Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
FIU
Offense Lifts @HerdBaseball over FIU for Series Win
3/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MIAMI - DJ Gee's two-out, single through the right side in the top of the eighth inning drove the go-ahead run to lift the Marshall baseball team (13-9, 3-3 C-USA) to a series win over the FIU Panthers (12-15, 2-4 C-USA), 6-5, on Saturday afternoon at the FIU Baseball Stadium.
In the rubber match of the series, the Thundering Herd rallied to clinch its first Conference USA series of the season. Picking up the win for Marshall was freshman Patrick Murphy (Massillon, Ohio), who improves to 3-1. Burris Warner (Auburndale, Fla.) collected his sixth save, and his second of the weekend. Williams Durruthy of FIU falls to 0-3.
FIU's bats came out of the gates hot in the first inning, with a RBI double to left center. The double was then followed up by a two-run home run to left center.
Marshall cut into the Panthers deficit in the ensuing inning by a Leo Valenti (Olympia, Wash.) single to left center that drove in a hustling Ryne Dean (Fresno, Calif.) from second.
After FIU tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth from a sacrifice fly to center field, Marshall responded with one of its own in the top of the fifth from Corey Bird (Elkview, W.Va.) that scored Dean.
In the top of the sixth, Sam Finfer (Bellevue, Wash.) gave the Herd the spark it needed with a two-run home run to right field. It was the junior's fourth home run of the season that tied the game at four.
Marshall took its first lead of the day in the top of the seventh. Cory Garrastazu, the native of Miami, singled to right field to drive in Tommy Lane (Pendleton, Ore.) from second.
FIU tied the game at five in the bottom of the seventh with a double down the left-field line.
The hot-hitting Gee delivered the clutch hit in the top of the eighth that scored Andrew Zban (Huntington, W.Va.), and ultimately gave Marshall the 6-5 win over the Panthers.
Marshall finished the day with 10 hits. Gee, Lane, Dean and Valenti led the Herd with two hits each. Garrastazu and FInfer each had one RBI hit.
Starting pitcher JD Hammer went 5.1 innings, with four earned runs and three strikeouts. Seniors Sam Hunter (Ashland, Ky.) and Heston Van Fleet (Kingsville, Texas) each made a third of an inning appearance.
COACH'S CORNER
Quotes from head coach Jeff Waggoner
On JD Hammerââ'¬Â¦
"JD [Hammer] battled today to give us a chance to win the game. He toughened one out today, even though he was sick today. He was fighting a sickness and the fact that he was able to pitch so long into the game is incredible."
On the offenseââ'¬Â¦
"The offense is clicking, and we had some really big hits. DJ [Gee] had a good weekend. I'm just really proud of the guys coming together and playing some good baseball."
UP NEXT
Marshall travels to I-64 rival Morehead State for a midweek matchup on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The Herd defeated the Eagles earlier this season in extra innings with a walk-off home run by Lane.
