Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Houston
Baseball Falls To Houston, 12-4
4/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 25, 2009
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Senior centerfielder Nate Lape went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, but Houston used a pair of four-run innings and had three players tally three hits to help lift the Cougars to a 12-4 victory over the Thundering Herd in Saturday afternoon's Conference USA baseball game at Appalachian Power Park.
With the loss, Marshall falls to 16-24 overall, 6-11 in C-USA while Houston moves to 19-23 on the season, 9-5 in league action.
Houston jumped out to an early one nothing lead in the top of the first when Chase Dempsay scored from third on a passed ball, giving the Cougars an early 1-0 edge.
After being held scoreless through three innings, Marshall responded in the bottom of the fourth when Lape doubled to right field to lead off the frame. Red-shirt freshman left fielder Rhett Stafford then singled to center, moving Lape to third. Senior first baseman Brandon Casamassima then grounded into a double play, allowing Lape to cross the dish with the Herd's first run of the contest. Freshman designated hitter Thor Meeks singled up the middle but Houston starter Michael Goodnight fired his sixth strikeout of the contest.
In the top of the fifth, Houston used an RBI single by Blake Kelso and three Marshall errors to extend its lead to 4-1.
The Herd got a run back in the home half of the fifth when senior second baseman Adam Yeager drew a leadoff walk and then moved to third on a hit-and-run single through the right side by sophomore shortstop Kenny Socorro, chasing Goodnight from the game in favor of Dempsay. Junior third baseman Josh Valle then grounded into a double play, sending Yeager home with Marshall's second run making the score 4-2 before a pop out ended the stanza.
From there, the Cougars scored four times in the in the top of the sixth, highlighted by an RBI fielder's choice by Kelso and a two-run single through the right side by Caleb Ramsey, making the score 8-2.
Marshall pulled to within five in the bottom of the sixth when Lape singled to center, moved to second on a base-hit through the right side by Stafford and then scored when Casasmassima ripped a double into left field. Following a walk to Meeks, a double play and a fielder's choice ended the Herd's threat in the inning.
Houston tacked on four in the top of the eighth thanks to six hits and a Marshall miscue, extending its lead to 12-3.
Lape picked up his third hit of the game to lead off an inning, this time the Marshall eighth, moved to second on a groundout and then came full circle on a single up the middle by Meeks, setting the score at 12-4. Red-shirt senior Andrew Blain then pinch-hit for freshman Eric Semeniuk for his first collegiate-career at-bat. He fouled off two pitches but struck out to end the inning.
Sophomore right-hander Shane Farrell pitched the final inning for Marshall and fanned a pair of batters.
Herd starter Greg Williams suffered the loss, Saturday, and falls to 1-4 on the season. After the Cougars scored in the first, he held the Houston offense at bay for three innings before Houston plated three in the fifth. He struck out five batters in the losing effort.
Dempsay earned the win for Houston and improves 2-0 on the season after four innings of relief work.
Socorro, Stafford and Meeks finished with two hits apiece while Valle, sophomore catcher Victor Gomez and Casamassima added one hit each.
Kelso, Ramsey and Jake Runte led the Cougar offense with three hits each, while Kelso and Ramsey drove in two runs each.
The teams will play the series finale on Sunday, April 26 at 10:35 a.m. ET. Marshall sends freshman southpaw Mike Mason to the hill to face Cougar hurler Wes Musick.
