Marshall University Athletics
Baseball Takes Down EKU, 5-4, In Ten Innings
4/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Baseball Takes Down EKU, 5-4, In Ten Innings
4/20/2005
- Box Score
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. - Senior Joe Glevenyak (West Palm Beach, FL) scored on a bases-loaded balk in the bottom of the tenth inning to give the Thundering Herd baseball team a 5-4 win over Eastern Kentucky at University Heights on Wednesday afternoon.
Glevenyak was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Aaron Jamieson (Lindsay, Ont.) and moved to third on a wild pitch when Bubba Pfaff (Florence, CO) was being intentionally walked. With two outs and two batters on, Adam Ptacek (Assaria, KS) walked to bring up Brad Helm (Downingtown, PA). During Helm's at-bat, EKU pitcher Greg Harper balked to bring in the winning run.
With the win, Marshall (12-20, 6-6 MAC) splits the season series with EKU, who dropped to 10-21 with the loss.
The Herd jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. With one out, Tommy Johnson (Gaithersburg, MD) walked and Roddy Stieger (Westchester, OH) reached on an error. After Stieger reached, Adam Ptacek started his 3-3 day at the plate with an RBI single to score Johnson. The next batter, Brad Helm, hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the second run.
EKU came back in the top of the third to tie the game. Adam Visnic was hit by a pitch to start off the inning and quickly made his way around the bases, advancing to second on a wild pitch and on to third on a passed ball. He would later score on an error. With two outs, left fielder Brett Bolger doubled to bring in the second run.
The bottom of the fourth saw MU retake the lead. Tommy Johnson, who reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to third on a double by Stieger and scored on a sacrifice fly by Adam Ptacek.
The Colonels wasted no time, scoring runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 4-3 lead. In the fifth, Brett Bolger knocked in his second run of the game on a single and in the sixth, a run scored on a single by Adam Visnic.
Marshall tied the game up at four in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double by Joe Glevenyak. In the top of the eighth, it looked as if EKU would come right back as they loaded up the bases on David Slovak (Louisville, KY) with one out, but Slovak got two ground outs to keep the game tied.
After a scoreless ninth inning, the EKU offense was put down in order by Slovak to start the tenth. In the bottom of the inning, the Herd loaded up the bases and would eventually score on a balk by the Colonel closer Greg Harper, who was tagged with his first loss of the season. Slovak was credited with the win for the Herd and improved his record to 2-4.
MU's offense mustered 11 hits, led by three hit performances by Ptacek and Adam Frederick (Franklin, PA). Ptacek also led the team in RBI's with two. The Colonels also had two three-hit performances with Brett Bolger and Adam Visnic registering three hits apiece. The pitching for the Herd was steady. Starter Brian Knippelmeyer (Lincoln, NE) went five innings and gave up three runs, two of which were earned. Brendon Bump (Lawrence, KS) pitched two innings allowing a run while Slovak pitched three scoreless innings.
The Herd will take a weekend off from conference play, traveling to Blacksburg, VA for a three-game series against ACC opponent Virginia Tech. The games on Friday and Saturday will have 7 p.m. start times while Sunday's game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m..
