Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Morehead State
Extra Inning Heroics Lead @HerdBaseball Past Morehead State
3/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Final Stats | Box Score (PDF) | Coach Waggoner Postgame Video
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall baseball needed extra innings heroics once again in a week span, as junior Tommy Lane (Pendleton, Ore.) hit a walk-off home run in the 12th inning to defeat Morehead State, 6-5, at the Kennedy Center Field on Route 2.
With the win, the Herd improved to 9-6 and extends its win streak to five games and holds Conference USA's longest win streak. Marshall has won eight out of its last nine games. Morehead State falls to 12-4, snapping a six-game win streak.
Marshall struck first in the bottom of the first. Corey Bird (Elkview, W.Va.) led off the inning with a single to center field. After being moved over on a sac-bunt and a wild pitch, Bird scored on a heads up base running play by crossing home plate after a dropped strikeout by Morehead State.
In the fourth inning, Morehead State tied the game at one with a single to center field by Braxton Morris.
The Herd went on to break the tie in the sixth inning by putting two runs across. Freshman Andrew Zban (Huntington, W.Va.), the hero of the last extra inning game for Marshall, connected with a single to center field that scored Tyler Ratliff (Alexandria, Va.) and Lane.
Morehead responded in the following inning with its own big inning, as it scored three runs on four hits.
Trailing by one in the bottom of the seventh, Marshall found a way to flip the score once again to give itself a one-run lead. With runners on first and second, Lane singled to right field for a RBI. Two batters later, Sam Finfer (Bellevue, Wash.) singled to right field to drive in Aaron Bossi (St. Louis, Mo.)
Morehead State rallied to tie the game at five with a single to center field in the top of the ninth inning.
In extra innings, Marshall was powered by strong pitching performances by freshmen Shane Downey (Akron, Ohio) and Wade Martin (Portsmouth, Ohio). Martin made his first collegiate appearance and went two innings with three strikeouts and allowed one hit. Downey went one inning with two strikeouts and no hits allowed.
Lane led off the 12th inning for the Herd and hit a deep high fly ball to left-center field that just had enough to clear the fence for the walk-off win. The home run was Lane's sixth of the season and his 19th RBI of the year.
Marshall had seven different pitchers throw the 12 inning game. Starting pitcher Joshua Shapiro (Columbus, Ohio) picked up the no decision with 4.1 innings pitched with two strikeouts. Heston Van Fleet (Kingsville, Texas) and Burris Warner (Auburndale, Fla.) each went two innings. Sam Hunter (Ashland, Ky.) and Ratliff combined for two-thirds of an inning pitched.
Martin earned the win for the Herd, while Morehead's Seth Boyle suffered his first loss.
COACH'S CORNER
Quotes by Jeff Waggoner
On Tommy Lane's walk-off hitââ'¬Â¦
"I told the guys before the inning started that a lot of them were going up to the plate trying to hit a home run and getting out by not taking enough swings. But, Tommy went up there and stayed through the middle of the field and got the pitch he needed to win us the game."
On Shane Downey and Wade Martin in the later inningsââ'¬Â¦
"Shane and Wade have been throwing well through our practices and inter-squads, so they are ready for the game and their opportunities."
UP NEXT
Marshall opens up conference play by welcoming Southern Miss to Appalachian Power Park in Charleston, W.Va. for a three-game series beginning on Friday at 6 p.m. (ET).
