Feb. 22, 2008

Box Score |   

Cullowhee, N.C. - Marshall pounded out 15 base hits en route to a 14-9 season-opening victory over Western Carolina in baseball action Friday afternoon at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. Despite WCU scratching the scoreboard first in the bottom of the opening inning, the Thundering Herd had an answer for each of the Catamount rallies to secure the victory.

Western only mustered seven base hits in the game while committing five costly errors, including four in the four-run second inning.

Sophomores Brent Greer and Nick Liles each posted two-hit games for the Catamounts while also accounting for three of WCU's nine runs scored with a combined three RBI. Greer finished 2-for-4 with a walk and a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth inning giving WCU its second run of the day. Liles was 2-for-5 with a double, while senior Jason Haynes drove in two with his lone hit of the game, a single into left field.

Liles opened the bottom of the first with a single through the right side and was eventually scored on a single to left by junior transfer, J.C. Lyons to give Western a short-lived, 1-0, lead.

However, Marshall seized the lead for what proved to be for good with a four-spot in the visiting half of the second inning by capitalizing on three hits and four Catamount errors. The Thundering Herd would add one in the third and four in the fourth to stake itself to a 9-1 lead after three and a half.

Greer's bomb over the middle section of the "Purple Monster" in left field trimmed the deficit to seven, 9-2, where the game stood until the Catamounts rallied in the home portion of the sixth.

Marshall pulled starter Andrew Blain going into the frame and the Catamounts pounced. Greer scooted one through the left side for a one-out single, with freshman Ryan Mathews and pinch hitter Andy John reaching by HBP and walk to load the bases. Haynes delivered a two-RBI single, moving to second on the throw home with John stopping at third. WCU would plate two more runs in the frame as John came home on a wild pitch and Liles driving in Haynes on a ground out to short.

The Herd responded, though, with a three-run homer in the top of the seventh with WCU answering in the home half of the frame. But it wasn't enough to rally as MU tacked on one in the eighth and ninth for the final, five-run tally.

Senior left-hander Tyler Sexton suffered the defeat, lasting just the first 3.1 innings after garnering the starting nod. The High Point, N.C., native allowed eight runs, six of which were earned, on eight hits with four walks and a pair of strikeouts. Junior Corey Martin struck out four in 3.2 innings of work, allowing four earned runs on four hits.

Freshmen Brandon Johnson and Matt Benedict also threw for WCU, sandwiching a four-batter appearance by sophomore Daniel Ottone on the evening as WCU used five hurlers.

For Marshall, Blain earned the victory after tossing five innings, holding WCU to a pair of earned runs on just five hits. It was the Herd bullpen which made things interesting, though, combining to allow seven runs through the first two relievers before settling to combine to shut down the Catamounts in the final three hitless, scoreless innings.

Lead-off hitter Adam Yeager finished 4-for-6 with a pair of runs scored, while centerfield Nate Lape was a perfect 2-for-2 with four walks and three-runs scored. Herd left-fielder Jeff Rowley and second baseman Kenny Socorro each finished with two hits apiece, both clearing the fences with homers.

WCU head coach Bobby Moranda became the sixth WCU skipper since 1969 to suffer defeat in his first-ever game at the helm of the Catamount baseball program. He did, however, join the likes of Bill Haywood, David Wright, Jack Leggett, Keith LeClair and Todd Raleigh, each of which lost on their opening day. Rodney Hennon, who guided Western from 1998-99 and is currently the head coach at SoCon-rival Georgia Southern, was the only coach out of the last seven to win his debut.

Western continues its season-opening weekend by hosting Marshall at 2:00 pm on Saturday afternoon at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. Fans can follow all of the action on GameTracker by visiting CatamountSports.com.