Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Memphis
Mason Reaches Career Milestone as Herd Falls to Memphis
4/7/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 7, 2012
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| 2012 Season Statistics
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Senior Mike Mason struck out his 200th career hitter Saturday night at Appalachian Power Park, but the Thundering Herd baseball team fell to the Memphis Tigers 7-0 in game two of the three-game Conference USA series.
Mason allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings of work but was saddled with the loss despite reaching a milestone only four other Marshall pitchers ever reached. Entering the game with 193 career Ks, he struck out two in the first, two in the second, two in the third, then reached number 200 when he fanned C-USA hitting leader Adam McClain for the first out of the fifth.
The Herd's offense turned stagnant in Saturday's loss as Memphis starter Sam Moll (3-3) limited Marshall's bats to just six base runners and only a single hit. Moll went the distance for the first time this season, striking out nine and walking three.
Eric Escobedo recorded the Herd's only hit on an infield single in the seventh, legging out a ground ball deep in the hole at short. Escobedo went 1-for-4.
Mason dropped to 3-4 this year and lost his third straight start. He worked self-induced damage control in the first when he rung up the four and five hitters for Memphis in a runners-on-second-and-third jam. Memphis scratched two runs across the board in the fourth, though, when Eli Hynes homered and Ford Wilson beat out a would-be inning-ending double play to drive in a run.
Josh King relieved Mason to start the seventh. After working a perfect seventh, the Herd came apart at the seams in the eighth, allowing five unearned runs on two hits and a walk while committing two errors.
Game three of the series will take place Sunday at 1 p.m. at Appalachian Power Park. The Herd will look to avoid a sweep for the third time this season. In each of the first two instances, Marshall rallied to win game three.
