Marshall Claims Game Two Over Baseball, 5-1

Baseball VMIKeydets.com

Marshall Claims Game Two Over Baseball, 5-1

LEXINGTON, Va.? Four unearned runs spelled the difference on Saturday afternoon, as Marshall collected a 5-1 victory in game two of the weekend series over VMI at Gray-Minor Stadium. The Thundering Herd improve to 7-6, while VMI falls to 4-11.

Keydet starter Michael Bowman (0-3) scattered five hits in his second career complete game, striking out seven batters while inducing 14 groundball outs. However, three errors led to the four unearned runs against Bowman, who walked his only batter and allowed his only earned run, on a two-out home run by Marshall designated hitter Victor Gomez, in the ninth inning.

“Michael Bowman did a great job for us today,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “The game came down to us catching three flyballs in rightfield, and we just didn't come up with them.”

Bowman and Herd starter Steve Blevins (2-1) traded zeroes over the first three innings before the Herd struck in the fourth inning. A one-out flyball into rightfield went off of Keydet second baseman Shane Geisslinger's glove, as Nate Lape hustled his way to second base on the error. A base knock from Kurt Lipton put runners at the corners for Brandon Casamassima, who laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt fielded by catcher Mike Roberts five feet in front of the plate, giving the Herd a 1-0 advantage. Josh Valle followed with base knock up the middle to plate Lipton, before a flyball down the rightfield line went off of Sam Roberts' glove, allowing Valle to score from first base for a 3-0 lead.

Marshall tacked on another unearned mark in the fifth, as Adam Yeager's one-out flyball down the rightfield line went off of Brian Sandridge's glove after Sandridge had replaced Roberts in rightfield. Yeager, who went to second base on the play, started for third base on the 1-0 pitch. Jeff Rowley then laid down a bunt single to third base, just beating Tanner Biagini's throw, while Yeager never stopped on the play, sliding in just ahead of the throw from first base to take a 4-0 advantage.

The Keydets got on the board in the bottom of the fifth, as Yoder stroked a single into left-centerfield, before Graham Sullivan doubled off the wall in centerfield to put a pair of runners in scoring position with no men down. A sacrifice fly by Sandridge to deep leftfield plated Yoder, but a pair of groundouts ended the threat, stranding Sullivan at third base.

Bowman settled into a groove from there, retiring 12 batters in a row after Rowley's bunt single. Meanwhile Blevins cruised through the late innings, scattering two hits from the sixth to eighth innings to stall any possibility of a Keydet rally. Blevins ended the day with one run on five hits over eight innings, striking out one while walking one.

Bowman issued his first walk with one-out in the ninth to Valle, breaking his 12-batter streak. Valle was then thrown out at second base on a ball in the dirt, the second runner gunned down by Mike Roberts behind the plate. Gomez then followed with his second home run of the weekend, a shot to left-centerfield to advance the score to 5-1.

Arik Sikula came on to work the ninth for the second-straight day, allowing a leadoff single to Mike Roberts before retiring the next two batters on flyouts to rightfield. A base-knock from Yoder, his third of the day, gave the Keydets a ray of hope, before Sikula struck out Sullivan on the seventh pitch of the at bat.

Yoder led the Keydet offense with three of VMI's seven hits, scoring the lone run of the day on Sandridge's sacrifice fly.

The Keydets and Thundering Herd wrap up the weekend series on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch slated for 1 p.m.
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Players Mentioned

Tanner Biagini

#24 Tanner Biagini

IF
6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
Michael Bowman

#17 Michael Bowman

RHP
6' 3"
Junior
R/R
Shane Geisslinger

#2 Shane Geisslinger

IF
5' 8"
Senior
R/R
Mike Roberts

#6 Mike Roberts

C
6' 2"
Junior
R/R
Sam Roberts

#4 Sam Roberts

IF/OF/P
6' 2"
Freshman
L/R
Brian Sandridge

#31 Brian Sandridge

OF
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
R/R
Graham Sullivan

#23 Graham Sullivan

IF
6' 3"
Freshman
R/R

Players Mentioned

Tanner Biagini

#24 Tanner Biagini

6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
IF
Michael Bowman

#17 Michael Bowman

6' 3"
Junior
R/R
RHP
Shane Geisslinger

#2 Shane Geisslinger

5' 8"
Senior
R/R
IF
Mike Roberts

#6 Mike Roberts

6' 2"
Junior
R/R
C
Sam Roberts

#4 Sam Roberts

6' 2"
Freshman
L/R
IF/OF/P
Brian Sandridge

#31 Brian Sandridge

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
R/R
OF
Graham Sullivan

#23 Graham Sullivan

6' 3"
Freshman
R/R
IF