Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Middle Tennessee State
HERD DOMINATES DOUBLEHEADER
4/8/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, TN-The Thundering Herd baseball team won both games of a doubleheader against Middle Tennessee Saturday at Reese Smith Jr. Field. Strong pitching performances by Marshall's starters and bullpen led the Herd to victory while the Blue Raiders struggled to find the strike zone in both games, walking a combined 18 batters. Game one was an 11-0 blowout, while game two was a more tightly contested 6-4 victory.
The two wins put Marshall back at .500 on the season at 13-13, while improving its conference record to 3-8. Middle Tennessee moved to 17-14 (5-6 C-USA).
In game one, multiple members of the Herd had a big impact offensively. Second baseman Kody Matthews had three runs off of two walks. First baseman Will Ray also had three runs to go along with a hit, an RBI, and three walks. Left fielder Shane Hanon had two runs off of two hits, an RBI, and a walk. Catcher Reynaldo Pastrana had a team-high three RBIs off of one hit, with a walk and a run. Designated hitter Peter Hutzal and right fielder Andrew Zban also had two RBIs each.
Game two saw Pastrana lead the way for the Herd with a team-high three hits and two RBIs. Hutzal also tied for the team-high with two runs to go along with his two hits.
Marshall's starting pitcher Brad O'Connor earned the game one win and is now 3-3. The senior pitched eight shutout innings allowing five hits with seven strikeouts to just two walks in one of his best performances of the season. In game two starting pitcher Joshua Shapiro earned the win to move to 2-1 on the season. Shapiro pitched 6 1/3 innings allowing three runs (one earned) with four walks and four strikeouts. Middle Tennessee's Jake Wyrick and Carson Lester were handed the losses.
In game one, The Herd jumped out to an early lead on an RBI double by Hanon that scored Ray from first base. Hutzal then hit an RBI single to score Hanon from third for the 2-0 lead.
That lead expanded to 3-0 in the third when a wild pitch with the bases loaded allowed Hutzal to score from third base.
Matthews scored in the sixth inning after stealing second on an RBI single by Ray for the 4-0 lead.
In the eighth inning, another wild pitch with the bases loaded allowed third baseman Raul Cabrera to score. Two walks with the bases loaded gave the Herd two more free runs before a single by Zban scored Hanon and Pastrana for the 9-0 lead.
In the ninth, Pastrana hit a two-RBI single to score Ray and Matthews for the final runs of the game as Marshall dominated the series opener 11-0.
In game two, the Herd took the lead first again in the fourth inning when a sacrifice bunt by Erik Rodriguez allowed Zban and Pastrana to score in what was a close play at home plate for the 2-0 lead.
Marshall expanded their lead by a run in the sixth on an RBI single to right field by Matthews that scored Pastrana from third.
Two more runs came in the seventh off an RBI single by Will Ray that scored Hutzal and an RBI double by Zban that scored Hanon for the 5-0 lead.
Middle Tennessee got on the board for the first time all day in the bottom of the seventh with three runs, two of which were unearned, to make the score 5-3.
The Blue Raiders drew closer in the eighth with another run to pull within one.
Marshall added another run in the ninth on an RBI single by Pastrana that scored Hutzal after he stole second to get in scoring position on what would be the final run of the 6-4 victory.
The Herd finished game one with 11 runs off of nine hits with one error. Middle Tennessee had no runs off five hits with three errors. In game two Marshall had six runs off nine hits with three errors, while the Blue Raiders finished with four runs on nine hits with no errors.
Up next the Herd has another midweek home-and-home series, this time against the Virginia Tech Hokies as they travel to Blacksburg Tuesday before returning to Charleston Wednesday.
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