Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Niagara
Herd Wins Home Opener In Extra Innings
3/9/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.-The Thundering Herd baseball team walked out of its home opener with a 5-4 extra innings victory over the Niagara University Purple Eagles Friday at Kennedy Center Field.
The win improved Marshall's record to 8-3, while Niagara fell to 1-6 on the season. Fans who showed up in the cold were treated to a few more innings of baseball than usual as it took the Herd 11 innings to walk away with the win.
First baseman Shane Hanon led the way for Marshall offensively. Hanon had a team-high three hits and two RBIs, while also scoring a run himself. Shortstop Geordon Blanton had two hits, a run, and the game winning walk off RBI in the bottom of the eleventh inning. Left fielder Tucker Linder, center fielder Erik Rodriguez, and third baseman Raul Cabrera also scored a run each.
Niagara's Peter Battaglia provided much of the Purple Eagle's offense, leading the team with three hits and two RBIs.
Marshall Reliever Riley Storedahl earned the first win of his Herd career after entering the game in the tenth inning. The JUCO transfer pitched one inning allowing no hits, runs, or walks and striking out one batter. Starting pitcher Wade Martin had one of his strongest outings of the season pitching six innings and allowing just two runs (earned) off of three hits while walking one batter and striking out eight.
Niagara's Alex MacKinnon picked up the loss in 2 2/3 innings. MacKinnon allowed two hits, one run (earned) and struck out three with no walks.
The Herd was first on the board in the bottom of the third inning when Hanon hit a two-RBI single to score Cabrera and Rodriguez who had gotten into scoring position off of multiple wild pitches. The lead would go unthreatened until the sixth inning when Niagara put two runs of their own up on the board to deadlock the game at two runs apiece.
Marshall regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth off an RBI double by designated hitter Will Ray that scored Hanon from second base. The Herd added another run in the seventh inning off a sacrifice hit by second baseman Peter Hutzal that allowed Blanton to score from third.
Niagara added another run in the eighth inning before a throwing error led to the tying run reaching home in a highly contested call. The two teams remained tied at four into extra innings.
In the eleventh inning Linder was able to get on with a leadoff single, and after advancing on some sacrifice hits by Marshall batters, scored on an RBI single by Blanton for the walk off victory.
The Herd finished with five runs off of nine hits and two errors. Niagara had four runs off of eight hits with no errors.
Marshall will look to continue its three-game winning streak Saturday against Niagara in a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.
