HUNTINGTON, W.V. –
Marshall weathered a Campbell six-run ninth inning to preserve a
9-8 victory in game one, and staged a four-run rally in the sixth
inning of game two to give The Herd (8-3) the doubleheader sweep of
the Camels (4-12) Friday afternoon at University Heights Field.
Jeremy Slone (1-1) picked up
the win in game one, scattering nine hits over 8.1 innings. Quinn
LeSage (0-4) took the loss for CU, going 5.0 innings, giving up
seven earned runs. Nick Wolle threw two-thirds of an inning to pick
up his fourth save. Andrew Blain (2-0) pitched two-thirds of an
inning to pick up his second win of the season in game two, while
Blake Herring (1-4) gave up two earned runs in an inning of relief
work to take the loss for
Campbell. Wolle came in for the final two-thirds to pick up his
second save of the day.
Brendan Murphy and Brandon
Casamassima both homered in the first game for Marshall, as Murphy
drove in three. Jacob Allen went 3-3 with two RBI and two runs, and
Robb Meng and Ryan Hamme added two hits apiece, with Hamme driving
in two for the Camels. Mike Causey's six-game hit streak and run of
11 straight games reaching base ended, as he went 0-3.
The Camels had the Marshall
crowd on the edge of its seats in the ninth, sending 10 men to the
plate, putting up six runs. Meng singled to start the inning and
pinch hitter Brandon York walked to get things going. After a
groundout the next four Camels reached, as Allen's second double, a
two-RBI rope off the left field wall, chased Slone from the
game.
Andrew Hancock was brought in,
but did not retire a Camel batter as Todd Matthews reached on a
run-scoring error, Daniel Smith walked and Carlton Floyd rapped an
RBI-single, forcing another call to The Herd's bullpen for Wolle.
Wolle got Brandon Scott to groundout for the second out, but Hamme
lined another two-RBI single up the middle to pull CU within one at
9-8. Hamme then moved to third on two wild pitches, leaving it up
to Meng in his second at-bat of the inning. Wolle ended the rally
by striking out Meng to end the game, preserving the 9-8 win for
Marshall.
Marshall's five-run third inning
proved to be the difference in the game. With one out LeSage hit
Mason Chapman and Brit Vincent bringing up preseason All-American
selection Murphy. Murphy deposited LeSage's 1-1 offering over the
20-foot wall in left for his third home run of the year, giving The
Herd a 3-0 lead. Jeff Rowley followed the home run with a single
and Casamassima blasted the second Herd home run of the inning for
a 5-0 lead.
Campbell answered with one in the
fourth. With one down, Scott singled and stole second. A Hamme
groundout moved Scott to third, and with two outs, Meng's bunt down
the third base line barely stayed fair, making it 5-1. It was
Meng's 10th RBI in his last four games.
Campbell closed the margin to three in
the fifth. Allen lofted a one-out double down the left-field line
and moved to third on a Bryan Braswell groundout. CU came up with
its second two-out, run-scoring hit as Daniel Smith lined a 2-2
pitch off of Slone, to cut the deficit to 5-2.
The Herd got both runs back in
its half of the fifth. After back-to-back singles to start the
inning, Marshall nearly ran itself out of the inning, as Vincent
ran into a double play after tagging and getting thrown out at
third by Scott on a line-out to left. The Herd rallied with two
down, as Casamassima walked, Valle singled in Murphy, and LeSage
balked in Casamassima from third to push the lead back to five at
7-2. The Herd would put up two more runs in the sixth off Camel
reliever for its eighth and ninth runs.
The loss in game one ended
Campbell's three game win streak and was The Herd's fourth win in
its last five games; their best start since 1988 when they began
9-1.
The Herd put up two to start
the scoring in the second game. Chapman led off the game with a
single, and with one out Murphy doubled him in for a 1-0 lead.
After a ground out, Casamassima drove in his second of the day with
a single, putting Marshall up 2-0.
Campbell replied with a run of its own
in the second. Meng led off with a walk, and moved to second on
Brandon York's single. Matthews then drove in his seventh of the
year with a single to cut the Marshall lead to one. However,
Campbell could not do any more damage in the inning, despite having
men on first and second and none out.
The Camels struck in the fifth
to square the game at two. Smith drew his sixth walk of the season
with one out and moved to second on a Floyd single. Scott then came
up with another base hit to center, as Smith scored and knotted the
score at 2-2.
Campbell took its first lead of the day
in the sixth inning. York led-off with his second single, and
Matthews sacrificed him to second. After an Allen groundout,
pinch-hitter Andrew Caron walked and Smith drew his team-leading
seventh walk to load the bases. Marshall brought Andrew Blain from
the bullpen to face Floyd, but Blain uncorked a wild pitch to give
CU the 3-2 lead. Floyd followed with a base hit, plating two for a
5-2 Camel lead.
Marshall stormed back in the bottom
half, as Casamassima gave the Herd a shot of life, leading off with
his second home run of the day, cutting the lead to 5-3. After a
Valle single, Blake Herring trotted in from the pen and gave up two
infield singles to load the bases. After a Nick Damas sac fly,
Vincent plated the tying run with an infield single and a wild
pitch plated Helm with the winning sixth run. Wolle came on after
the first out in the seventh to pick up his second save of the
day.
Casamassima went 3-3 with a
home run and two RBI in game two, as he went 5-6 with two home runs
and three RBI on the day for The Herd. Floyd led the Campbell
attack in game two, going 3-4 with two RBI and a stolen base, as
York was the only other Camel with multiple hits. Justin Lilly also
pitched well, striking out five in five innings of work.
Campbell and Marshall will get
together for game three of the series Saturday at University
Heights. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00.
