Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Lehigh
@HerdBaseball Completes Series Sweep Over Lehigh Sunday
3/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Postgame Video | Game One Box Score (PDF) | Game Two Box Score (PDF) | Photo Gallery 
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall Thundering Herd baseball completed its three-game series sweep over the defending Patriot league champions Lehigh Mountain Hawks with a 12-6 and 6-4 victory on Sunday at the Kennedy Center Field on Route 2.
With the wins, the Herd improves to 4-5 overall, while the Mountain Hawks drop to an even 3-3 record. Marshall earned its first non-conference sweep of an opponent since 2013. Head coach Jeff Waggoner earned his 200th win at the helm of the Herd baseball squad Sunday with its game one win.
The Herd was led by seniors Aaron Bossi (St. Louis, Mo.) and DJ Gee (Seattle, Wash.) Sunday. Bossi batted a team high .429 (3-7) with one home run and a double for two RBIs, while Gee was .375 (3-8) with a triple and three runs. Also hitting over .300 was Corey Bird (Elkview, W.Va.) with a .333 batting average with three hits and one double. Junior Tommy Lane (Pendleton, Ore.) paced Marshall in RBIs with five off two homeruns, including a three-run homer in game two.
Earning victories was senior JD Hammer (Fort Collins, Colo.) and junior Parker Danciu (Palm Beach, Fla.). Hammer went six innings with nine strikeouts and three earned runs. Danciu lasted five innings with four strikeouts and three earned runs. Both pitchers picked up their first wins of the season, while Danciu's win was his first win in his Marshall career.
In relief, Burris Warner (Auburndale, Fla.) and Heston Van Fleet (Kingsville, Texas) earned saves. Warner claimed his second of the season, while Van Fleet snatched his first of his career. Also shining out of the bullpen was Fernando Guerrero (Elizabeth, N.J.) and Joshua Shapiro (Columbus, Ohio), who tossed for a combined three scoreless innings.
GAME ONE: Marshall 12, Lehigh 6
The day started off bleak for the Herd, as it fell to an early three-run hole against the Mountain Hawks. Lehigh put two runs across the plate in the first, while adding another one in the second.
Marshall closed the gap in the bottom half of the third with a two-run home run by Lane that scored Sam Finfer (Bellevue, Wash.).
The Herd completed the rally and tied the game at three in the fourth inning with a Robert Fajardo (Miami, Fla.) double to right center that scored Cory Garrastazu (Miami, Fla.).
After Lehigh took the lead in the sixth off a home run, Marshall responded in the following half inning with five runs. Bird got things started for the Herd with a two RBI single to center field that scored Leo Valenti (Olympia, Wash.) and Garrastazu. Later in the inning, Bird came around to score off an error by the third baseman. A batter later, Finfer connected on his first home run in a Marshall uniform that scored Gee from third.
The Mountain Hawks added a run back in the top of eighth, but once again Marshall was able to respond in the following half inning. MU went on to score four runs in the eighth inning from a Ryne Dean (Fresno, Calif.) two RBI single and a RBI double by Bossi. Garrastazu later hit a sac-fly to score Dean.
Lehigh scored a run in the ninth, but was unable to rally as Van Fleet closed out the 12-6 victory for Marshall.
GAME TWO: Marshall 6, Lehigh 4
The hot hitting Thundering Herd in game one transferred over in game two, as Marshall went up early on Lehigh with a three-run home run by Lane in the top of the first.
The Herd added more breathing room in the bottom of the third, as Reynaldo Pastrana (Miami, Fla.) hit a double to left field that scored Bossi from first.
Lehigh made things interesting in the fifth by tacking on four runs on four hits and one error by Marshall.
The tie ballgame only lasted two outs in the next half inning when Bossi connected on his first home run of the season to left field.
Marshall added an insurance run in the sixth inning by a sacrifice fly from Gee to right field that scored Valenti. A combined effort from Guerrero, Shapiro and Warner closed out the two-run win for Marshall.
COACH'S CORNER
Quotes from Head Coach Jeff Waggoner
On the strong pitching performance this weekendââ'¬Â¦
We have senior leadership on the mound in Chase [Boster] and JD [Hammer]. They stepped up to go deep in the game, and that obviously saves our bullpen. I thought Danciu did well until the middle innings. So, obviously when your starters go long into the game, it gives you a chance to give your relievers some rest.
On looking forward to Brown next weekendââ'¬Â¦
This is a good homestand, I know we needed it. Hopefully we get some good weather this weekend with Brown coming in. We had a great preparation this week, we did a good job of practicing and working on things we needed to. We aren't there yet, and the ball club knows that, but I told the guys that we got better this week because of our practices. We have to continue to get better, continue to keep working on things that have been hurting us. If we do that and have a good weekend, we will be ready for Southern Miss to open up conference play.
UP NEXT
Marshall remains home at the Kennedy Center Field as it welcomes the Brown Bears for a four-game series starting on Friday, March 11 at 3 p.m.
