Herd Baseball Opens Series with Extra-Inning Win Over Georgia State

Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Interview | Championship Fund

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jack Smith walked it off with his first career hit as the Marshall University Baseball team (14-31, 7-15 Sun Belt) defeated the Georgia State Panthers (22-25, 10-12 Sun Belt) 6-5 in 11 innings to open the series Friday night at Jack Cook Field.

"First of all, we needed that," Herd Baseball head coach Greg Beals said after the win. "You've been following us, and we've been in a bit of a skid. We played a pretty darn good game of baseball all the way around."

With the score tied 5-5 in the bottom of the 11th, Ethan Murdoch smoked a leadoff double down the right-field line. Eddie Leon came on to pinch run and stole third with one out as Smith stood at the plate. With two strikes in the count, Smith laid down a perfect bunt to score Leon on a suicide squeeze for his first collegiate hit and to win the game.

"I went down in the count, and I was just trying to put a ball into play. I got the bunt sign, and I laid it down," Smith said about his game-winning hit.

Out of the bullpen, Nicholas Weyrich earned his second win of the season throwing 4.0 innings on the bump allowing just one run on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

Starting pitcher Drew Harlow gave up four runs on three hits and a pair of walks with six strikeouts across 7.0 innings in a no decision.

AJ Havrilla, who went 3-for-5 with two RBI, brought home Owen Ayers with a single for MU's first run of the game in the bottom of the first.

The Herd trailed 4-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh. However, Marshall exploded for a four-run frame as a Cam Harthan double scored Calin Smith and Ethan Murdoch, Harthan scored on a two-out double steal and a two-double by Havrilla to left scored Caden Kaiser.

The Panthers forced the game to extra innings with a run in the ninth.

UP NEXT
Marshall looks to take the series in game two against Georgia State on Saturday at 3 p.m.

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---HerdZone.com---

Herd Baseball Opens Series with Extra-Inning Win Over Georgia State

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Team Stats

AJ Havrilla

Cam Harthan

Caden Kaiser

Ethan Murdoch

Players Mentioned

Owen Ayers

Drew Harlow

Cam Harthan

AJ Havrilla

Caden Kaiser

Eddie Leon

Ethan Murdoch

Calin Smith

Jack Smith

Nicholas Weyrich

Marshall University Athletics