Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Florida Atlantic
Seven-Run Inning Lifts Florida Atlantic past @HerdBaseball
4/15/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Marshall baseball team led for six innings, but a seven-run seventh inning gave the Florida Atlantic Owls a 12-6 win on Saturday afternoon at the FAU Baseball Stadium.
The Thundering Herd falls to 17-17 (6-8 Conference USA), while the Owls move to 24-9-1 (11-3 C-USA). Redshirt junior Matt Reed (4-4) suffered the loss in relief. Florida Atlantic's pitcher Mark Nowatnick (4-0) earned the win by throwing four shutout innings in relief.
Marshall jumped out to an early lead in the first inning by scoring four runs. Tyler Ratliff begin things off with a double down the left field line. FAU starting pitcher Marc Stewart worked himself into trouble by walking Shane Hanon and Tommy Lane to load the bases. Andrew Zban capitalized on the bases loaded with a two RBI single to right field that scored Ratliff and Hanon. In the ensuing at-bat, Reynaldo Pastrana hit a two-run double to right field, scoring Lane and Zban.
Billy Sager gave the Thundering Herd a five-run lead in the third. Sager came to the plate with runners on the corners and no outs. The Kenova, W.Va., native hit a sacrifice fly to right-center field that allowed Zban to tag up and score.
Florida Atlantic got two runs back in the bottom half of the third. Marshall starting pitcher Wade Martin led off the inning with a strikeout, but quickly found himself in trouble. Martin hit a batter and then gave up back-to-back singles to load the bases. The Owls scored its first run as Jared Shouppe worked a bases loaded walk. Esteban Puerta followed with an RBI single through the left side that scored left fielder Eric Rivera. Marshall's left fielder Sam Finfer prevented an additional run by throwing out Tyler Frank at home on Puertra's single.
Marshall pushed its lead back to four runs in the fourth inning. Hanon hit into a fielder's choice back to the pitcher. The FAU pitcher attempted to get Ratliff out at third, but Ratliff evaded the tag and came around to score.
The Owls brought the game within in two runs after scoring a run in the fourth and fifth innings. Florida Atlantic's Pedro Pages hit a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Austin Langham to tag up from third. In the fifth inning, FAU right fielder David Miranda hit a double to left field that scored Shouppe from first.
The Thundering Herd lead disappeared in the seventh inning, as Florida Atlantic scored seven runs on six hits and one error. The inning was highlighted by a solo home run from Frank, a Miranda RBI double down the right field line, a Langham RBI double to right center field and a Frank RBI double to right center.
Florida Atlantic added its final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. Steven Kerr was hit by a pitch with one out. He went on to steal second and third during the next at-bat. Kerr came around to score on a Langham ground out to third base.
Martin picked up the no decision in his ninth start of the season. The Wheelersburg, Ohio native tossed six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. He had six strikeouts. Matt Reed, Michael Gizzi and Brandon Romero made relief appearances.
The Thundering Herd had seven players combine for 10 hits. Leo Valenti, Ratliff and Pastrana each had two hits. Pastrana and Zban led Marshall with two RBIs each.
Marshall and Florida Atlantic will finish its three-game series on Sunday at Noon.
