Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Tulane
Blevins Propels Baseball Past Tulane, 7-4
4/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 5, 2008
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Marshall University junior right-hander Steve Blevins struck out a collegiate-career high 12 batters in a complete-game effort to guide the Thundering Herd to a 7-4 victory over Tulane in Saturday night's Conference USA baseball game at Turchin Stadium.
With the win, Marshall snaps a two-game losing skid, and claims it's first-ever victory against Tulane, to improve to 14-14 overall, and 4-4 in C-USA. Tulane falls to 21-9 on the season, and 3-2 in C-USA.
Blevins (4-2) retired the side in order in the eighth and ninth to seal the complete-game victory.
"[Steve Blevins] is a guy who after a loss, you want to have on the mound because he's a bulldog," head coach Jeff Waggoner said following the win. "He pitched like that tonight. His pitch count was up, but he felt good and still had the velocity. That was the thing we were checking. He didn't want out of the game, and you could see that. Even to the last batter, he was really coming at them."
Tulane left-handed starter Aaron Loup (2-2) struck out four batters in 4.1 and allowed five runs on seven hits in the losing effort for the Green Wave.
Marshall crossed the plate twice in the top of the third inning to break a scoreless tie when junior shortstop Adam Yeager reached on a one-out bunt single to first base. Junior third baseman Brandon Casamassima then tallied a single, advanced to second on a throw from the outfield to third base, and then advanced to third on a throwing error by the third baseman. Yeager scored on the error. Junior center fielder Nate Lape picked up his 33 RBI of the season on a sacrifice fly to score Casamassima. The Green Wave got out of the inning on a groundout, but the Herd claimed a 2-0 lead in the frame.
Trailing 2-0, Tulane cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth inning when center fielder Aja Barto reached on a two-base throwing error with one out. Following a strikeout, left fielder Warren McFadden reached on the second throwing error of the inning and Barto went to third. Catcher Steve Moritz singled up the middle to score Barto. First baseman Sam Honeck then drew a two-out walk to load the bases, but Blevins escaped the jam by forcing an inning-ending fly out to shallow left center field.
Marshall pushed its lead to 5-1 in the top of the fifth inning when Yeager tallied a lead-off infield single and then raced to third on and errant throw on Casamassima's bunt single. Loupe tallied a strikeout before sophomore first baseman Josh Valle singled to right field and advanced to second on the throw from the outfield. Yeager and Casamassima scored on the play. After a groundout moved Valle to third, junior right fielder Kurt Lipton singled through the left side to knock in the Herd's third run of the inning. Tulane got out of the inning without another run, but Marshall increased its lead to 5-1.
The Green Wave responded with a run in the home half of the fifth when second baseman Anthony Scelfo singled to left center and then scored on a triple by shortstop Seth Henry. Blevins recorded a ground out and a strikeout to hold Henry at third before Yeager fielded a deep ball off the bat of designated hitter Andrew Rodgers and threw him out just before he reached first to keep the score at 5-2.
Marshall extended its lead to 6-2 in the top of the sixth when senior left fielder Jeff Rowley led off with a double to right center and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman second baseman Kenny Socorro. Following a groundout, Casamassima drilled a bullet up the middle scoring Rowley to give the Herd a four-run advantage in the contest.
McFadden led off the Green Wave sixth with a double down the left field line before Honeck cracked a one-out two-run home run to left field to narrow the Herd lead to 6-4.
Freshman designated hitter Victor Gomez tallied a one-out triple in the top of the seventh, his third of the season, while senior catcher Tommy Johnson and Rowley drew two-out walks to load the bases before Socorro singled through the right side. Senior Matt Helm, who came in to pinch-run for Gomez, scored, while Johnson was out at home on the throw from the outfield. Marshall extended its lead to 7-4 with that run.
Yeager, Casamassima and Johnson finished with three hits apiece for Marshall in the win.
Marshall and Tulane will conclude the series Sunday. First-pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m. ET at Turchin Stadium. Sophomore right-hander Dan Straily (3-2) will take the hill for the Herd in Sunday's finale.
