Marshall University Athletics
Herd Battles But Falls to No. 14 Mississippi State
2/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Marshall-Alabama A&M Box Score | Marshall-No. 14 Mississippi State Box Score Game 1 Final Stats HTML | Game 2 Final Stats HTMLHUNTINGTON, W.Va.-Marshall baseball dropped to 2-3 Friday, after an 8-3 loss to Alabama A&M (2-3) and a battling 6-2 defeat to No. 14 Mississippi State (5-0) in Starkville, Miss., at Dudy Noble Field.
MSU was the Herd's first ranked competition of the season and has won four of its five games in come-from-behind victories.
Senior Josh King (Troup, Ga.) went 4-for-8 on the day, pounding out two hits in each of Marshall's contests and classmate Sergio Leon (Miami) picked up another two stolen bases for a team-lead of five.
Senior Matt Margaritonda (Freehold, N.J.) got the start against MSU, and pitched incredibly efficient until allowing back-to-back hits in the sixth to start the Bulldog scoring drive. The righty collected three K's and allowed five hits.
Game 1: Alabama A&M 8, Marshall 3
Seniors Andrew Dundon (Lincoln Park, N.J.) and TJ Diffenderfer (Mount Juliet, Tenn.) both turned in two-hit performances to accompany Leon and King.
Alabama A&M began its attack early, scoring a run in the top of the first after a double, two walks, and two wild pitches.
Marshall scored the equalizer in its first stanza, after sophomore Corey Bird (Pinch, W.Va.) reached based on a throwing error, took two more bases on another error, and scored on a groundout from Leon.
The Herd plated another run in the third to take the lead- this time it was Leon who came home after three straight singles from himself, Dundon, and Diffenderfer.
The Bulldogs responded the following two innings, scoring twice in the fourth off a couple hits and an error, and four times in the fifth courtesy of a homerun from the Bulldogs' Jordan Friend and another single later in the inning.
MU scored again in the bottom of the sixth to cut the Bulldog lead to 7-3. Freshman Tyler Ratliff (Alexandria, Va.) singled and moved up on an interference call and later scored on an RBI single from King.
A&M added to their lead once more in the seventh after another home run from Friend.
Herd starter Heston Van Fleet (Kingsville, Texas) made his Marshall debut fanning five (including four in a row) on 4.2 innings pitched.
GAME 2: No. 14 Mississippi State 6, Marshall 2
Marshall started out immediately connecting with the ball, pulling out six hits in the first three innings.
The Herd broke the blank in the top of the third after junior DJ Gee (Seattle) reached on a fielding error, stole second, and scored on an RBI double down the left field line from junior Aaron Bossi (St. Louis, Mo.), who himself came around to score after an RBI single from Leon.
Mississippi State cut the lead in the bottom of the fifth, plating a run after a hit-by-pitch and double to left center. The Bulldogs then took control of the contest in the sixth, scoring four times off of four hits and a passed ball.
MSU added its final run in the seventh off a sacrifice fly.
The Herd threatened in the sixth, leaving two stranded, and again in the ninth, putting two runners on before a groundout double play and subsequent groundout ended Marshall's chances.
UP NEXT
Marshall returns to "The Dude" Saturday for its second game against No. 14 Mississippi State. The game is slated to start approximately 35 minutes after the conclusion of Alabama A&M-MSU, but is expected to begin around 5 p.m. (ET).
