Marshall University Athletics
HERD HAMMERS OHIO 6-2
4/17/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.-The Thundering Herd Baseball team opened its home-and-home series against Ohio University with a 6-2 win Tuesday at Kennedy Center Field. 13 strikeouts and just one earned run allowed by Marshall's pitching staff proved key in securing the victory.
The win improved The Herd's record to 16-17 (5-10 C-USA) on the season. Ohio fell to 17-18 (5-7 MAC).
Tucker Linder led the way for Marshall offensively, sending a three-run homer over the left field wall to give the Herd a lead they would never surrender. The left fielder had three RBIs and one run off his one hit. Peter Hutzal also went deep two separate times for the second time this season, and improved to a team-high eight home runs. The second baseman finished with two RBIs, and two runs off of his two hits.
Relief pitcher Jacob Bradley picked up his first win of the season to move to 1-1. Bradley pitched two innings allowing two hits and just one unearned run, while walking two batters and striking out two others. Starting pitcher Ryan Falls had his best performance of the season, going three innings and allowing just one run, as his five early strikeouts set the tone for the Herd's pitching staff.
Chris Fryer also didn't allow a hit in two innings, while Hunter Sexton struck out the side in the ninth inning to ice the game.
Ohio's starter Cole Shinksy moved to 0-1 on the season. Shinksy pitched four innings allowing five hits, four runs (four earned) and walking two with two strikeouts.
The Bobcats scored the first run of the game on a solo home run in the top of the second inning. The Herd answered in the bottom of the inning with Linder's three-run homer, which scored Kody Matthews and Dakota Robbins from second and first for the 3-1 lead.
Marshall's lead expanded in the third on just one swing of the bat by Hutzal, who went yard for the solo home run and the 4-1 lead.
Ohio was able to score again in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to just two runs, but an RBI single by Will Ray that scored Andrew Zban put a damper on the Bobcats rally attempt and made the score 5-2.
Another solo home run by Hutzal in the eighth inning capped things off for the Herd as it walked away with the 6-2 victory.
Marshall finished the game with six runs off of eight hits with two errors. Ohio had two runs off five hits with no errors.
Up next the Herd heads to Athens, Ohio for part two of its home-and-home series with the Bobcats before a weekend series in Beckley against Louisiana Tech.
