Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Charlotte
@HerdBaseball Falls in Final Game of the Season
5/20/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Box Score (PDF)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The Marshall baseball team fell in the final game of the season against the Charlotte 49ers, 9-5, on Saturday afternoon at Appalachian Power Park.
"I'm so proud of our seniors," head coach Jeff Waggoner said. "The job that they've done that last couple of years has really helped this program get on the map. I wish them the best in the future and we will try to help them in every step possible, whether that's going to professional baseball or any other career. Extremely excited about these guys. They are great kids, more than just baseball players."
The Thundering Herd dropped its sixth-straight contest and finished with a 25-29 (12-18 Conference USA) record. Joshua Shapiro (3-6) suffered the loss in relief. Shapiro went 2.1 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. Charlotte improves to 32-22 (18-12 C-USA). Relief pitcher Drew Morrison (1-0) collected the win after 1.1 shutout innings of work.
Charlotte took an early one-run lead in the top of the first after a Brett Netzer RBI single to center field, scoring Zach Jarrett.
Marshall quickly responded in the following half inning by taking a 2-1 lead. Leo Valenti led off with a walk and moved over to second after Tyler Ratliff was hit by a pitch. Matt Reed came into pinch-run for Ratliff. Valenti and Reed moved into scoring position following a passed ball. Sam Finfer drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Valenti. Reed came around to score as Shane Hanon hit a RBI single to left field.
The Niners knotted the game at two in the top of the second inning with a Jarrett sacrifice fly to center field.
The Thundering Herd continued its impressive start with another two runs in the bottom half of the second. Billy Sager led off with a walk and later moved over to third on a Matthew Harrison double down the left field line. Dakota Robbins gave Marshall its lead back with a RBI single through the right side that scored Sager. In the next at-bat, Valenti drove in Harrison with a RBI ground out.
Marshall pushed its lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Sager singled through the right side that scored Finfer.
Charlotte rallied in the top of the seventh by scoring five runs on four hits. The 49ers scored off a Logan Sherer two-run home run, a fielding error, a passed ball and a wild pitch.
Charlotte added a pair of insurance runs through the eighth and ninth innings. Hunter Jones hit a RBI sacrifice fly to left field in the eighth, while T.J. Nichting had a RBI ground out to third in the ninth.
Starting pitcher Brad O'Connor went 3.2 innings and allowed two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Hunter Sexton, Brandon Romero and Mark Meyer made relief appearances for the Herd.
Five players combined for seven hits. Hanon went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Finfer, Sager, Harrison and Robbins each had one hit.
---HerdZone.com---
