Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Rice
No. 11 Rice Prevails Over Baseball, 13-9
3/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 22, 2008
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Marshall University junior shortstop Adam Yeager was 3-for-5 with a pair of triples and two RBI, but Rice right fielder Jared Gayhart had four hits with a home run and three doubles to help lift the Owls to a 13-9 victory over the Herd in Saturday night's Conference USA baseball game at Appalachian Power Park.
With the loss, Marshall falls to 8-10 on the season and 0-2 in conference action, while Rice improves to 16-6, 2-0 in league play.
Leading 10-9 in the top of the seventh, Rice put two men on before second baseman Jimmy Comerota singled down the left field line and advanced to second on a throw home, scoring two runs on the play. Comerota then scored on right fielder Jared Gayhart's double to left field to give the Owls a 13-9 lead, before senior right-handed reliever Andrew Hancock entered the game for freshman right-hander Ian Kadish and got Marshall out of the jam.
Rice left-handed reliever Cole St. Clair (who entered in the fifth) struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh and held the Herd scoreless in the eighth.
Hancock held Rice scoreless in the eighth and issued a one-two-three ninth inning.
Yeager tallied his second triple of the game, but St. Clair was able to shut the door on the Herd en route to his first save of the year.
Herd right-handed starter Steve Blevins went five innings and picked up the loss to fall to 2-2 on the season, while Rice right-handed reliever Bryan Price improved to 2-2 on the season with the victory.
Rice opened up the game with three runs on four hits to post a 3-0 lead. Gayhart led of the game with a double through the right side and scored two batters later when third baseman Diego Seastrunk tallied a one-out triple down the right field line. Designated hitter Aaron Luna followed that with a double to right field to score Seastrunk before catcher Adam Zornes knocked Luna in with a double of his own. Herd junior right-handed starter Steve Blevins was able to retire the next two batters before the Owls could score again.
Marshall responded in the bottom of the second with an offensive outpouring of its own. Junior shortstop Brandon Casamassima led off the inning with his second home run of the season, a deep shot to left center. Junior right fielder Kurt Lipton doubled, senior catcher Tommy Johnson was hit by a pitch and freshman designated hitter Victor Gomez earned a walk to load the bases with no outs. Freshman second baseman Kenny Socorro notched his second double the season, plating two runs before knocked in Gomez with an RBI single. Owls right-handed starter Matt Langwell tallied a strikeout before getting lifted from the game in place of right-handed reliever Mike Ojala.
After junior center fielder Nate Lape drew a walk to load the bases again, senior left fielder Jeff Rowley earned a free pass to score Socorro. Yeager was out at home on Casamassima's fielder's choice before Lipton registered his second hit of the inning, an RBI single to second. Johnson drove in two runs with a single through the left side to keep the inning alive and knock Ojala out of the game with two outs in favor of right-handed reliever Will McDaniel. Gomez singled to load the bases, but McDaniel forced an inning-ending groundout to end the inning, which saw Marshall grab and 8-3 advantage.
After a scoreless third frame, Rice used a four-run top of the fourth to get to within one at 8-7. The Owls loaded the bases with the first three batters before Gayhart doubled to right field driving in two runs. Derek Myers, who entered the game to play left field, drove in another run with a sacrifice fly before Seastrunk picked up another RBI on a single to center field. However, Rice could not plate the tying run in the inning.
Rice regained the lead in the fifth inning when Gayhart sent a two-out three-run home run to deep right field, lifting the Owls to a 10-8 lead.
Marshall threatened in the home-half of the fifth when Yeager, Lape and Rowley each drew walks to load the bases with two-outs before left-handed reliever Cole St. Clair came in and forced an inning-ending fly out.
After Rice pitching quieted the Herd for three-scoreless innings, Marshall pushed across a run in the bottom of the sixth when Socorro, who reached on a two-out error, scored on a triple to right field. St. Clair struck the next batter out, stranding Yeager at third to protect the 10-9 lead.
Marshall will conclude series action with Rice Sunday, March 23 at Appalachian Power Park. Game-time is slated for 12:00 p.m.
