Rice Takes Game Two from Marshall

Box Score

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall University baseball team (11-11-1, 1-4 C-USA) suffered a 6-5 loss to the Rice Owls (8-16, 3-2 C-USA) on Saturday afternoon at the Kennedy Center in the game two of the series.

Herd starting pitcher Patrick Copen struck out the side in the top of the first, but walked in a run as Rice took the early 1-0 lead.

The Marshall bats did not wait long to pick up Copen. Luke Edwards reached on a leadoff error. Christian Lucio stepped up to the plate and sent a 2-1 pitch over the right-field wall to give MU a 2-1 lead on his second homer of the series. After Ryan Leitch tripled to right center, Cole Williams put a ball into play and reached on an Owls error as Leitch crossed home. The Herd's fourth run of the inning came four batters later on a single up the middle by Daniel Carinci as the home side led 4-1.

Copen worked around a leadoff single to keep the score 4-1 after the top of the second. Edwards then drew a walk to begin the bottom of the second and followed with a delayed steal of second base. He moved to third with two outs on a Leitch groundout. Williams then singled down the left-field line on an 0-1 offering to score Edwards and extend the lead to four runs, 5-1.

Copen followed by a striking out a pair of Rice batters in a scoreless top of the third, tying his career high of six in a game. The Owls then struck for three runs the next half inning to cut the Marshall lead to 5-4.

Cole Agemy came on in relief of Copen and threw scoreless fifth, sixth and seventh innings to keep Herd lead at 5-4.

The Owls tied the game, 5-5, on a Marshall error in the top of the eighth. The Herd had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom half of the frame, but was unable to score as the game headed into the ninth.

Rice took the lead on a Nathan Becker double to left center in the top of the ninth and Owls closer Matthew Linskey held the Herd the next half inning as the visitors took game two.

UP NEXT
The Herd finish the three-game series with the Owls at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

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Team Stats

Christian Lucio

Ryan Leitch

Cole Williams

Drew Steelhammer

Players Mentioned

Cole Agemy

Daniel Carinci

Patrick Copen

Luke Edwards

Ryan Leitch

Christian Lucio

Cole Williams

Players Mentioned

Cole Agemy

Daniel Carinci

Patrick Copen

Luke Edwards

Ryan Leitch

Christian Lucio

Cole Williams

Marshall University Athletics