers struck out 12 Marshall batters in the game.
Chris Meadows (Huntington, W. Va.) closed out the victory for Marshall. The junior gave up only one hit and struck out three hitters to register a save.
In game one of the doubleheader, Mercer won a back-and-fourth, tightly contested affair. Grant Harper (Grayson, Ky.) started the game for Marshall, pitching 5.1 innings, giving up five hits while striking out five Bears in a losing effort. Brad Helm (Downington, Pa.) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Rich Russell (Toronto, Ont.) and Matt LaFleur (Chesapeake, Va.) both went 2-for-3 in the afternoon tilt.
Junior Brian Jones pitched a seven-inning complete game victory for Mercer, giving up three earned runs and striking out eight Marshall hitters.
Marshall (1-1) will return to action at 5 p.m. on Saturday to complete the three-game series in central Georgia. Sunday?s originally scheduled game was moved to Friday as part of a twin bill, due to possible inclement weather conditions that the region is expected to get. Mercer (5-5) will start Chris Bishop on the mound, while the Herd will go with senior Rick Suter (St. Clairsville, Ohio).
