Marshall University Athletics
HERD COMPLETES TWO GAME SWEEP OF OHIO
4/18/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ATHENS, OH-The Thundering Herd baseball team completed its two game sweep of Ohio University on the road Wednesday. Marshall inched out the Bobcats for the 7-6 victory thanks to three home runs and a solid day by the pitching staff.
The win puts The Herd back at .500 on the season at 17-17 (5-10 C-USA). Ohio fell to 17-19 in 2018.
Reynaldo Pastrana led the way for the Herd offensively with two home runs in his first two at-bats of the game. The designated hitter did just that, racking up two hits, two runs, and three RBIs. Andrew Zban also hit one deep, finishing the day with two runs, a hit, an RBI, and two walks. Kody Matthews continued his strong month, going 3-4.
Relief pitcher Mark Meyer picked up his second win of the season to move to 2-1. Meyer pitched 3 1/3 innings allowing three hits, two runs (two earned), and striking out four batters with no walks. Gordon Cardenas picked up his first save of the season under major pressure, entering the game in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and one out. Cardenas went 1 2/3 innings with no runs or hits allowed to secure the Herd's victory.
Ohio's Brett Manis picked up his first loss of the season and is now 0-1. Manis pitched 1 1/3 innings allowing three hits, two runs (two earned), with a walk and a strikeout each.
Marshall got off to a quick start in the first inning off the bat of Pastrana, who homered to left field to score Shane Hanon from third base and give the Herd a 2-0 lead.
Ohio struck back with a grand slam in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-2 lead.
In the fourth inning, Pastrana went deep again, this time for a solo home run, to cut the lead to one run. Tucker Linder then tied the game up 4-4 on a sacrifice hit that scored Peter Hutzal from third base.
The Herd took the lead in the fifth inning when an RBI single with the bases loaded by Will Ray allowed Blanton and Zban to score for the 6-4 lead.
In the seventh inning, Marshall's lead would grow by another run off a solo shot over the right field wall by Zban for the 7-4 lead.
Ohio was able to load the bases and walk two runs in during the bottom of the eighth inning, but a clutch performance by Cardenas protected the lead and sealed The Herd's 7-6 victory.
Marshall finished the game with seven runs off of 12 hits with one error. Ohio had six runs off six hits with one error.
Up next the Herd travels to Beckley for a three-game home series against nationally ranked Louisiana Tech (25-13) that opens Friday at 6 p.m.
