CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Marshall baseball (27-17, 16-8 Conference USA) completed its first back-to-back Conference USA series sweeps since joining the league in the 2005-06 season by winning Sunday against UAB (19-28, 10-14 C-USA), 9-5, at Appalachian Power Park.
Marshall clinched its first appearance into the Conference USA tournament since 2010 with the win and was helped by Rice’s 12-1 win over FIU. The Herd’s 27 wins this season are the second-most in program history tied with the 1978, 2004 and 2010 teams. Marshall’s program record is 30, which was set in 2008.
This was the Herd’s first back-to-back sweeps in any league play since the 1983 season. Marshall swept Furman and Western Carolina in two-game series.
The Thundering Herd leaped out to an early lead in the first inning after a sacrifice fly by Aaron Bossi (St. Louis) that scored DJ Gee (Seattle).
The lead remained one-run until the third inning. In the top half, with runners on the corners and no outs, starting pitcher JD Hammer (Fort Collins, Colo.) forced two strikeouts and a pop up to get out of the jam. In the bottom frame, Andrew Zban (Huntington, W.Va.) singled to left field to score Bossi and Tyler Ratliff (Alexandria, Va.), making it a three-run lead. Gee increased the lead to five with a double down the right field line.
UAB rallied in the fourth and sixth innings by scoring a combined five runs on seven hits. The comeback included a two-run home run by Adam Smith.
The Herd broke the deadlock in the eighth after scoring four runs on only two hits. After Zban was walked and moved on a sacrifice bunt, Cory Garrastazu (Miami) doubled to score Zban for the go-ahead run. Garrastazu later came around to score on a wild pitch. Ratliff went on to add two more insurance runs with a single to center field that scored Bossi and Tommy Lane (Pendleton, Ore.)
In the ninth, Joshua Shapiro (Columbus, Ohio), who had been pitching since the seventh, finished the game, completing the sweep. Shapiro picks up the win (4-3), as Garrett Whitlock takes the loss (3-4). In total, ten pitchers pitched for both teams (six for Marshall, four for UAB) in the game which featured 22 hits.
Hammer tossed the first four innings for the Herd and allowed two runs (zero earned) and one hit. Offensively, Gee and Ratliff led the way at the plate with three hits and two RBIs each.
COACH’S CORNER
Quotes from Head Coach Jeff Waggoner
On the weekend…“It has been a team effort. We’ve had guys all the way through the lineup hitting well. Our pitching staff, everybody kind of did their part to get the job done this weekend.”
On the offense…“Guys just stayed at a good approach and preparing the right way before games. All the way down through the lineup, guys just stepped up this weekend, even guys coming off the bench like Zban.”
On JD Hammer and Joshua Shapiro…“It was great to see JD Hammer come back. He looked really good and he’s healthy. We will build his pitch count back up to give us some more innings. Then with Joshua Shapiro coming in there at the end of the game in back-to-back days to finish the job. I’m just proud of those guys and excited about the upcoming games.”
UP NEXT
The Herd returns to action on Tuesday in Athens, Ohio as Marshall takes on long-time rival Ohio University. It will be the 162nd meeting between the two programs. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
