Marshall University Athletics
Eagles Use Late Run To Down Herd, 8-7
3/26/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Eagles Use Late Run To Down Herd, 8-7
3/26/2004
- Box Score
YPSILANTI, Mich. - The Eastern Michigan Eagles took an 8-7 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning and were able to hold on in the ninth to defeat the Marshall baseball team on Friday night at Oestrike Stadium.
The contest was the first Mid-American Conference game for both teams. The loss drops the Herd to 11-12 and 0-1 in the MAC. Eastern improves to 6-10 and 1-0 in the MAC.
Marshall got the scoring started in the top of the second inning. With one out, Corie O?Bryan (Frederick, MD) hit a single to center. That brought up catcher Rich Russell (Toronto, Ont.), who hit a double to center to advance O?Bryan to third. After Joe Glevenyak (West Palm Beach, FL) walked to load the bases, Roddy Stieger (Westchester, OH) hit into a fielder?s choice to bring in O?Bryan and give the Herd a 1-0 lead.
The Herd added to the lead in the third. Chris Monaco (Tucson, AZ) led off the inning with his second walk of the game. He was caught stealing in the first inning, but had better luck in the third, successfully stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error by the EMU catcher. With one out, Adam Frederick (Franklin, PA) hit a single to bring in Monaco and give MU a 2-0 lead. A single to right by Francois Larmore (Magnolia, NJ) advanced Frederick to third and a balk by EMU pitcher Ryan Ford brought Frederick home to give Marshall a 3-0 lead.
Freshman Brian Chrisman (Pittsburgh, PA) started the game for Marshall and cruised through the first four innings, allowing one hit. In the bottom of the fifth, Eastern Michigan made their first major threat of the game, loading up the bases with one out. Chrisman allowed a sacrifice fly to center to bring in EMU?s first run, but got out of the inning when Eagle Derrick Peterson hit a foul ball down the right field line, which was caught by Glevenyak to limit EMU to one run in the inning.
The Eagles added on another run in the bottom of the sixth when Brad Hrovat hit a home run to left field to make it a 3-2 game. Marshall got the run back in the top of the seventh. With two outs, Francois Larmore hit a bomb to right field, his third home run of the year, to give the Herd a 4-2 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Steve Ziroli (LaGrange, IL) came into the game. With two outs and one man on, Eagle Derek Lehrman notched a single to bring up Derrick Peterson. Peterson gave EMU the lead when he hit a three-run home run to left. After the next batter reached base, EMU center fielder Todd Kimling hit a home run to center field to give the Eagles a 7-4 lead. Chris Cummings (Huntington, WV) was brought in and got the third out of the inning after the first two batters he faced reached base.
Marshall charged back in the eighth. Russell walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Glevenyak hit into a fielder?s choice to advance Russell to third, the next two MU batters walked to load the bases. That brought up Chris Monaco, who hit a single to right-center to bring in two runs and make it a 7-6 game. With two men on, Josh McConnell (Phenix City, AL) came in to pinch hit for Marshall Murray (Walnut Creek, CA) and walked to load the bases. That brought up Frederick, who hit into a fielder?s choice to bring in the tying run of the game.
Eastern Michigan took an 8-7 lead in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Chris Meadows (Huntington, WV) was brought in. After walking the first two batters he faced, he got a fly ball for the second out, but was not so lucky with Eagle Ryan Arnett, who hit a single to center to give EMU what would turn out to be the game-winning run.
The Eagles were able to keep the Herd scoreless in the ninth to earn the win. Meadows took the loss, dropping his record to 0-2.
Chrisman had another strong outing, going six innings, giving up two runs on four hits. Ziroli, Cummings and Meadows each pitched 2/3 of an inning.
Larmore, Glevenyak and Russell led the Herd with two hits each. Frederick and Monaco both notched two RBI?s.
Marshall will look to avenge the loss when it takes on EMU in the second game of the series on Saturday at 2 p.m. Log on to HerdZone.com for an update after the game.
