April 27, 2008

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Thundering Herd baseball team used an eight-run eighth inning highlighted by a bases-loaded triple by Adam Yeager and two-run homer from Nate Lape to help lift Marshall to a 10-6 come-from-behind victory and series win over UAB in Sunday afternoon's Conference USA baseball game at Jerry D. Young Memorial Field.

With the win, Marshall (22-21-1, 9-8-1 C-USA) earns its second consecutive series win, while UAB falls to 19-24 overall, and 4-11 in conference play.

Trailing 10-4, the Blazers answered in the bottom of the eighth with a lead-off solo shot by Luke Stewart, his second of the day. Herd reliever Andrew Hancock forced pair of groundouts and issued a strikeout to end the inning.

UAB would not go quietly in the ninth as a lead off single followed by a throwing error put Jonathan Merritt on second. A single by Crawford placed runners on the corners with none out. After Hancock fired a strikeout, Ryan Keedy knocked Merritt in with a base-hit. Hancock then fanned another batter before the Herd brought in Arik Sikula who twirled the third strikeout of the frame to seal the victory and his seventh save of the season as the tying run was on deck.

Herd right-hander Adam Dobies (1-2), who entered with two-outs in the seventh picks up his first win of the season, while UAB starter Kyle Roberson (4-5) suffered the loss. UAB drew first blood with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Stewart drilled a two-out pitch to straight-away right field for a solo home run, and following a walk and a single, Andrew Manning collected an RBI single to give the Blazers a 2-0 advantage.

UAB extended its lead in the bottom of the fourth when Crawford poked a seeing-eye single up the middle to score Kevin Cope (reached on a single) from second base, bringing the Blazers' lead to 3-0.

Marshall got things started with one out in the top of the fifth when Ben Jurevicius reached on bloop double to left field. Yeager then laid down a perfect bunt single to place runners on the corners. Yeager stole his 30th to give the Herd a pair of runners in scoring position before Brandon Casamassima flared a sacrifice fly to right field, sending Jurevicius home and Yeager to third. Roberson used a warning-track fly out to get out of the inning ahead 3-1.

Herd reliever Ryan Kiel replaced starter Dan Straily in the fifth. Straily allowed three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

After Kiel fired two strikeouts and retired the UAB side in order, Marshall cut into the Blazers' lead in the top of the sixth when Lape doubled to left field, advanced to third on a ground and then scored on a laser through the left side off the bat of Tommy Johnson to bring the score to 3-2 in favor of UAB.

The UAB lead increased to 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth when Brint Hardy tripled off the wall in center field and then scored on an infield fielding error. Kiel used a pop up and a double play to get out of the inning without any further damage.

Kiel hurled the first two outs of the seventh before Dobies entered in relief and retired the final batter of the inning.

Marshall crossed the plate in the top of the eighth when Lape doubled off the left field wall, advanced to third on a passed ball and then scored on an infield single by Victor Gomez to bring the score to 4-3 with no outs. After Matt Helm came in to pinch-run for Gomez, Johnson laced a single to right field sending Helm to third to place runners at the corners. UAB reliever Johnny Volk replaced Roberson and walked Jeff Rowley with a wild pitch that allowed Helm to come sprinting home with the tying run. Volk was lifted for reliever Beau Pender and gave up a two-strike sacrifice bunt to Kenny Socorro which advanced the runners to scoring position with one down. Jurevicius then drew a walk to load the bases before Yeager ripped a triple down the right field line, clearing the bases and giving the Herd a 7-4 advantage. Yeager was then thrown out at home trying to score on Casamassima's fielder's choice for the second out of the inning. That sent Pender out of the game for Lichtner. Casamassima stole his ninth bag of the season before coming full circle with the sixth run of the inning on a single to center by Josh Valle. Valle advanced to second on the throw. Lape followed that with a two-run blast to left field for his 13th home run of the year and second in as many days to give the Herd a 10-4 lead.

Lape finished with a two doubles and a homerun, while four other Herd batters had multiple hit games.

Marshall returns to non-conference action Tuesday, at Ohio. First-pitch is slated for 6:00 p.m. ET in Athens, Ohio. The Herd will then travel to Lexington, Ky. for a meeting with the Kentucky Wildcats. That game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. ET start.