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BECKLEY, W. Va. – A Marshall 5th-inning grand slam and nine-run 8th served as enough offense for the Thundering Herd (8-10), as they defeated St. Bonaventure (5-8) on Saturday night, 14-3.
Junior left hander Nick Brennen got the start on the mound for the Bonnies, and pitched a shutout into the bottom of the 5th before Marshall broke the tie in a big way.
After the first two Marshall batters of the frame reached safely, junior Jordan Crane came in out of the bullpen in relief for Brennen. Crane – who has been Bonaventure's best reliever early on in the year, pitching to a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings of work – saw the runners advance to second and third after a passed ball, and then watched the first run of the night score on a wild pitch.
Senior Jamie Wallschlaeger relieved Crane and retired the first batter he faced on strikes. He then walked the next two, the second intentionally, setting up a bases-loaded scenario. With the Bonnies just one strike from getting out of the jam, James Lavinskas sent a 2-2 delivery from the side-arm lefty over the right-field fence for a grand slam and a 5-0 Thundering Herd lead.
But the Bonnies showed their resiliency, and had an answer in their next at-bat in the top of the 6th. Sophomore first baseman Austin Ingraham started things off as he tripled to right center on the first pitch of the inning for just the second Bona hit of the game. Classmate Billy Urban then worked a full-count walk to set up runners on the corners for senior Brad Steinbach.
The center fielder beat out an infield single to the left side of the diamond for his eighth RBI of the year, advancing Urban to second. After Brennen flew out to center to move Urban to third, junior Ryan Skellie reached on an error by the second baseman to plate Urban and move Steinbach to second. A subsequent balk moved Steinbach to third and Skellie to second, and Steinbach then scored on a passed ball to cut the Bona deficit to 5-3.
Unfortunately for the Bonnies, the nine-run Marshall 8th inning put the game out of reach as they dropped the second contest of the three-game set.
Wallschlaeger took the loss, his first of the year, as three of the four runners who scored on the grand slam were his responsibility. Brennen was credited with a no decision after his 4.1 innings of three-hit, two-run work. He also struck out three while walking four.
At the plate, the Bonnies could manage just three hits while Marshall pounded out 12 and worked around four errors.
The Bonnies will look to salvage the series with a win in game three on Sunday at Noon. Redshirt sophomore Eddie Gray will get the ball looking for his second win of the campaign.
