Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Houston
Houston Escapes With 9-8 Win Over Baseball In Extras
4/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 26, 2009
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Sophomore first baseman Victor Gomez smashed a three-run homer and sophomore catcher Kevin Shackelford ripped an RBI triple to highlight Marshall's comeback efforts, but Houston plated a pair of runs in the top of the 10th inning and allowed just one in the bottom of the frame to help the Cougars escape with a 9-8 victory over the Thundering Herd in Sunday morning's Conference USA baseball game at Appalachian Power Park.
With the loss, Marshall falls to 16-25 on the season, 6-12 in league action while Houston earns the three-game sweep to improve to 20-23 overall, 10-5 in C-USA play.
Sunday's contest marked the first time the Herd has been swept in a C-USA series since Houston took three games last May.
With the score even at 7-7 heading to extra innings, the Cougars received a pair of singles and took advantage of a Marshall miscue to plate two runs, highlighted by an RBI base-hit by Blake Kelso and a runs-scoring walk by Zak Presley, lifting the score to 9-7 before a double play and a ground out ended the inning.
In the bottom of the 10th, senior second baseman Brandon Casamassima punched a one-out single up the middle and then moved to second when Shackelford walked, chasing Houston reliever Donnie Joseph from the game in favor of Mo Wiley. From there, a fly out gave Houston two down in the inning before sophomore shortstop Kenny Socorro singled to right center, scoring Casamassima. Eric Semeniuk, who entered as a pinch runner for Shackelford, was thrown out on an 8-4-5 relay on the play to end the game.
Joseph earned his third win of the season and moves to 3-1 overall while Wiley picked up his first save. Marshall reliever Austin Coan tossed three strikeouts in three innings of relief work but suffered the loss and falls to 3-4 on the season.
Trailing 7-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Marshall used the next three frames to score seven unanswered runs.
Socorro earned a one-out walk and then moved up two bases when junior third baseman Josh Valle doubled down the left field line. A single by Gomez drove Socorro home and advanced Valle to third before an RBI fielder's choice by senior centerfielder Nate Lape brought Valle home. Red-shirt freshman Rhett Stafford then singled to the right side before freshman designated hitter Thor Meeks smacked an RBI single through the left side, scoring Lape from second and bringing the score to 7-3 before Houston starter Wes Musick fired a strikeout to end the inning.
Marshall struck for three more in the bottom of the seventh when Shackelford reached on an infield error to lead off the stanza before senior second baseman Casamassima drew a two out free pass. From there, Gomez tagged an offering from Cougar relief pitcher Chris Wright that went sailing over the wall in right field for a three-run homer, his 15th of the season, bringing the Herd to within one at 7-6. Joseph replaced Wright and fanned the next batter to get out of the jam.
The Herd scored the equalizer in the very next inning when Casamassima drew a two-out walk and then scored when Shackelford laced a triple off the base of the wall in right center.
Houston built its early lead scoring once in the first, third and fourth innings before striking for three in the fifth thanks to an RBI single by Chris Wallace and a two-run single by David Murphy, making the score 6-0 at that point.
The Cougars added a run in the sixth to make it 7-0 before Marshall began its furious rally.
Gomez finished the day 4-for-5 with four RBIs while Valle went 3-for-5 at the dish to up his average to a team-high .340 mark.
Houston received three hits from Kelso and two each from Chase Dempsay, Wallace, Murphy and William Kankel to spark the Cougars' offensive efforts.
Marshall returns to action Tuesday at The Kennedy Center when it hosts Georgetown College. The Herd then travels to Youngstown State on Wednesday before playing a three-game set at UCF next weekend.
