Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
East Carolina
Baseball Knocks Off ECU, 10-3
5/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 2, 2010
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Arik Sikula fired a career-high eight strikeouts and James Lavinskas notched a season-best three RBI as the Marshall University baseball team snapped a four-game skid by defeating East Carolina, 10-3 on Sunday afternoon at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
The Thundering Herd improve to 21-24 overall and 10-8 in Conference USA. The 10 conference victories tie the 2008 MU squad for wins in a season in league action. The win puts the Herd in a tie for second place with Memphis after the Tigers knocked off UCF.
ECU drops to 27-18 and 8-7 against conference opponents.
Sikula (6-2) surrendered just five singles, only two after the first inning, in 6.0 innings of work along with fanning eight on the bump. The South Charleston native is now a perfect 3-0 against Conference USA opponents this season after another impressive Sunday outing.
Kirby Pellant did his job in the leadoff spot reaching base in all five trips to plate, including three hits and three runs scored. Kurt Lipton was a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and Lavinskas knocked in three runs off of two hits for the Herd.
MU lined three singles in the top of the first but was unable to cross home plate against ECU southpaw Kevin Brandt (3-6), as the lefty used a double play to escape the early offensive opportunity for the visitors.
Sikula also put himself in trouble in the bottom of the frame by giving up three-straight singles to open the game. Sikula fell behind John Wooten and Jared Avchen with three-ball counts, but battled back to strikeout both batters with the bases loaded. The junior appeared to be out of trouble when he fired two pitches past Devin Harris, but the second strike bounced away allowing leadoff man Trent Whitehead to scamper home with the day's first run. Sikula would later fan Harris to send the game to the second frame, as the righty struck out the side.
After being retired in order in the second, the Herd chased Brandt from the contest with one out in the third. Pellant got the ball rolling in the batter's box by bouncing a single over the ECU third baseman's head after Kenny Socorro had drawn a free pass to begin the inning. Brandt recorded an out prior to Lipton smoking a RBI double into the right-field corner. The Pirates opted to load the bases by intentionally walking cleanup hitter Victor Gomez. The move did not pay off as the next batter, Lavinskas, lined a two-run single to left spelling the end of the day for Brandt.
ECU reliever Shawn Armstrong was greeted by Rhett Stafford, who promptly slapped a two-run base hit between shortstop and third to give MU a five-spot in the frame.
In the fourth, MU added another run thanks to a RBI single to center from Lipton that plated Pellant, upping the Herd lead to 6-1.
The Pirates made for a dangerous fifth in the eyes of Sikula. ECU loaded the bases with two down, but a diving snare at third base by Lavinskas kept the five-run lead safe.
ECU tallied two-runs in the seventh when Corey Thompson smacked a two-run bomb to right. Tyler Gatrell was called upon out of the Herd bullpen leading 6-3. The senior did his job by striking out Avchen with runners on first and second to avoid any further damage.
The Herd exploded in the top of the ninth for four runs, highlighted by RBI singles from Lavinskas and Josh Valle to put the game at its final tally, 10-3.
SERIES NOTES: V. Gomez and Lipton each collected two multi-hit games in the series and now have 20 and 17 on the seasonââ'¬Â¦RHP Gatrell moved into second place in MU career appearances (83)ââ'¬Â¦MU hit back-to-back homers for the third time this season (G1)ââ'¬Â¦V. Gomez and Lipton each registered multi-homer games in series (G1, G2)ââ'¬Â¦MU now has four players with two homers in a game this season - Eric Semeniuk and Thor Meeks are the othersââ'¬Â¦Herd staff combine for 10-or-more Ks twice in the series (G2, G3) and six times this season.
