Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Southern Miss
@HerdBaseball Splits Doubleheader against Southern Miss
3/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Marshall baseball's eighth inning offensive outburst in game two gave the Herd a 10-8 win, and a split in Friday's doubleheader against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Appalachian Power Park. Marshall dropped game one of the twin bill, 14-4.
With the split, Marshall improves to 10-7 overall with a 1-1 record in Conference USA. Southern Miss moves to 15-5 (1-1 C-USA). The Herd has now won eight out of its last 10 games.
Leading the way for the Herd at the plate was DJ Gee. The senior from Seattle went 5-for-9 for a .556 batting average and one RBI. Following Gee was Corey Bird, who went 3-for-9 with two RBIs. Sam Finfer led the Herd in RBIs with three by hitting a three-run home run in game two.
Junior Tommy Lane extended his team-high hitting streak to 15 games. Finfer extended his reached on base streak to 17 games.
Starting on the mound for Marshall was senior Chase Boster (1-2) and junior Parker Danciu. Boster was credited with the loss in the first game, while Danciu earned the no decision. Earning the win for the Herd in the second game was Patrick Murphy (2-0). Murphy came on in the eighth inning and went 1.2 innings with three strikeouts and no hits allowed.
GAME ONE: Southern Miss 14, Marshall 4
Southern Miss jumped out to an early three-run lead in the top of the first. After the Golden Eagles first two batters struck out, their three-hole hitter hit a deep shot to right field for a home run. Two batters later, Southern Miss drove in two runs off a single to left field.
In the bottom of the third, Bird singled to left field that scored freshman Andrew Zban.
Southern Miss went on to put its lead back to three runs in the ensuing inning with an error by the Herd's third baseman Tyler Ratliff.
The Golden Eagles kept the pressure on Marshall with three runs scored through the fifth and sixth inning to put its lead to 7-2.
The Herd was able to get a run back in the seventh as Bird scored on the wild pitch.
After Southern Miss added another three runs in the top of the eighth, Marshall scored one run off a Leo Valenti groundout that scored Cory Garrastazu.
The offensive onslaught of Southern Miss continued in the top of the ninth with four runs to give itself a 14-4 win.
Earning the win for the Golden Eagles was Luke Lowery (3-0), while Boster fell to 1-2.
GAME TWO: Marshall 10, Southern Miss 8
The bats of Southern Miss continued to be hot in the top of the first, as it led off the game with a lead-off home run. Marshall was quick to respond in the following inning with a Finfer three-run home run to right field.
The Herd went on to add to its lead in the bottom of the fourth after a Garrastazu single to right field that scored Aaron Bossi.
In the bottom of the fifth, Marshall extend its lead to four runs with a Gee single through the left side that scored Valenti.
Southern Miss began to make a comeback in the top of the sixth with a two-run home run. The Golden Eagles completed the comeback in the top of the eighth with five runs to take a three-run lead.
In the following half inning, Marshall responded with five runs of its own. The Herd scored two runs on back-to-back hit by pitches. With the bases loaded, Ryne Dean came in as a pinch hitter and singled to right field to give Marshall a 9-8 lead. In the next at-bat, Bird singled to center field for an RBI and a two-run cushion.
Murphy finished off the ninth for the Herd by forcing the Golden Eagles to go three up, three down.
Suffering the loss for Southern Miss was Cody Livingston (1-1).
UP NEXT
The Herd and Golden Eagles are scheduled to meet for the rubber match of the series on Saturday at 4 p.m. (ET).
