Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Marshall plated four runs over the final two frames, and then held off the late charge by Western Carolina to claim Tuesday's nonconference baseball game, 12-8, at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. WCU managed to score one run in the ninth to claw back to within four, and loaded the bases all with two outs. Yet, the Catamounts were unable to prolong the game, stranding three with the game-tying run at the plate, relegating WCU to its eighth-straight seasonal loss.

The two former Southern Conference rivals were originally scheduled for two, seven-inning games on Tuesday. However, lingering rain showers through the morning kept pushing the projected start time to a point where school officials reduced the two-game set to a single, nine-inning game.

Five Catamounts finished with multi-hit games with freshman Justice Bigbie leading the way, reaching base four times in a 3-for-4 outing with a walk and two runs driven in. Redshirt junior Matthew Koehler homered twice with four RBI in a 2-for-5 showing, while senior Caleb Robinson delivered a third Catamount round-tripper with a solo shot over the left field fence to accompany a double in a 2-for-4 outing.

Senior infielder Cameron Blaquiere doubled twice in a 2-for-5 showing, while pinch hitter Justin Sparks finished 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and a RBI.

All told, the two teams combined for 20 runs on 35 total hits on Tuesday with 13 extra base hits including four home runs and nine doubles.

Koehler's first home run gave the Catamounts an early, 2-0, lead after the bottom of the first inning on Tuesday afternoon. Marshall, however, rallied back with a single-run in the top of the second and a two-spot in the third to take a 3-2 lead. In his second plate appearance of the day, Koehler again hit a two-run homer as his line-drive shot cleared the fence in right to push WCU back in front, 4-3.

Marshall (7-3) took control with a five-run top of the fourth inning, loading the bases with two, one-out singles and a bases-loading walk. Catcher Reynaldo Pastrana then drove in two with a double to straight-away center ahead of outfielder Tucker Linder who duplicated a two-run double to right field. Designated hitter Will Ray collected a third-straight double for the Thundering Herd, driving in the fifth marker on a two-base hit to the left center field gap for an 8-4 advantage.

Western Carolina managed to chip away at the Herd advantage over the next three frames, using a trio of one-run innings. Bigbie plated Blaquiere from second on a run-scoring single in the bottom of the fourth to claw to within three, 8-5. In the home portion of the fifth, Caleb Robinson drove a solo shot over the fence in left to make it a two-run game, 8-6. WCU got back to within a run at 8-7 in the sixth as Bigbie again drove home Blaquiere.

However, a Ray three-run homer to right in the eighth and a solo marker in the top of the ninth made it 12-7 in favor of the visitors headed to the bottom of the final frame.

Caleb Robinson drove a two-out double to left center ahead of Sparks who plated a run on a RBI single to left. Hope stayed alive as Blaquiere doubled down the third-base line ahead of pinch hitter Bo Fricks, who loaded the bases with a two-out walk. However, WCU was unable to push any more runs across as Thundering Herd closer Gordon Cardenas recorded the final out on a strikeout.

Freshman Caleb Bishop (0-1) was tagged with the loss, surrendering five runs on five hits in just two-thirds innings of relief with a walk and a strikeout. Starter Blake Therrian scattered seven hits and allowed three runs in 2.2 innings of action, striking out two against two walks. Senior Jake Niezen was saddled with three runs on four hits with a strikeout in an inning out of the bullpen.

Catamount relievers Jake Moebius and Corey Sikes both struck out three without issuing a walk while freshman Zach Franklin struck out two in an inning of work, allowing a run on two hits with one free pass issued.

Marshall reliever Christian Simon (1-0) was credited with the victory as the first effective reliever out of the bullpen, tossing an inning and a third of one-hit, one-run relief with a strikeout. He came on for starter Zac McNeel, who surrendered five earned runs on seven hits over 3.2 innings, striking out seven against two walks.

Joshua Shapiro was in-line for a three-plus inning relief save before being lifted after 3.2 innings, exiting with two outs in the ninth.

For Marshall, seven players finished with multi-hit games, led by Shane Hanon who finished 4-for-6 with four singles, adding a RBI and a run scored. Ray drove in five in a 3-for-5 performance that included a double and a home run, while Tucker Linder reached base five times including three walks in a 2-for-3, three-run showing.

Western Carolina (1-11) remains at home this weekend to host nonconference-foe, Ball State, which was rained out on Tuesday and will play a doubleheader at Gardner-Webb on Wednesday afternoon in Boiling Springs, N.C. The Catamounts and Cardinals met for the first-time on the baseball diamond a year ago in Muncie, Ind., with WCU taking 2-of-3 in the series, dropping the series finale.

First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 5:00 pm, with Saturday's start set for 2:00 pm and a 1:00 pm start time for the series finale on Sunday. As always, fans are reminded to keep track of any weather-related schedule changes online at CatamountSports.com or through WCU Athletics' social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports) and Twitter (@catamounts or @WCUCatamountBSB).