Marshall Falls in Extras at Old Dominion

Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – Five errors hurt the Marshall University baseball team (20-29-1, 9-17 C-USA) in an 8-7 extra-inning loss in Norfolk, Virginia, to the Old Dominion Monarchs (33-15, 15-11 C-USA), 13-8, on Saturday night. The ballgame went 12 innings after a 75-minute rain delay before the contest began.

Much like in game one, the Herd used a two-out rally in the opening inning to get on the board. Luke Edwards smoked a two-out double to right center as he extended his on base streak to 59 games. After the junior advanced to third on a wild pitch, Ryan Leitch drew a walk to place runners at the corners. Two pitches later Kyle Schaefer sent an 0-1 pitch over the left-field fence to give Marshall a 3-0 lead. It was the junior's 10th long ball of the season.

MU starting pitcher Patrick Copen allowed a two-out double in the bottom of the first, but stranded the runner at third after an error to end the frame. The sophomore followed with a 1-2-3 bottom of the second.

ODU got on the board via a Matt Coutney RBI-single to cut the Herd's lead to 3-1.

However, Copen rebounded with scoreless fourth and fifth innings to keep his side's two-run lead.

The Monarchs tallied five runs in the bottom of the sixth as they took advantage of a pair of Marshall errors to take a 6-3 lead.

Travis Sankovich led off the next half inning with a single to center. Two batters later, Leitch singled to right and Schaefer was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Jordon Billups then stepped to the plate. With a 1-1 count, the senior hit the third pitch of his at bat over the wall in left center for a grand slam. The dinger was his 10th of the season and put the up Herd 7-6.

After reliever Chad Heiner gave up a leadoff walk in the seventh, Louis Davenport came on from the bullpen. The senior right-handed pitcher struck out a pair and stranded two in scoring position to maintain the one-run advantage. Davenport struck out another two ODU hitters in the eighth for another scoreless frame.

A Chris Dengler ground out plated Kyle Edwards in the bottom of the ninth as the Monarchs tied the game and sent it to extra innings.

ODU loaded the bases as it saw its first three batters reach in the bottom of the 10th. However, Davenport relaxed and collected three outs to stranded bases with Monarchs and send the contest to the 11th.

Relief pitcher Ryan Capuano came on for Davenport to begin the bottom of the 11th and hurled a scoreless inning.

In the bottom of the 12th, Coutney led off with a walk and Andy Garriola followed with a single up the middle to move Coutney to third. After Garriola took second, Ryan Teschko singled up the middle one batter latter to score Coutney as the Herd fell in game two.

Billups and Schaefer joined Edwards and Leitch with 10 or more homers this season. MU joins Charlotte and Old Dominion with four or more players with double-figure long balls in Conference USA during 2022.

Edwards has a conference best 75 hits this season.

UP NEXT
Marshall has a quick turnaround as game three against the Monarchs is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch.

For all the latest information about Marshall baseball, follow @HerdBaseball on Twitter and @herdbsb on Instagram.

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---HerdZone.com---

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Team Stats

Travis Sankovich

Luke Edwards

Ryan Leitch

Kyle Schaefer

Players Mentioned

Jordon Billups

Ryan Capuano

Patrick Copen

Louis Davenport

Luke Edwards

Chad Heiner

Ryan Leitch

Travis Sankovich

Kyle Schaefer

Players Mentioned

Jordon Billups

Ryan Capuano

Patrick Copen

Louis Davenport

Luke Edwards

Chad Heiner

Ryan Leitch

Travis Sankovich

Kyle Schaefer

Marshall University Athletics