Marshall University Athletics
Herd Win Both Ends of Doubleheader with Wright State
3/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Herd Win Both Ends of Doubleheader with Wright State
3/15/2003
- Game One Boxscore
- Game Two Boxscore
DAYTON, Ohio ? The Thundering Herd fell behind 3-0 in both games of Saturday?s doubleheader with Wright State, but Marshall was able to end its five-game winless streak with two come from behind victories over the Raiders at Nischwitz Stadium, 7-3 and 8-3.
In game one, Grant Harper (Grayson, Ky.) earned his first victory of the season after pitching eight workmanlike innings without giving up an earned run. Harper (1-3) scattered nine hits and struck out four Raiders as the Herd battled back late for a 7-3 win.
?He (Harper) kept us in the game,? Marshall head coach Dave Piepenbrink said. ?If we?re able to score 3-4 runs a game when Harper pitches, we?ll be successful. He?s that type of a gamer.?
Marshall (5-9-1), down 3-2 entering the top of the eighth inning, unloaded a slew of base hits highlighted by Adam Frederick?s (Franklin, Pa.) pinch-hit single that scored Corie O?Bryan (Frederick, Md.) to tie the game at 3-3. Scott Henning (Wilmington, Del.) drove a ball off of Wright State pitcher Kevin Kuntz that caromed into left field and allowed Gregg Hiller (Greenville, Ohio) to cross the plate. Josh McConnell (Phenix City, Ala.) and Craig Dziedziejko (Kitchener, Ont.) hit RBI singles of their own and Rich Russell (Toronto, Ont.) drew a bases loaded walk to culminate the MU onslaught and give the Thundering Herd a 7-3 lead.
Henning, Marshall?s multi-positional threat, closed the game out in the ninth inning to secure the win in addition to knocking in the game-winning run in the eighth.
The Raiders (2-10) plated three unearned runs in the third inning, aided by three Marshall errors to take a 3-0 lead. Kofi Gyimah led off with a bunt down the third base line for a single. Second baseman Ty Brown then slapped a Harper pitch down the left field line. While attempting to field the ball, left fielder Bryan Helmer?s (Huntington, W. Va.) foot got caught in the grass causing him to sprain his knee, enabling Gyimah to score from first base. Helmer, after a quick examination by the Marshall athletic trainer, remained in the game, but was victimized by a Chris Tuttle fly ball in the next at bat that the Herd sophomore misjudged, allowing Brown to score. The speedy Tuttle later stole third base and scored when Hiller?s throw to the corner ended up in left field.
Marshall bounced back in its next at bat in the top of the fourth inning, scoring two runs to narrow the Wright State lead to 3-2.
Francois Larmore (Magnolia, N.J.) and Russell led the frame off with back-to-back walks and managed to advance to second and third when WSU starter Casey Abrams unloaded a wild pitch. O?Bryan stepped to the plate with no outs and fell behind 0-2 before managing to lift a ball into short foul territory along the right field line. Piepenbrink?s gamble to send Larmore from third base paid off, as the Herd right fielder slid by the tag of catcher Bryan Vickers. Roddy Stieger (Westchester, Ohio) struck an RBI single to left field that scored Russell.
Abrams had a strong outing up until the big Marshall eighth inning when he was relieved by Kuntz. Abrams (0-2) was responsible for two Thundering Herd base runners in that inning and took the loss, despite striking out 14 Marshall hitters and giving up four hits.
O?Bryan registered two of the hits off of Abrams to go 2-for-5 in game one with one RBI and one run scored.
In game two, Marshall once again fell behind 3-0.
Trent Matthews hit a solo home run in the third inning, followed by a Kirk Seddon RBI double in the fourth and a Pat Masters run-scoring single in the fifth.
Steady pitching and timely hits got the Thundering Herd back in the game. Chris Koutsavlis (Pittsburgh, Pa.) started on the mound and pitched 5.2 innings with seven hits to grab the victory.
Koutsavlis (2-1) gave way to Steve Ziroli (LaGrange, Ill.) in the sixth inning after Piepenbrink wanted to send his right-hander in the game to face Wright State?s right-handed pinch hitter. The move was successful as Ziroli forced Jeff Telmanik into a grounder to shortstop to end the inning.
Ziroli, a junior, pitched 3.1 innings and surrendered only one Raider hit.
Matt LaFleur (Chesapeake, Va.) blasted a bases loaded double to the center field wall in the sixth inning that plated all three Herd base runners and gave MU a 4-3 that it would not relinquish.
Marshall punched 14 hits in game two, with the 1-6 hitters recording two hits each.
Larmore provided late-inning fireworks with his fifth home run of the season, a two-run blast over the center field wall that increased Marshall?s lead to five runs.
Piepenbrink is happy to end the Herd?s five game skid.
?It?s good to bounce back after a tough last week, hopefully we can keep it going tomorrow,? the Herd?s sixth-year skipper said.
Marshall and Wright State will finish the three-game series with a noon start on Sunday at Nischwitz Stadium.
