Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
FIU
@HerdBaseball Survives Against FIU; Advances to C-USA Semifinals
5/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Final Stats | Box Score (PDF) | Coach Waggoner Postgame Video
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Marshall baseball (34-20) advances to its first Conference USA Tournament semifinals since the 2008 season after a 7-6 win over the defending tournament champions FIU Panthers (29-29) on Friday night.
Second-seeded Thundering Herd took control of the game early on by scoring three runs through the first three innings. Aaron Bossi (St. Louis) showed off his senior leadership, as he drove in DJ Gee (Seattle) twice with a single to left field in the first and third inning. Tyler Ratliff (Alexandria, Va.) hit his second homer of the tournament with a solo shot in the second. It was the sophomore's 12th homer of the season.
Marshall and seventh-seeded FIU traded runs in the fourth inning, as both team plated two. Another senior, Robert Fajardo (Miami), came up big for the Herd as he singled up the middle to score Sam Finfer (Bellevue, Wash.). After Leo Valenti (Olympia, Wash.) was hit by a pitch, Corey Bird (Elkview, W.Va.) singled through the left side to score Fajardo. The Panthers earned its two runs off a double and a single.
The Herd added to its lead in the top of the sixth, when Bossi singled to left field to score Valenti from second.
In the ensuing half inning, FIU's Austin Rodriguez hit a three-run home run to left center that scored Irving Lopez and Nick Day.
The Panthers clawed their way back to tie the game in the seventh, with a Lopez single to right field that scored Zack Files.
The game-winning run came in the eighth inning for the Herd despite not getting a hit. With one out, Fajardo struck out swinging, but reached first base on a wild pitch. In the next at bat, Fajardo stole second and advanced to third on another wild pitch. After Valenti grounded out to third for the second out, Fajardo scored on the third wild pitch of the inning.
FIU had a chance to tie the game in the bottom half of the eighth, but was unable to as Kolby Follis was out trying to score from second on an infield hit by Files.
A 3-6-1 double play and a Burris Warner (Auburndale, Fla.) strikeout in the bottom of the ninth sealed the win for the Thundering Herd.
On the mound, starting pitcher Joshua Shapiro (Columbus, Ohio) went 5 2/3 innings with five earned runs and six strikeouts. In relief of Shapiro was Wade Martin (Wheelersburg, Ohio), Sam Hunter (Ashland, Ky.) and Warner. Warner (3-1) earned the win after tossing three innings with three strikeouts.
Seven of the nine starters for Marshall recorded a hit. The Herd was led by Bossi, who went 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Bossi leads the C-USA tournament with six RBIs. Bird and Gee each had two hits.
COACH'S CORNER
Quotes from Head Coach Jeff Waggoner
On the team's senior leadership...
"It's an older group that has been doing it all year. They are never out of a game. They have a lot of confidence that they can come back and win late in a game. It's been the senior leadership all year with these guys and they believe in themselves."
On Shapiro's and Bossi's performance...
"Well, a freshman gave us a quality outing tonight. Then another senior Aaron Bossi came up with a big hit right there. They just grinded that game out. It was a hard fought battle between two teams. We just found a way to win the game."
Looking ahead to tomorrow's re-match against Southern Miss...
"It's exciting to get the opportunity to play them again in the semifinal. We know how good they are and we are going to have to do our best."
UP NEXT
Marshall will play Southern Miss at 1:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday. The Herd will need to defeat the Golden Eagles twice on Saturday to advance to the Conference USA Tournament finals.
