Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Miami (Oh)
Baseball Clips Miami (Ohio) Redhawks in 11, 4-3
2/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 18, 2011
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Senior Victor Gomez proved why he was a Preseason NCBWA All-American pick by coming up with a clutch two-out RBI double in the top of the 11th, scoring classmate Ben Jurevicius all the way from first base as the Marshall University baseball team held on to defeat Miami (Ohio) 4-3 in 11 innings at Patriots Place in the first game of the CofC Invitational hosted by the College of Charleston.
Kenny Socorro paced the Marshall (1-0) offense with a 3-for-5 day, while V.Gomez, Nathan Gomez and Jurevicius each smacked two hits apiece. Both Gomez's ripped a double each and Isaac Ballou, James Lavinskas, Jurevicus and V.Gomez registered a RBI.
Reliever Terrence Moore (1-0) pitched a perfect 10th inning to earn his first career victory, while James White allowed an infield single as his only blemish in the 11th to pick his first career save.
"This was a great team win today and I'm really proud of our guys," said head coach Jeff Waggoner. "Everyone contributed and it was a great way to start the season. Now we have to be ready to play Kentucky tomorrow."
Miami (0-1) received two-hit games from Kyle Weldon, Ryan Kaup and Brad Gschwind, while lefty Sam Dawes (0-1) was tagged with the loss.
After being retired in order in the first, the second frame got off to an opportunistic start when DH N.Gomez smoked a double off the wall in dead centerfield, just missing a home run. Thor Meeks followed by lacing a single to center to put Marshall runners on the corners with no outs. Lavinskas hit a two-strike cue shot to third base, which allowed N.Gomez to scamper home with the Herd's first run of the 2011 season.
Rhett Stafford continued the rally when he lined a hard single to center to load the bases, still with no outs. Miami starter Mac Thoreson was able to retire the next three batters in a row to keep the Redhawks within a run.
MU tacked on run in the fifth, when Ballou brought home Gray Stafford on a sacrifice fly to extend the advantage, 2-0.
Herd starter Farrell cruised through the first four frames allowing only two Redhawks to reach base before falling into a bind in the fifth. After Kevin Bower flew out to left, consecutive Miami batters reached base thanks to an infield error and base hit. Farrell retired the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, Ryan Curl, but that would be his last batter of the day as Waggoner lifted the right-hander for lefty Kyle Blank.
The sidearm specialist struck out Miami leadoff batter Ryan Brenner with a frisbee-like slider to escape the threat and send the game to the top of the sixth.
Farrell, who did not figure in the decision, ended his first start of the year logging 4.2 innings, surrendering no runs on two hits with a trio of strikeouts. In two career starts against Miami, he has allowed only one earned run on five hits with 12 strikeouts in 11.2 innings on the bump.
In the top of the seventh, Socorro lined a perfectly executed hit-and-run through the right side sending Rhett Stafford from first to third. Jurevicius would later step to the dish and line a two-out single to centerfield, pushing the lead to 3-0.
Miami finally lite up the scoreboard with something other than a zero in the bottom of the seventh when Brenner slapped a two-out, two-run double just inside the leftfield line.
The Redhawks evened up the score in the bottom of the ninth when Kaup raced home on a wild pitch with two outs to provide bonus baseball for the 357 fans in attendance at Patriots Point Stadium.
Marshall threatened in the top of the 10th but Brandon Adkins induced a two-out fly out off the bat of G.Stafford with the sacks packed of Herd players, sending the season opener to the 11th.
Lefty reliever Sam Dawes appeared to be in control as he caught the first two batters he faced looking. However, Jurevicus was able to extend the inning with a single to center, which set up the eventual game-winning double from V. Gomez.
The Herd is back on the diamond tomorrow at 5 p.m. against the SEC's Kentucky Wildcats at 5 p.m. Live stats and the Kentucky radio broadcast will be available by logging onto HerdZone.com.
Notes: The opening day lineup featured two sets of brothers who hit back-to-back in the order in Victor and Nathan Gomez, Rhett and Gray Stafford...Marshall only played one extra-inning game all season in 2010...Victor Ramos, G.Stafford, Austin Pratt and Terrence Moore all made their debuts for the Herd...Socorro recorded his fourth career three-hit game and made his 102nd consecutive start...Marshall is 3-2 in season openers under Waggoner...Miami leads the all-time series 69-28.
