Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
UAB
UAB Completes Three-Game Sweep of Marshall Baseball
5/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 13, 2007
UAB at Marshall Game Book
Download Free Acrobat Reader
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - UAB avenged a three-game sweep at the hands of Marshall last season in Birmingham, Ala., by completing its own sweep of the Thundering Herd with a 12-1, eight-inning victory on Sunday at Appalachian Power Park in Conference USA baseball action.
UAB (23-30, 10-11) followed up its 20-hit performance from Saturday with 15 base hits in the series finale. Six Blazers recorded two hits apiece, with left fielder Phil Bell connecting on a three-run homer in the top of the eighth to lead UAB to its 10-run rule victory.
UAB senior Grant Addison (2-1) posted his first career complete game, allowing seven hits while striking out three hitters. An eighth-inning error by the right fielder cost the senior the shutout as Matt Helm (Downingtown, Pa.) slapped an RBI double to left field with one out in the Herd's final at bat.
Marshall (19-29, 4-16) trailed 6-0 through five innings and had chances cut its deficit - leaving eight runners on base in the game - before a mental error with two outs in the eighth blew the game wide open.
Herd reliever Andrew Hancock (Ashland, Ky.) entered the game and retired two of the first three hitters he faced in the eighth. UAB's Levi Patmon then popped up a pitch 15 feet down the first base line that dropped in between three Herd defenders in foul territory and was not touched until it rolled back into play for a bizarre single. With new life, Bell poked his three-run shot which was followed by three additional Blazer hits for six total runs in the frame.
Marshall senior Brendan Murphy (Chattanooga, Tenn.) nearly cut the Herd's deficit in the sixth inning when he lined out to first base with two outs and two runners on. Nate Lape (Huntington, N.Y.) and Josh Valle (Brentwood, N.Y.) posted consecutive two-out singles prior to Murphy's hard liner that nearly put the Herd back into the game. It was the Herd's lone frame with multiple hits.
Three UAB triples led to Blazer runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings en route to their early lead in the game.
Marshall shortstop Brandon Casamassima (Colleyville, Texas) and head coach Jeff Waggoner made their returns to the Herd dugout after serving three-game suspensions for their ejections last weekend at Southern Miss. Casamassima (2-for-4) singled in his first two at bats of the game from the leadoff spot, joining Valle (2-for-3) as Marshall's players with multiple hits.
On Senior Day at Appalachian Power Park, senior Nick Wolle (Coatesville, Pa.) got his first career start on the mound for the Herd. He pitched 4 1/3 innings with 10 hits and six earned runs before giving way to Adam Dobies (Pittsburgh, Pa.), who went 2 2/3 with just one hit allowed and no runs.
Wolle (1-4) set Marshall's single-season record for saves (7) earlier in the season.
The Herd honored its nine seniors prior to the game, they include: Murphy, Wolle, Fred Haden (Oakton, Va.), Aaron Jamieson (Lindsay, Ontario), Thad Ledford (Yukon, Okla.), Chris Peak (Barboursville, W.Va.), Jeremy Slone (Paintsville, Ky.), Brit Vincent (Bowling Green, Ky.) and Adam Kuhr (Mason, Ohio).
With the UCF-East Carolina series finale still in progress, Marshall must at least win its final series of the season at UCF this week in order to earn a berth in the C-USA Championship. The Golden Knights and Herd are battling for the league's final invitation to the tournament. Should UCF defeat ECU, the Herd would be forced to sweep the Knights in Orlando, Fla., for that spot.
Marshall will dip out of conference action for the final time of the season when it plays host to former Mid-American Conference rival Miami (Ohio) on Monday at 1 p.m. ET at University Heights prior to its trip to UCF.
