Marshall University Athletics
Herd Drops First Game of MAC Series with Zips
5/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Herd Drops First Game of MAC Series with Zips
5/9/2003
- Box Score
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. ? Marshall fell behind Akron by three runs after one frame of baseball and never led in an 11-6 defeat Friday at University Heights in the Thundering Herd?s first game of their final Mid-American Conference series of 2003.
Akron?s Craig Welch recorded his only base hit of the day, but made it a significant one as the Zip designated hitter ripped a single through the left side of the infield to score two runs. Dan Swallie?s smash to left-center field plated Welch from first base and got Akron out to a 3-0 lead.
Marshall (19-30-1, 9-16 MAC) fired back with two runs in the third inning on RBI hits from Adam Frederick (Franklin, Pa.) and Corie O?Bryan (Frederick, Md.). Francois Larmore (Magnolia, N.J.) led off the inning with a double to center field before being driven in on Frederick?s double off the left field wall.
Frederick led Marshall?s offensive attack with a 3-for-5 afternoon with two RBIs and two runs scored. In fact, the one through three hitters, including Frederick in the two spot and Larmore and O'Bryan at one and three, went a combined 7-for-15 with five RBIs.
Akron (21-25, 11-10 MAC) quickly regained a multi-run lead in the top of the fifth inning with another three-run outburst. Swallie registered his second and third RBIs on a two-run single through the right side.
Marshall starter Steve Ziroli (LaGrange, Ill.) allowed a leadoff home run to Tom Lindhe in the sixth inning and again to Doug Kruthaupt in the seventh for an 8-3 Zip advantage. Ziroli (4-3) would be replaced by Herd senior Rick Suter (St. Clairsville, Ohio) in the seventh frame, and the left-hander retired four of the first five hitters he faced, inducing a 5-4-3 double play after allowing Lindhe to lead off the eighth with a single up the middle.
Akron starter Frank Mendoza earned his MAC-leading seventh victory in a seven-inning, seven hit, three strikeout performance. Mendoza (7-2) allowed four earned runs.
"We didn't pitch well enough to win," Marshall pitching coach Tom Carty said. "We scored six runs, which should be enough to get a win."
Suter ran into trouble in the ninth inning, giving up a double to Israel Victor and allowing him to score from third on a wild pitch. With the bases loaded, Marshall head coach Dave Piepenbrink brought in freshman Andrew Davis (Charleston, W.Va.) to stop Akron from scoring more insurance runs. Davis struck out Marcus Geiselman to record the second out, but Lindhe struck again, this time with a two-run single between the Marshall third baseman and shortstop to give Akron an 11-5 edge.
Frederick led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo blast, his second career home run, but that was all the Herd could muster in its last at bat.
Marshall and Akron will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday at University Heights. Scott Henning (Wilmington, Del.) will start game one for Marshall, while Grant Harper (Grayson, Ky.) will take the mound in game two. Henning is 1-3 and Harper is 4-7. Akron will counter with Aaron Gangi (4-4) and Ross Liersemann (2-4).
Both of Saturday's games can be heard live on WRVC-930 AM in the Huntington listening area, with Steve Cotton on the call from University Heights. Herd fans can expect to win many prizes with the game day lucky number scorecards as the 2003 home schedule winds down this weekend.
