Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Samford
Baseball Splits Doubleheader at Samford
2/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 20, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Marshall University baseball team picked up its first victory of the season, by taking the second game of a doubleheader at Samford, 5-4 on Saturday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The Herd lost the first game of the day, 9-5, before earning the split in the night cap. MU now stands at 1-2 on the season, while Samford sits at 2-1.
Game 1: Samford 9, Marshall 5
Victor Gomez knocked in four runs including a two-run long ball, but the Marshall as a team managed just two hits against Samford after the third inning as the Thundering Herd dropped game one of a doubleheader, 9-5.
V. Gomez finished 2-for-4 with a double, homer and four RBI to pace the MU offense.
Arik Sikula (0-1) was saddled with the loss, pitching 3.2 innings out of the pen. The junior allowed one earned run on three hits with two strikeouts.
Bulldog reliever Lex Rutledge (1-0) stymied the Herd batters tossing 4.0 innings of hitless relief with six strikeouts and three walks.
The Herd took little time busting out the bats against Samford starter Kyle Putkonen. In the top of first Josh Valle drew a one-out, followed by V. Gomez smashing a towering two-run shot to right-center field to put MU on the scoreboard. After Kurt Lipton grounded out, Thor Meeks hit a solo deep fly to right field to extend the early Herd lead, 3-0.
MU kept the pressure on, adding two more runs in the second. The rally was started by Kenny Soccoro lining a base hit to right followed by an Isaac Ballou walk. Up stepped V. Gomez and he delivered a two-out double down the leftfield line to plate both base runners.
Herd starter Mike Mason worked his way of a jam in the bottom half of the frame. The southpaw allowed a pair of singles sandwiched around a strikeout. After a Bulldog fly out, Mason balked placing two SU runners in scoring position. The lefty was able to retire leadoff batter Wayne Miller to escape the threat.
Samford stranded four runners through the first two innings, but finally got to Mason in the bottom of the third. Trey Hayes kicked off the scoring outburst with a two-run double. SU would then receive back-to-back homers from Gardner Richey, a two-run blast, and Marcus Rodriguez, a solo shot, to even the score, 5-5.
Mason did not figure in the decision, as the sophomore logged 3.1 innings surrendering four earned runs on eight hits with two strikeouts.
Neither club could cross home until SU broke the 5-5 tie in the seventh. David Schulze drew a one-out walk from Sikula. A double to the gap in left center by Hayes plated Schulze to give the Bulldogs a one run lead in what proved to be the game winner.
In the top of the eighth, Nathan Gomez just missed tying the score with a two-out double off the left field fence. Bulldog reliever Josh Martin snagged a grounder back up the middle hit by Kirby Pellant to retire the side and keep the one-run cushion intact.
SU added some insurance runs in the bottom of the third thanks to a three-run round tripper from Mason Meredeth as the Bulldogs picked up the 9-5 victory.
Meredith led the Bulldog offense with a 3-for-4 effort and three RBI, while Hayes, Richey and Rodriguez each collected a pair of hits.
Game 2: Marshall 5, Samford 4
Tyler Gatrell, Kyle Blank and Austin Coan combine to fire 2.2 innings of scoreless relief to help stave off Samford, 5-4 in a seven inning second game of the doubleheader. Both teams had agreed on a seven inning game for the night cap.
MU starter Shane Farrell (1-0) worked the first 4.1 frames, punching out five Bulldog batters and allowing four earned runs to earn the win. Farrell only surrendered one run after the first inning.
Samford's first four batters reached in the bottom of the first as three runs scored, highlighted by a two-run single from Bo Smith to own a 3-0 lead.
Marshall manufactured three runs to knot the score, 3-3, in the top half of the second. Thor Meeks was hit by a pitch, followed by a single to right field by Kurt Lipton and a Rhett Stafford walk. Meeks would cross home on a wild pitch and two runners would advance into scoring position. Kirby Pellant and Kenny Socorro had productive at bats by collecting back-to-back RBI ground outs to tie the score, 3-3.
Stephen Ballard lined a RBI single in the bottom of the second, but the SU lead was short lived as Thor Meeks smoked a base hit to center to plate Josh Valle and retie the game in the third. For the second time in the game, Meeks would score on a wild pitch chasing Bulldog starter Arthur Strauss (0-1) from the game. SU reliever Michael Gunter was able to get out of bases loaded trouble, but the Herd retook the advantage.
MU pitched its way out of a Bulldog threat in the bottom of the fifth. Farrell surrendered a leadoff double to left center off the bat of Mason Meredeth. After Farrell froze Tripp Swann on pitches, Gatrell was called upon out of the bullpen. The right-handed specialist retired the lone batter he faced before lefty Blank entered. With the tying run just 90-feet away, Blank forced a lazy fly ball from pinch hitter Trey Hayes to end the frame.
Coan was called upon for a six-out save in the top of the sixth, leading 5-4. After retiring the first two hitters, pinch hitter Gary Cramer roped a base hit to right. Pinch runner Alvin Hines II advanced to second on a wild pitch setting the stage for a game-changing play by second baseman Pellant.
Leadoff hitter Wayne Miller hit a dribbler to second, where Pellant, a freshman, made a veteran defensive decision to keep the Herd up by a run. The Chandler, Ariz., native fielded a slow roller, faked the throw to first and caught Hines II napping on the bases. The Bulldog runner tried to score from second on the play, but was caught in a pickle and eventually tagged out to end the inning.
Coan, who worked 2.0 innings and tallied two strikeouts en route to his ninth career save, made quick work of the first two Bulldog batters in the seventh. Swann hit a double that was just out of a diving Stafford's reach. After a hit batter, Coan painted the outside corner to end the game and help the Herd capture the first win of the season.
MU managed just four hits, but walked a total of nine times. Stafford and James Lavinskas each walked three times a piece.
The series finale is set for tomorrow at 2 p.m. EST.
