Three-Run Ninth Dooms Herd Baseball

With the victory, CMU won the series and improved to 9-9.Marshall fell to 7-10. 

Trailing by as many as four early on, Marshall rallied with five runs in the fifth to swing a 5-1 deficit into a 6-5 advantage.Alfredo Brito began the inning with his 100th career hit, singling on a blooper to right-center.Sergio Leon, Isaac Ballou, Andrew Dundon, and Gray Stafford all drove in runs in the inning as the Herd batted around the order.

Two innings later, a two-out, two-RBI single by CMU left fielder Neal Jacobs gave the Chippewas the lead back, but Marshall again responded against the adversity.In the bottom of the eighth, Stafford led off being hit by a pitch and came around to score with Eric Escobedo on Vogelbach’s three-bagger to right.

In the ninth, Central Michigan got back-to-back one-out singles then capitalized on a costly throwing error by Herd reliever Matt Margaritonda.

Margaritonda (0-3) suffered the loss while CMU’s Sean Renzi (1-1) took the winning decision.Matt Trowbridge, who entered to pitch the bottom half of the ninth, recorded the save (four).

Stafford notched his first home run of the season with a solo blast to left field in the first.The senior was one of seven members of the Herd to finish with a hit.

CMU centerfielder Nick Regnier went 2-for-4 with three runs, but Jacobs (3-for-5) dealt the most damage with three RBIs and a run.

Marshall starting pitcher Wayland Moore fanned nine in 5.1 innings of work but did not receive any decision.Despite surrendering just six hits and walking none, the senior gave up five (earned) runs.

Marshall and Central Michigan will close out the series Sunday at 12 p.m.