Marshall University Athletics

Havrilla Walk-off Grand Slam Caps Herd Comeback Over Ohio
3/4/2025 11:39:00 PM | Baseball
Marshall overcomes four-run deficit to takedown the Bobcats in extra innings
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A walk-off grand slam from AJ Havrilla in the 12th put the Marshall University Baseball team (6-6) over top of the Ohio Bobcats (3-8) in a comeback extra-inning victory Tuesday night at Jack Cook Field.
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"We got a lot of guys in today and we found a way to win a ballgame," Herd Baseball Head Coach Greg Beals said after the win. "We gave them help on the runs they scored. We had too many free bases there in a couple of innings. But I like the depth of our pitching staff. You were able to see the depth of our pitching staff and we pitched really strong on the backend of the ballgame."
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In the bottom of the 12th, the bases were loaded with one out after Eddie Leon and Maika Niu drawing walks and Will Lafferty reaching on an error. 3-for-6 at the plate in the game, Havrilla stepped in the batter's box. After taking a pair of balls, the sophomore launched the walk-off blast over the left-field fence to seal the win and extend the team's winning streak to five games.
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"I got ahead and was looking for my pitch, looking to capitalize ahead. I caught it out front and the rest was history," Havrilla said about his game-winning homer.
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The Herd trailed 7-3 in the bottom of the eighth, but saw a Niu two-out triple, his second of three hits in the game, bring home Eddie Leon and Cam Harthan with a Matty Go RBI single chasing Niu across home to pull within one, 7-6.
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The scored remained 7-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth after Clint Moak came on in relief for 1-2-3 frame with a pair of strikeouts. Ethan Murdoch stepped to the plate to leadoff the inning. The designated hitter tied the game, 7-7, on a 1-2 pitch on his fourth homer of the season to left center.
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Moak then stranded a runner at third with a punchout to end the top of the tenth. Nicholas Weyrich, who registered his first win of the season, stranded three Bobcats in scoring position with scoreless 11th and 12th frames.
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Luke Proehl made his first start of the season throwing 2.0 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts as Charlie Krebs threw scoreless sixth and seventh innings with two strikeouts.
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Tyler Kamerer joined Havrilla and Niu with a multi-hit and multi-RBI game in the victory registering two RBI and two hits, including a double.
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UP NEXT
Marshall opens a three-game series against Bradley at 5 p.m. on Friday to continue its homestand.
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To donate to the Championship Fund for Marshall baseball, please click HERE. All proceeds go directly to the Marshall baseball team.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Weyrich, Nicholas (1-0)
L: Robertson, Julian (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Cauthron, Jackson 1 ; Karll, Caleb 1 ; Reed, Blake 1
RBI: Nelson, JR 1 ; Dolan, Nick 1 ; Cauthron, Jackson 1 ; Karll, Caleb 2
SH: Nelson, JR 1 ; Neuer, Trenton 1 ; Bryant, Cam 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nelson, JR 1 ; Cassidy, Trae 1 ; Slanker, Ben 1 ; Dolan, Nick 1 ; Neuer, Trenton 1 ; Cauthron, Jackson 1 ; Steinbaugh, Cale 1
SB: Dolan, Nick 2 ; Neuer, Trenton 2 ; Cauthron, Jackson 1
CS: Dolan, Nick 1
HBP: Cassidy, Trae 1 ; Steinbaugh, Cale 1

Batting:
2B: Kamerer, Tyler 1
3B: Niu, Maika 1
HR: Havrilla, AJ 1 ; Murdoch, Ethan 1
RBI: Niu, Maika 2 ; Go, Matty 1 ; Havrilla, AJ 4 ; Murdoch, Ethan 1 ; Kamerer, Tyler 2 ; Golden, Jackson 1
SH: Harthan, Cam 1
SF: Kamerer, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Harthan, Cam 1 ; Niu, Maika 2 ; Lafferty, Will 1 ; Havrilla, AJ 2 ; Murdoch, Ethan 1 ; Vogelsong, Elijah 1 ; Kamerer, Tyler 1 ; Leon, Eddie 2
SB: Niu, Maika 1 ; Vogelsong, Elijah 1
CS: Vogelsong, Elijah 1
HBP: Murdoch, Ethan 1 ; Vogelsong, Elijah 1
PO: Halter, Jackson 1






















