Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
16-32, 5-20
Troy
34-17, 14-11
Herd Baseball’s Late Rally Falls Short in Series Opener Against Troy
5/12/2023 7:06:00 PM | Baseball
Marshall scores four runs in final three innings
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall University baseball team (16-32, 5-20 Sun Belt) nearly came back in game one of its series with the Troy Trojans (34-17, 14-11 Sun Belt) tallying four runs in the final three innings as it fell 7-6 on Friday at the Kennedy Center.
"Their closer has a sinking fastball and we knew we had to get it up, get down through and get the ball into the outfield, and we just weren't able to do it," Herd baseball head coach Greg Beals said after the game. "The story for me is I challenged our guys in the last three innings to keep competing and they certainly did."
MU fought until the end. The Herd trailed 7-2 heading into the seventh. Luke Edwards tallied a one-out, two-RBI double in the bottom of the seventh. The Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, native plated Kebler Peralta and Cam Harthan to cut the deficit to 7-4.
Calin Smith then tallied his second homer of the season on a blast to right field with one out in the eighth to make 7-5. Daniel Carinci then brought it within one, 7-6, as Peralta crossed home on a fielder's choice in the ninth. The comeback was cut short as Troy turned a game-ending double play.
Starting pitcher Patrick Copen hurled 5.0 innings of three-run, four-hit baseball striking out five.
Reliever Eddie Leon threw 3.1 scoreless frames allowing just one hit and two walks while punching out five Trojan batters.
The Herd's first two runs of the contest came in the bottom of the second and the bottom of the third. Harthan singled to right then Gio Ferraro scored on an error by the right fielder for the first run and Kyle Schaefer brought home Owen Ayers with a single in third.
Ayers recorded his 20th double of the season and now needs three to break Eric Pinkerton's single-season program record of 22 set in 2000.
UP NEXT
Marshall looks to rebound in game two against Troy on Saturday scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Kennedy Center.
For all the latest information about Marshall baseball, follow @HerdBaseball on Twitter and @herdbsb on Instagram.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Stewart, Grayson (8-2)
L: Copen, Patrick (2-8)
S: Manning, Noah (8)
Batting:
RBI: Lewis, Shane 1 ; Cobb Jr., Tremayne 2 ; Mock, Kyle 2 ; Stearns, Clay 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Myers, Kole 1 ; Whibbs, Donovan 1 ; Lewis, Shane 1 ; Sullivan, William 1 ; Bartolero, Caleb 2 ; Cobb Jr., Tremayne 1
SB: Myers, Kole 1 ; Whibbs, Donovan 1
CS: Myers, Kole 1
HBP: Myers, Kole 1 ; Sullivan, William 1 ; Bartolero, Caleb 1 ; Cobb Jr., Tremayne 1 ; Kavanagh, Ethan 1 ; Mock, Kyle 2
Batting:
2B: Edwards, Luke 1 ; Ayers, Owen 1
HR: Smith, Calin 1
RBI: Edwards, Luke 2 ; Carinci, Daniel 1 ; Schaefer, Kyle 1 ; Smith, Calin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ayers, Owen 1 ; Ferraro, Gio 1 ; Smith, Calin 1 ; Harthan, Cam 1 ; Peralta, Kebler 2
HBP: Ayers, Owen 1 ; Schaefer, Kyle 1
