Marshall University Athletics
Baseball Set For Tuesday Double-Dip With Eastern Kentucky
4/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 14, 2008
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Marshall University baseball team returns to non-conference action Tuesday, April 15 for a double dip at Eastern Kentucky starting at 1:30 p.m. at Turkey Hughes Field.
The second game of the doubleheader will be played 30 minutes following the conclusion of the first game. Each game will be seven innings.
Marshall enters midweek action with an overall record of 14-19-1, while Eastern Kentucky stands at 15-14-1 on the season.
Following its heartbreaking loss to No. 28 East Carolina on a walk-off home run in the ninth, Marshall has now dropped five straight and will look to end that streak against the Colonels.
Marshall and Eastern Kentucky have played 53 games with the Colonels holding a 30-23 edge. However, the Thundering Herd has won five of its last seven meetings with Eastern Kentucky since the 2004 season, including an 8-4 decision in its most recent meeting in 2007. In that contest, left fielder Jeff Rowley went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and Andrew Blain pitched four innings of one-hit, shutout baseball in his first career start to pace the Herd to the win.
Marshall will send right-hander Ian Kadish (1-1) to the mound in the first game, and will start right-hander Shane Farrell (0-0) in the second contest.
Kadish has a 5.82 ERA in 17 innings (13 appearances on the season) and has nine strikeouts. The first-year hurler will make his third start of the season.
Farrell has a 3.68 ERA in 7.1 innings pitched. The freshman has fanned three batters in four appearances on the hill and will start on the hill for just the second time in his Marshall career.
Marshall's offense is powered by five players hitting above .300 and four with 20-plus RBIs. Center fielder Nate Lape leads the charge with a .418 batting average (.779 slugging percentage) and has blasted 11 home runs and driven in 37 runs. The junior also has swiped 13 bags and hit 11 doubles on the season.
Shortstop Adam Yeager continues to be a threat on the base paths as he now has 22 stolen bases on the year including three against East Carolina in Sunday's series finale. The last time the junior stole three bases in a single game was March 12 in the second game of the Herd's doubleheader against Valparaiso earlier this season.
Eastern Kentucky has won three of its last four games and is looking to build on its all-time series lead over the Herd. The Colonels are led by Anthony Ottrando who is batting .350 with 35 hits, two home runs and has doubled five times.
For live stats of today's doubleheader please visit the Eastern Kentucky homepage.
