Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Connecticut
Baseball's Bats Stay Hot, Defeat Connecticut 11-8
3/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 13, 2010
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Victor Gomez went 3-for-5 with four RBI, including a three-run homer to propel the Marshall University baseball past Connecticut, 11-8 on Saturday night in the team's second game of the Arby's Classic Tournament at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Herd scored a total of 28 runs on the day after knocking off No. 17 Ohio State 17-1 in the afternoon.
Isaac Ballou and Josh Valle each collected a pair of hits, while Alfredo Brito and Kenny Socorro each chipped in two RBI to improve the MU to 7-5 on the season. UConn drops to 6-4 with the loss.
Arik Sikula (2-2) picked up the victory out of the Herd bullpen. The righty fired 4.0 frames allowing two unearned runs on two hits with two strikeouts. Tyler Gatrell pitched a perfect eighth with two punch outs and Austin Coan slammed the door in the ninth to earn his third save of the season.
UConn marked the scoreboard first when leadoff hitter Pierre LePage touched home on a fielder's choice hit by Mike Olt in the first frame.
The Herd offense kept on trucking after scoring 17 runs in the first game of the day against No. 17 Ohio State, MU answered the early Huskies score with a three-run spurt of its own. Ballou roped a triple to centerfield and Valle drew a walk to start the bottom of the first against UConn starter Greg Nappo (2-1). V. Gomez smashed a three-run round tripper to left field giving the Herd its first lead of the game, 3-1.
The Huskies dug into the two-run deficit by tallying a run in the top of the second. John Andreoli lined a two-out triple into the right field corner and would later score, puncturing the Herd cushion to one run.
The game was squared up at 3-3 when the Huskies Mike Nemeth collected a two-out RBI single in the third.
In the bottom half of the third, MU retook the lead when Valle smacked his first long ball of the season. V.Gomez roped a base hit and would later score on a sac fly from Alfredo Brito to be 5-3.
The Herd held the upper hand for just a short time as a bases clearing double by LePage put the Huskies up 6-5 in the top of the fourth and chased Farrell from the game.
The tug-of-war for the advantage continued into the bottom of the fourth as V. Gomez knocked in his fourth run of the game on a fielder's choice to knot the score again. MU made the score 7-6 when Ballou sprinted home on a wild pitch from reliever Trent DeLazzar.
Head coach Jeff Waggoner pushed the right buttons in the bottom of the fifth when he called a hit-and-run that was executed to perfection by Socorro. Brito was on third and Kirby Pellant stood at first when Socorro lined a two-out base hit through the right side with Pellant on the move, scoring both base runners on the single. Socorro would scamper home on a throwing error on the UConn catcher to be up 10-6.
The Huskies clawed their way back into the game in the sixth when Mike Olt hit a two-run bomb to right center to get within a pair of runs, 10-8.
In the seventh, UConn had the opportunity to tie the score yet again, but came up empty against right-handed chucker Sikula. LePage had a chance with two runners in scoring position and two down, but Sikula sent the leadoff hitter down by pumping a strikeout to keep the two-run lead intact.
Brito tallied his second RBI of the day with single through the right side to score Valle in the bottom of the eighth to give the Herd its 11th and final run of the night.
The Herd looks to sweep the tournament tomorrow against host Tennessee, with first pitch tentatively scheduled for 4 p.m. Live stats and the UT radio broadcast are available at HerdZone.com.
NOTES: Victor Gomez's three-run homer in the first inning was his third this season and 32nd of his careerââ'¬Â¦Gomez is now tied for fifth in MU history in home runs with former teammate Nate Lape (2007-09)ââ'¬Â¦Josh Valle reached base in seven straight plate appearances over the day's two games (four hits and three walks) before striking out in the fifthââ'¬Â¦Valle has four-straight multi-hit gamesââ'¬Â¦The Herd scored 10-or-more runs for the fourth time this season (4-0 record)ââ'¬Â¦Isaac Ballou is now 6-for-6 on stolen bases with a swipe in the fifth...Austin Coan earned his third save of the season and has 11 for his career.
