Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Tulane
Baseball Drops Series Finale to Tulane, 6-2
3/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 28, 2010
NEW ORLEANS - The Marshall University baseball team and Tulane were deadlocked at 2-2 entering the eighth when the Green Wave scored four times to take the series finale, 6-2 in the rubber match of a three-game set in Conference USA action on Sunday afternoon at Turchin Stadium.
Marshall (10-12, 1-2 C-USA) received a lights out performance from starter Arik Sikula as the junior worked a career-high 6.0 innings and tied a career-best with a six pack of punch outs. Sikula allowed two earned runs on only four hits as he did not figure in the decision.
Preston Claiborne (3-2) fired 3.0 scoreless innings out of Tulane (17-8, 2-1 C-USA) pen, giving up just one hit with two strikeouts in relief of starter Robby Broach.
Second baseman Kirby Pellant tallied a pair of hits, including a double while his double-play partner Kenny Socorro chipped in with two RBI in the loss.
Neither team could make up much of an offensive attack entering the top of the fourth. Victor Gomez started the inning with a walk and Kurt Lipton followed with a double to left center. After a strikeout, Green Wave hurler Broach gave Alfredo Brito a free pass by the intentional variety to load the bases with one down. Broach tallied another strikeout as the right hander was walking a fine line in keeping the game scoreless. Socorro found a hole up the middle on 0-1 pitch for a two-run single to give the Herd the lead.
The MU staff had held the Green Wave scoreless over the previous nine innings entering the bottom of the fourth until a two-run homer to left by Jeremy Schaffer knotted the score 2-2 as the game ventured into the fifth inning.
The Herd put the pressure back on Broach in the fifth as four-straight players reached base, but somehow none were able to cross home. MU loaded the bases with one down before Broach recorded back-to-back strikeouts to keep the game tied.
The score was even at 2-2 entering the eighth when seven consecutive batters reached base against Herd reliever Mike Mason (2-3) to score four times as TU batted around in the frame. The Green Wave broke the tie when Schaffer was hit by a pitch with the bases jacked to plate the first run. RBI singles from Garrett Cannizaro and Adam Zabel sandwiched around a RBI fielder's choice from Brennan Middleton rounded the game winning inning for the home team.
The Herd is off until a mid-week tilt at Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
