Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Charleston Southern
Murphy Homers Twice in Baseball's 11-9 Comeback Win
2/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 17, 2007
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CHARLESTON, S.C. - Behind a two-home run, five RBI performance from Brendan Murphy (Sr., Chattanooga, Tenn.), the Marshall baseball team rallied from a five-run deficit to knock off Charleston Southern, 11-9, Saturday at Buccaneer Field in Charleston, S.C. The win was the first in the head coaching career of Marshall's Jeff Waggoner.
Murphy, Brandon Casamassima (So., Colleyville, Texas) and Jeff Rowley (Jr., Buffalo, N.Y.) each had three hits for Marshall, while Matt Helm (Jr., Downingtown, Pa.) and Mason Chapman (Fr., Barboursville, W.Va.) each chipped in with two hits.
After a rough start which saw the Herd fall behind 9-4 in the fourth inning, the Marshall pitching staff turned it around with 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Ryan Kiel (So., Los Gatos, Calif.), making his first appearance at Marshall, stopped the bleeding with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win. Andrew Blain (So., Huntington, W.Va.) then tossed 1 2/3 innings before handing the ball to Nick Wolle (Sr., Coatesville, Pa.), who retired the Buccaneers in order in the ninth to earn the save.
After having an early 3-1 advantage, the Thundering Herd re-took the lead in the seventh inning on a Murphy three-run home run over the 365-foot sign in right-center field off of Charleston Southern's Payton Tweddale (1-1). Murphy just missed a third home run in the ninth inning when his long fly ball caromed off the base of the wall in deep right-center for an RBI double.
Marshall starter Brian Chrisman (Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) lasted 3 1/3 innings, giving up nine hits and six runs (five earned) while walking one, striking out six and uncorking three wild pitches. CSU starter Ryan Rowland didn't fare any better, going four innings while giving up eight hits, six earned runs and three walks.
Charleston Southern (5-2) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning with an unearned run on a Stephen Herzog RBI single.
Marshall (1-1) executed to perfection in scoring three runs in the second. Casamassima walked to lead off and moved to third on a hit-and-run single by Helm. Jimmy Mathias (Sr., Stephens City, Va.) plated Casamassima with a fielder's choice grounder but reached when the Buccaneers could not get Helm at second or Mathias at first. Following a Thad Ledford (Sr., Yukon, Okla.) sacrifice bunt, Chapman went to the opposite field with a single to left to bring home both runners and give Marshall a 3-1 advantage.
CSU knotted the score in the bottom of the second on a two-run home run by Wes Brundridge, but Marshall came right back in the third as Murphy homered to right center on the first pitch of the inning.
The Buccaneers forged ahead with a six-run fourth inning, sending 11 batters to the plate while knocking out Chrisman as well as reliever Tom Ponietowicz (So., Norristown, Pa.). Stephen Herzog hit a two-run home run to give CSU a 6-4 lead and oust Chrisman from the contest. The first four batters against Ponietowicz reached base, with three scoring before Kiel recorded the final out.
Marshall responded with three runs of its own in the fifth inning to cut the lead to 9-7 and knock Rowland from the game. Ledford hit an 0-2 pitch through the left side for a two-run single to score Casamassima and Helm. Brit Vincent (Sr., Bowling Green, Ky.) brought home another run with a groundout to second base.
Chris Krogmeier led Charleston Southern with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate, including a double.
The teams move off campus to play the finale of the series, shifting to Collins Park for a 1 p.m. Sunday contest.
