Marshall University Athletics
Herd Baseball Squad Wins Two Crucial Games from Buffalo
4/12/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Herd Baseball Squad Wins Two Crucial Games from Buffalo
4/12/2003
- Game One Box Score
- Game Two Box Score
AMHERST, N.Y. ? Marshall picked up a pair of critical Mid-American Conference victories on Saturday when the Thundering Herd won both ends of a doubleheader 4-0, 5-2 over Buffalo at Pepsi Center Field.
In game one, Marshall (13-18-1, 4-6 MAC) received another masterful performance from starting pitcher Chris Koutsavlis (Pittsburgh, Pa.). The freshman earned his first career complete game and shutout in the seven inning, 4-0 win over Buffalo (6-19, 1-7 MAC). Koutsavlis (4-1) scattered nine hits and struck out two Bulls with zero walks on the afternoon.
?Koutsavlis was outstanding today,? Marshall head coach Dave Piepenbrink said. ?He mixed things up really well and kept the hitters off balance.?
Marshall scored all four of its runs in the fourth inning. Matt LaFleur (Chesapeake, Va.) led things off with a solo home run down the right field line, his third homer of 2003. The Thundering Herd loaded the bases after a pair of walks and a Craig Dziedziejko (Kitchener, Ont.) single, and promptly cashed in when a Scott Henning (Wilmington, Del.) grounder to shortstop produced an errant throw from UB second baseman Adrian Daniels on the double play attempt. Dziedziejko and Corie O?Bryan (Frederick, Md.) scored on the play.
Buffalo could not escape the inning, when, with two outs, Rich Russell (Toronto, Ont.) and Adam Frederick (Franklin, Pa.) both singled. Frederick?s base knock to left field scored Henning to give the Herd its 4-0 lead.
Buffalo starting pitcher Dustin Clark (2-3) took the loss for the Bulls.
In the second game, Herd starter Steve Ziroli (LaGrange, Ill.) controlled the Buffalo hitters, allowing five hits in seven innings with one earned run to lead MU to the 5-2 victory. Ziroli (3-1) walked three batters and struck out three Bulls.
?Ziroli really pitched well and had some good stuff today,? Piepenbrink said. ?We were fortunate to get two good outings out of our starters. Those kinds of performances will always allow a team to be successful.?
The Herd led the Bulls 1-0 in the fourth inning when Dziedziejko hit a RBI double to right center field to score O?Bryan. The Marshall third baseman led off the inning with a single to left field.
O?Bryan was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI.
Buffalo bounced right back in its half of the fourth to tie the game up at 1-1. UB?s John Boom reached base on an infield error and later scored on a Kevin Nesteruk single down the left field line.
Marshall went back to work in the top of the fifth inning, scoring four runs to take a 5-1 lead. Frederick led off the frame with a double and Mike Koitsopoulos (Markham, Ont.) was then issued a free pass to first base. LaFleur attempted a sacrifice bunt and was able to reach base the when the Buffalo third baseman misplayed the ball, allowing Frederick to score. O?Bryan then ripped a double to right field to score Koitsopoulos, followed by a Francois Larmore (Magnolia, N.J.) sacrifice fly to center field that plated LaFleur.
The Herd registered four of its seven hits in the pivotal fifth inning.
Chris Meadows (Huntington, W.Va.) picked up his third save of 2003 to place him in a tie for fifth place on Marshall?s career games saved list with five.
Buffalo?s Tyler Balentine (0-4) surrendered six hits and three earned runs in a losing effort.
The Herd and Bulls will finish out the series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Pepsi Center Field.
