Marshall University Athletics
Herd Leaves UB with Two Losses, Splits Series 2-2
4/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Herd Leaves UB with Two Losses, Splits Series 2-2
4/13/2003
- Game One Box Score
- Game Two Box Score
AMHERST, N.Y. ? The University at Buffalo grabbed two victories from Marshall in Sunday?s baseball doubleheader at Pepsi Center Field to earn a split in the four-game Mid-American Conference series. Buffalo downed the Thundering Herd 8-4 in game one and scored one run in the bottom of the 10th inning to squeak out a 3-2 victory in game two.
The extra inning affair in game two saw starter Grant Harper (Grayson, Ky.) pitch a 9.1 inning complete game in a losing effort for Marshall. Harper (2-6) surrendered a John Boom RBI single in the 10th inning that scored Brandon DiCesare to hand Buffalo (8-19, 3-7 MAC) the 3-2 victory.
Harper allowed seven hits and three runs, although only one run, the game-winner in the 10th inning, was earned.
Marshall (13-20-1, 4-8 MAC) tied the game up at 2-2 in the seventh inning when Corie O?Bryan (Frederick, Md.) doubled down the right field line to score Josh McConnell (Phenix City, Ala.). McConnell and Matt LaFleur (Chesapeake, Va.) both singled in the inning.
O?Bryan was 4-for-5 on the afternoon with one RBI and McConnell was 2-for-4 with one run scored.
Marshall opened up a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a Francois Larmore (Magnolia, N.J.) RBI ground out that plated Mike Koitsopoulos (Markham, Ont.). Buffalo took advantage of its first at bat by scoring two runs to take a quick 2-1 lead. The Bulls cashed in on a two-out throwing error charged to Koitsopoulos that allowed Bryan Sanchez and DiCesare to score.
Buffalo starting pitcher John Sullivan worked seven innings, striking out five Marshall batters and giving up nine hits and two runs. Chris McGraw relieved Sullivan and hurled three frames to pick up the victory to improve his record to 2-1.
In game one, three Buffalo errors in the fifth inning sparked the Herd to a 4-0 lead. O?Bryan and Larmore hit singles and Craig Dziedziejko (Kitchener, Ont.) reached on an error by the shortstop. Scott Henning (Wilmington, Del.) recorded a RBI on a bunt that was misplayed by UB starting pitcher Nick Bellacose to keep the bases loaded for Rich Russell (Toronto, Ont.), who singled through the right side to score Larmore. Adam Frederick (Franklin, Pa.) then lifted a ball to right field for a sacrifice fly that plated Dziedziejko. Finally, McConnell plated the fourth run of the frame with a single to center field.
Frederick went 2-for-3 with one RBI while McConnell and O?Bryan both recorded two base hits for the Thundering Herd.
Buffalo came right back in its half of the fifth to narrow the MU lead to 4-3. The Bulls sat the Herd down in order in the top of the sixth inning and unloaded a five-run outburst in the bottom of the frame to take the decisive 8-4 lead.
Andrew Davis (Charleston, W.Va.) relieved Marshall starter Fritz Conrad (Ocoee, Fla.) in the sixth inning and was responsible for the two runners on base when Chris Meadows (Huntington, W.Va.) entered the contest to attempt to douse the Bull threat. Boom promptly singled to score Clint McKeever which tied the game at 4-4, but Buffalo was not content with a tie game. Adrian Daniels and Brian Zelasko both registered two RBI base hits that put UB up for good.
Davis (0-1) took the loss for Marshall while Bellacose evened his record at 2-2.
Marshall will travel to Morehead State on Tuesday for a rematch of the April 1 contest in Huntington, W. Va., in which the Herd upended the Eagles 6-5.
