Marshall University Athletics
Baseball Finishes Weekend With 7-3 Win Over Cardinals
5/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Baseball Finishes Weekend With 7-3 Win Over Cardinals
5/15/2005
- Box Score
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. - The Thundering Herd, behind a strong pitching effort by Chris Koutsavlis (Pittsburgh, PA), grabbed the third game of its series from Ball State by a 7-3 score.
Koutsavlis pitched into the eighth inning, giving up three runs, only one earned, and five hits. Brendon Bump (Lawrence, KS) went the final 1 2/3, giving up just a hit. The Marshall (16-31, 8-13 MAC) offense had its top outing of the series, recording seven runs on 11 hits in the win. After the MU pitching gave up 26 runs in the first two game, the staff held Ball State (33-14, 17-5 MAC) to only three runs, one earned, on six hits.
Prior to the game, the five seniors were honored for their efforts with the team. The class included: Joe Glevenyak (West Palm Beach, FL), Brad Helm (Downingtown, PA), Mike Marchyshyn (Markham, Ont.), Josh McConnell (Phenix City, AL) and Marshall Murray (Walnut Creek, CA). The four senior hitters found themselves in the lineup for their final home game. Helm had the best day at the plate of the seniors, going 2-4 with an RBI. Glevenyak was 1-4 with two RBI's while Josh McConnell contributed a hit and scored a run in the fifth inning. Murray, who started his first game of the season at second base, went hitless on the day.
For the first time in the series, the Herd was able to get on the board first, scoring twice in the third inning. Adam Ptacek (Assaria, KS) was issued a one-out walk and Adam Frederick (Franklin, PA) followed that up with the first of two singles on the day. Aaron Jamieson (Lindsay, Ont.) brought in the first run of the day with one of his three doubles in the game, this one to center. Glevenyak brought in the second run of the inning with a groundout to first.
Marshall's biggest inning of the series came in the fifth when they would have five runs cross the plate. Josh McConnell led off with a single to right. Ptacek followed with his second walk of the day to bring up Adam Frederick, who reached on a bunt single. McConnell would score on the play when BSU pitcher Tyler Pritchard made a throwing error.
Up next was Jamieson, whose second double of the day would score Ptacek. With Glevenyak coming to the plate, the Cardinals brought in pitcher Richie Fralick, but Glevenyak came through with an RBI single to center to knock in the third run of the inning. Jamieson advanced to third on the play and scored on a wild pitch. The fifth run of the inning was brought in by Brad Helm's single to left.
After scoring 26 runs in the first two games of the series, the Cardinals were shut down by Chris Koutsavlis. Through seven innings, Koutsavlis gave up just three hits and retired eight BSU batters at one point. It was not until the eighth inning that the Ball State offense had its first real scoring chance of the day. Left fielder Jon Dollinger led off with BSU's fourth hit of the day. He became the first Cardinal batter to reach second when pinch hitter Matt Gard was walked. With one out, center fielder Mike Sullivan hit a bunt single to bring in Dollinger and end Koutsavlis' shutout attempt.
Another Ball State run would score on a Koutsavlis throwing error when Jason Bucholtz reached on a fielder's choice. At that point, Brendon Bump came on in relief of Koutsavlis. His first batter, first baseman Brad Miller, batted in the third run of the inning on a groundout to second. The Herd looked to be out of the inning when Marc Franz grounded out to third, but an error by Adam Frederick allowed Franz to reach, which also meant that the tying run was on deck. Bump buckled down and got C.J. Webb to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
The Cardinals would put two more runners on base in the ninth, but Bump was able to finish the job and help the Herd take the third and final game of the series.
Koutsavlis was credited with the win, his third of the season. After a few rough outings dropped his record to 2-6, he put it all together, shutting down the Cardinals in the first seven innings. BSU starting pitcher Tyler Pritchard gave up six of the runs and took the loss. He is now 1-1.
Aaron Jamieson had another great day for the Herd, going a perfect 4-4 on the day with three doubles, two RBI's and a run scored. Adam Frederick and Brad Helm each contributed two hits. Frederick also scored two runs. Joe Glevenyak also had a good day, going 1-4 with two RBI's.
Jon Dollinger and Mike Sullivan had the only multi-hit days for BSU, each notching two hits. Sullivan, along with Brad Miller had an RBI.
Today's game marked the final home game of the season for baseball, along with the final Mid-American Conference contest in Huntington for Marshall University. Baseball will wrap up its season with a three-game series at Buffalo next weekend.
