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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A 4.2-inning, 2-hit relief effort by freshman
Cody Gibson led Morehead State to a 3-2 victory over Marshall Tuesday afternoon in Huntington. Two runs in the top of the seventh gave MSU the lead and Gibson’s superb outing made it hold up as the Louisville native recorded his first career win.
MSU starter
Jeff Arnold found himself in trouble in the bottom of the second when Victor Gomez reached on a throwing error by
Andrew Deeds at third to lead off the inning. Arnold then walked Josh Valle to place runners on first and second with nobody out. Nathan Gomez appeared to have an RBI when he sent a tailing liner towards the left field line that looked like it would fall in, but left fielder
Cameron Flynn came charging in to make a diving catch and record the first out of the inning. Arnold then struck out Thor Meeks and induced an inning ending fly out from Rhett Stafford to get out of the jam.
Marshall struck first in the bottom of the fourth, when the Gomez brothers teamed up to produce the game’s first run. Victor Gomez singled up the middle to open up the inning and was then driven in by a Nathan Gomez double to the gap in left center. The Herd plated another run in the inning when a groundball off the bat of Kris Hector snuck past a diving Travis Redmon into center field to allow Nathan Gomez to score.
MSU had their first excellent scoring chance in the top of the fifth, when Deeds drew a lead-off walk and then moved to third on a single to right center by
Luke Bainer, putting runners on the corners with one out. #J.D. Ashbrook# then grounded into a fielder’s choice, allowing Deeds to score, to get the Eagles on the board.
Arnold would turn the ball over to Gibson for the bottom of the fifth and the Louisville native shut down the Herd the rest of the way, allowing just one hit until giving up a two-out single in the ninth and striking out three.
The Eagles took the lead in the top of the seventh when back-to-back singles by
Michael Bottoms and Deeds placed runners on first and second with nobody out.
Eric Bainer then laid down a beautiful bunt down the third base line. Marshall pitcher Ben Jurevicius tried to get Bainer at first, but his throw sailed into foul territory down the right field line. The errant throw allowed both Bottoms and Deeds to score to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead.
An excellent defensive play in center field by Ashbrook robbed Nathan Gomez of a lead-off hit as MSU clung to the 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth. Gomez sent a liner into shallow center that Ashbrook dove straight forward on and made the grab for the first out of the inning. After Gibson allowed a two-out single into left,
Hunter Hewitt came on and struck out pinch hitter Eric Semeniuk to end the game.
Deeds led the Eagles at the plate with a three-for-three day, while Ashbrook drove in his 48th RBI of the year to get MSU on the board in the fifth. Hewitt recorded his third save of the season.
The win moves MSU to 23-19 overall, while Marshall drops to 20-21 on the season. The Eagles will now hit the road for the second straight weekend, traveling to Austin Peay for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series.
