Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
St. Bonaventure
Baseball Defeats Bonnies in Grand Fashion, 14-3
3/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 19, 2011
BECKLEY, W.Va. -James Lavinskas sent a 2-2 offering into orbit for a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth and Marshall scored nine times in the eighth as the Thundering Herd baseball team cruised past St. Bonaventure, 14-3 on Saturday night at Epling Stadium.
Marshall (8-10) received multi-hit games from four different players, led by Lavinskas with a 2-for-4 day with four RBI. Rhett Stafford finished 2-for-3 with a three-run bomb, while Steven Ross and Kenny Socorro each laced two hits, including RBI doubles.
Lost in the shuffle of 14 runs being scored by the Herd, was the performance of lefty starter Mike Mason (1-2). The southpaw picked up his first victory of the 2011 season, working 5.2 innings, giving up only three runs (two earned) on four hits, while fanning a pair.
The MU bullpen arms of Austin Pratt, Kyle Blank, Josh King and Ian Kadish, kept the Bonnies hitless over the final 10 outs, waking two and punching out five. King struck out three batters in top of the eighth.
In the fifth, Steven Ross started the inning with a bounding infield single to second base to kick things off as the Herd would bat around in the inning. Kris Hecktor followed by attempting to put down a sacrifice bunt, but the bunt was executed to perfection as he reached with a base hit. Later on in the frame, Hecktor would race home on a wild pitch to break the scoreless tie. The Bonnies would record two outs, before Isaac Ballou drew a four-pitch walk to put runners on the corners.
SBU decided to put Victor Gomez on base by way of an intentional walk, setting the stage for Lavinskas. The Canadian native did not disappoint as he launched his first homer of the season in grand fashion.
The Bonnies pushed across three runs in the top of the sixth to make it a two-run game, 5-3.
The Herd decided to bust out the bats in an aggressive manner in the bottom of the eighth, scoring nine times off eight hits, highlighted by a three-run dinger from R.Stafford to cap of the 14-3 game two victory.
NEXT UP:The series finale between the Herd and Bonnies is set for Sunday at noon.
