Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Southern Miss
Baseball Falls To Southern Miss In The Ninth, 8-7
4/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 5, 2009
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Sophomore catcher Victor Gomez blasted a game-tying solo shot in the top of the ninth inning, but a walk-off RBI single by Tyler Koelling lifted Southern Miss to a sensational 8-7 victory over the Thundering Herd in Sunday morning's Conference USA baseball game at Hill Denson Field at Pete Taylor Park.
With the loss, Marshall falls to 13-17 overall, 4-5 in C-USA play, while Southern Miss wins the series and improves to 20-10 on the season, 6-3 in league action.
Trailing 7-6 in the top of the ninth, Gomez blasted a one-out solo shot to right centerfield off reliever Cody Schlagel, tying the game at 7-7. From there, Collin Cargill entered in place of Schlagel who gave up a single to freshman designated hitter Thor Meeks. Ramone Tate then entered to pinch run but a double play ended the inning for Southern Miss.
In the Golden Eagles' ninth, pinch-hitter Adam Doleac drew a leadoff walk off Marshall reliever Austin Coan. After Nick Smith entered to pinch-run, Kameron Brunty moved Smith into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Pinch-hitter Kyle Maxie then tapped a groundout to second, leaving Smith on standing on third with two outs. From there, Koelling delivered a walk-off run-scoring single into centerfield, giving Southern Miss an 8-7 victory.
Cargill pitched the final two outs of the ninth inning and earned the victory, moving to 2-1 on the season, while Coan pitched an inning and two thirds and suffered the loss, falling to 2-3 on the season.
After scoring six runs over the first three frames, Marshall was held scoreless until Gomez's smacked his eighth homer of the season to even the contest in the ninth.
Marshall was off and running in the top of the first when sophomore right fielder Ben Jurevicius smacked a one-out double down the right field line before junior third baseman Josh Valle earned a walk to put two on. From there, back-to-back RBI singles by Gomez and Meeks gave the Herd a 2-0 lead. Senior first baseman Brandon Casamassima followed that with a bases-clearing single to right center field but was thrown out attempting to go to second on the play. Southern Miss starter Kyle Lindsey then fired a strikeout to end the inning, but Marshall had built a 4-0 lead.
Southern Miss answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the first when Bo Davis legged out an infield single and then raced to third on a base hit to right field by James Ewing. From there, a single by Joey Archer through the right side allowed Davis to plate the Golden Eagles' first run of the contest, before a fly out ended the frame.
The Herd extended its lead back to four in the top of the second stanza when senior centerfielder Nate Lape singled through the left side to lead off the inning and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore shortstop Kenny Socorro. An infield hit by senior second baseman Adam Yeager placed runners on the corners before a sacrifice fly to shallow right by Jurevicius allowed Lape to cross the dish, making the score 5-1. From there, Yeager advanced to second on a wild pitch and Valle drew his second walk of the game, chasing Lindsey from the contest in favor of Scott Copeland. A pop out to shallow right ended the frame for Southern Miss.
The Golden Eagles got the run back in the home half of the second when Brunty was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Marshall freshman starter Greg Williams then fired a strikeout and a groundout to get two outs in the inning before a single through the left side by Taylor Walker allowed Brunty to score from second. Walker moved up to second on the throw home from left but was stranded there as Williams fanned his third batter of the game to prevent further damage.
Marshall tacked on a run in the top of the third when Meeks earned a leadoff free-pass and then advanced to third on a one-out double by red-shirt freshman left fielder Rhett Stafford. A single through the right side by Lape allowed Meeks to score, making it 6-2 before a 4-6-3 double play ended the Herd's threat.
Southern Miss continued to answer Marshall's offensive outpouring as Davis led off the bottom of the third with a triple off the wall in right field before James Ewing smashed a home run over the scoreboard in left field, cutting the Golden Eagles' deficit to 6-4. Williams settled down from there and retired the side in order, capped by his fourth strikeout of the game.
After the Golden Eagles retired Marshall in order in the top of the fourth, Southern Miss pulled to within one when Travis Graves singled through the right side, advanced to second on a walk and third on a double play before coming full circle on a double off the right field wall by Dozier. Sophomore hurler Ian Kadish replaced Williams following the hit and from there, Davis delivered a two-out RBI single, scoring Dozier on the play who barely beat out the laser throw from Jurevicius, knotting the score at 6-6. Ewing then earned a walk and a wild pitch moved both runners up 90 feet and into scoring position before Kadish tossed a strikeout to end the inning.
Southern Miss attempted to break the deadlock in the bottom of the fifth when a leadoff single, followed by a walk got things going, but a strikeout and a pair of fly outs ended the threat, keeping the Golden Eagles off the board for the first time in the game.
The Golden Eagles placed a runner on first with one out but junior reliever Tyler Gatrell entered in place of red-shirt senior southpaw Andrew Blain and induced an inning-ending double play, preventing a potential run-scoring rally.
After Marshall's two-out rally was thwarted in the top of the eighth, Southern Miss made some noise in the home half of the eighth stanza when a leadoff walk to Walker chased Gatrell from the game in favor of Coan. Dozier then laid down a sacrifice bunt, sending Walker to second with one away. Davis then walked and Walker advanced to third on a passed ball, giving the Golden Eagles runners on the corners. A sacrifice fly to right by James Ewing allowed Walker to touch home with the go-ahead run and Davis to move to second before a pop out to shallow left ended the inning with the score 7-6.
Yeager, Jurevicius, Gomez, Meeks and Lape each finished with two hits in the losing effort.
Marshall will complete its seven-game road swing with a pair of midweek contests, first at Xavier on Tuesday, followed by a showdown at Kent State on Wednesdays. Tuesday's first pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. ET with Wednesday's start time also set for 3:00 p.m.
