Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Florida A&M
Herd Throttles Rattlers, Wins 24-2
2/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Box Score PDF
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Marshall baseball bats cracked thunder Saturday afternoon, as the Herd demolished Florida A&M 24-2 at Moore-Kittles Field in Tallahassee, Fla., collecting 31 hits in the contest, and setting a new program record.
The 31 hits was also the third-most in Conference USA history. The Herd recorded seven doubles, three home runs, and a triple as 10 different players celebrated a multi-hit game.
Redshirt senior Josh King (Troup, Ga.) made his first career start at second base going 3-for-4 with five RBI as he belted his first career homer over the left field wall. Sophomore Corey Bird (Pinch, W.Va.) collected four hits with five RBI and three runs, and seniors Andrew Dundon (Lincoln Park, N.J.) and Sergio Leon (Miami) each turned in four hit performances.
Sophomore Spencer Iacovone (Cincinnati, Ohio) smacked his first career grand slam, and freshman Chad Roberts (Wilmington, Ohio) picked up his first collegiate RBI and first collegiate homerun after ripping a 2-run bomb in the 7th inning. Redshirt sophomore Billy Sager (Kenova, W.Va.) earned his first Herd hits, back-to-back doubles while scoring three times.
Starter Chase Boster (Stafford, Va.) fanned a career-high seven in five innings of work, including five strikeouts in the first two innings. Boster has now earned Marshall's first win in three consecutive seasons, grabbing both the 2013 and 2014 Opening Day wins in relief.
Marshall started strong, plating three runs in the 2nd off of five singles. The Herd then returned in the 3rd, scoring four times courtesy of three doubles, two hit-by-pitches, a groundout and a sacrifice bunt.
Marshall exploded in the 5th, sending 17 batters to the plate and scoring 12 runs. The inning started with a single from junior DJ Gee (Seattle), and after King's long ball added two, redshirt junior Robert Fajardo (Miami) cranked a double. Singles from Bird and Dundon made the score 11-0 and after a third straight single, this time courtesy of senior TJ Diffenderfer (Mount Juliet, Tenn.), Iacovone blasted his pinch-hit grand slam to put the Herd up 15-0. MU scored again thanks to a King infield single to third that sent Herd catcher Tyler Ratliff (Alexandria, Va.) home.
Sager then stepped in for his first appearance with the Herd, knocking a double to deep right. Straight singles from the trio of Bird, Leon, and Dundon put the Herd up 19-0 to end the inning.
Marshall scored again in the 6th, and added four more in the 7th to close out its offensive push at 24-0.
FAMU avoided the shutout after three walks and a hit in the 9th pushed two Rattler runs across.
The Herd returns for the rubbermatch Sunday, Feb. 15, at 11 a.m. Redshirt junior Lance Elder (Miami) will get the start.
WAGGONER'S WORDS
Head Coach Jeff Waggoner
On the win today and the finale tomorrow
"This was a great bounce back win for us. The team just settled down and played to their abilities. But, we have to put this behind us and get ready for tomorrow and the series win."
Josh King, RS. Sr.
On his and the team's performance
"After last night, we wanted to come out strong from the beginning and set the tone, and I think we did just that. The guys came out with a great approach at the plate and everyone was ready to play. It was exciting to just watch everyone. I was just trying to do everything I could to help our team be successful, but it was a great team win today."
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
-Two first career homeruns: King and Roberts
-First career grand slam: Iacovone
-First career RBI: King (5), Roberts (2), FR Austin Norman (Fairmont, W.Va.) (1)
-First career triple: junior Aaron Bossi (St. Louis, Mo.)
-First Herd doubles: Sager (2), Dean (1), Roberts (1)
-First career hit: Norman, Roberts
-First career runs: Ratliff (3), King (3), Roberts (1)
-First Herd runs: Sager (3)
-First Herd strikeouts: junior JD Hammer (Fort Collins, Colo.) (3)
-RHP Boster collects career-high K's (7), and picks up the Herd's first win for the third consecutive season
-Herd turns in new all-time record with 31 hits (Old record was 30 vs. Morehead State, 1990)
-Turns in third-most hits in C-USA history
