Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Wright State
Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader and Series Versus Wright State
5/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 21, 2010
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Nathan Gomez slapped the game winning hit in extra innings in game one while Thor Meeks connected for a two-run no-doubt homer in the bottom of the sixth in game two to lead the Marshall University baseball team to a pair of late-rally victories against Wright State by scores of 4-3 and 3-2, respectively, on Friday afternoon at the Kennedy Center.
Thanks to No. 22 Rice defeating UAB and UCF knocking off Tulane on Thursday night, the Thundering Herd clinched a spot in the six-team pool for the Conference USA tournament. The conference still has two nights of regular-season games remaining, with the seeding yet to be decided. It marks the third-consecutive season that MU has qualified for postseason play.
Both games of the doubleheader with WSU were scheduled as seven inning affairs due to anticipated poor weather in the Tri-State area.
Marshall upped its overall record to 26-29 with the twinbilll sweep, while the Raiders dropped to 29-23 on the season.
Game 1: Marshall 4, Wright State 3
The Thundering Herd found themselves trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth. MU mounted a comeback by scoring three times in the fifth frame to bring the game square. Josh Valle roped his second hit of the game, a RBI double, in front of Kenny Socorro bringing home a run on a fielder's choice. Ben Jurevicius pushed home the tying run on a bunt single sending Socorro home to knot the game, 3-3.
Mike Mason logged the first 3.2 innings before Arik Sikula entered out of the Herd bullpen. The righty, who usually performs as a weekend starter, was brought in and fired 4.1 innings of one-hit baseball, while fanning a pair. Tyler Gatrell (5-2) pitched a scoreless frame before N. Gomez's heroics in the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, Rhett Stafford smacked a base hit through the left side and would later swipe second base to be in scoring position for N. Gomez. The freshman lined a single to left, which allowed Stafford to race home for the game winning run.
MU has tallied two walk-off wins this season; the first accomplished by older brother Victor Gomez against UCF on April 24 at Appalachian Power Park.
The Gomez brothers each roped a pair of base hits, while Valle went 2-for-3 with a double.
Game 2: Marshall 3, Wright State 2
The Raiders scored twice in the top of the first, but five Herd pitchers kept WSU off the scoreboard the rest of the way, as MU used a late rally for the second-straight game to sweep the doubleheader and three-game series.
Ryan Kiel fired the first three frames before James White III entered. The righty tossed 2.1 innings prior to Kyle Blank and Kevin Shackelford (1-1) each recording an out in the sixth.
In the fifth, the Herd scored its first run of the game without the courtesy of a hit. Eric Semeniuk walked and promptly stole second and moved up 90-feet on a productive groundout to the right side by Valle. Semeniuk later scurried home on a dropped third strike with Socorro at the dish.
Down 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Stafford started another late rally for the Herd. With two outs, the outfielder lined a base knock to left. Up next stepped Hurricane, W.Va., native Thor Meeks and the designated hitter delivered. The sophomore tattooed a two-run bomb to left-centerfield to take the first lead of the game and what would be the deciding run.
Austin Coan entered the ninth and did his job by keeping the Raiders off the scoreboard for his 11th save of the season.
The series sweeps wraps up the regular season for the Herd, as the squad awaits a seed in the 2010 C-USA playoff pool, which will be decided on Saturday evening.
