Marshall University Athletics
Baseball Set To Take On Cincinnati
3/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 4, 2008
CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Marshall University baseball team hopes to snap a three-game losing skid when it travels to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats, Wednesday March 5 at 4:00 p.m.
The Thundering Herd enters its first midweek game of the season with an overall record of 2-5, while Cincinnati stands at 3-4 overall.
Marshall chalked up its second win of the season last Friday, when it defeated George Mason 6-0 in the first game at the Baseball at the Beach tournament at Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Junior right-hand pitcher Steve Blevins pitched seven strong scoreless innings against the Patriots, striking out six and allowing just three hits and two free-passes.
In his first start of the season, sophomore second baseman Blake Sanders tallied his first collegiate home run, a three-run shot to left field that was part of a four-run second inning for the Herd.
Junior center fielder Nate Lape extended his hitting-streak to seven games, tallying seven in four games over the weekend, including a two-RBI single in the top of the ninth inning to bring the Herd to within two against West Virginia.
Lape also leads Conference USA with a .520 batting average after the first two weekends of play.
Junior right fielder Kurt Lipton tallied his first home run of the season in a 9-7 loss to Western Carolina on Sunday.
Despite its 2-5 record, Marshall leads its opponents in home runs 11-7 and has seven players with at least one homer. The Herd also holds a slight advantage in batting average (.290 vs. .288 for opponents) and hits (72 against 67 for opponents).
Marshall junior left-hander Ryan Kiel will make his first start against the Bearcats, Wednesday. In 2007, Kiel tied fellow junior and southpaw Andrew Blain for most wins on the season (4).
Cincinnati enters Wednesday's contest led by sophomore infielder Jamel Scott who has a .364 batting average and eight stolen bases.
Bearcats senior outfielder Tony Campana is one of two players to have tallied a three-bagger on the season. Campana has a .310 batting average and is 3-for-6 in stolen bases.
Sophomore lefty Brian Garman will make his first start of the season, Wednesday. In two appearances in 2008, Garman has struck out three batters and allowed just one run.
