Article by Thomas Duzan
With the end of one season, a new season emerges. In the middle of March, that means the Marshall Lions baseball season gets going. Having originally been slated for last Monday, the ever-volatile Midwestern weather prevented that, and thus the Marshall Lions making their way to Kansas to take on the Tri-County Titans became the new opening day game.
It started with some promise, but a third inning unraveling led to a big inning for Tri-County, enough to where the game ended early with Marshall losing in five by the score of 11-1.
The game got going with Shane Tarble as the leadoff hitter. He got down in the count 0-2 but was able to work it to a full count and ultimately got on base with an infield single. From there, Reed Ramey drew a walk. With runners at first and second with no one out came Garrett Pugh, looking to put the Lions on the board with a big hit.
He connected on a frozen rope to third, but it found its way to the third baseman’s glove for the first out. Liam Keim came up next and worked a walk but then Eli Thompson struck out. A bases loaded walk to Cage Stuckey brought in Tarble with the first run of the game. There was a chance for more, but Tucker Osborn popped out to end the threat.
In the absence of an injured Payton McGuire, it was Tarble who was tapped as the starting pitcher for the Lions for the first game. He got the first two outs relatively quickly, but then ran into some problems. Anthony Smith got on base with a single and then scored on a two-run home run for Kahle Lee.
Tarble was able to prevent further damage by getting Gavin Ruff to ground out to end the inning. So the game went on to the second with the Titans up 2-1.
Branson Maskell popped out to start the second, then Gavan Propst got on with a walk. He soon after stole second but would be stranded there with strikeouts of Tarble and Ramey. The bottom of the inning saw Tarble work a 1-2-3 inning as Wyatt McClain grounded out, Will Dudley struck out and Hunter Reese flew out to left to send the game to the third still 2-1.
Marshall had the heart of the order due up in the top of the third, but Pugh and Keim both struck out. Thompson flew out to right for a 1-2-3 top of the third. The bottom of the third proved to be the turning point in the wrong way for Marshall. Tarble started by getting Weaver to pop out, but then Kalvin Budd singled. He came in to score on a two-run home run for Chase Rhode. From there, Smith lined out to center, but then, Lee knocked out a solo home run, his second of the game. A walk to Ruff proved to be the end on the mound for Tarble, and he was replaced with Keim. Keim started with some control problems, issuing walks to the first two batters he faced.
They came in to score on a two-run RBI single for Reese. All told 10 Titan batters took to the plate to score six times, which put them up 8-1 after just three innings.
Stuckey flew out to deep left and Osborn struck out for the first two outs, then Maskell got on with a walk. He wouldn’t get past first as a strikeout of Propst ended the top of the fourth. Budd walked and then Rhode doubled to start the bottom of the inning, then both scored on a two-run RBI double for Smith.
Having already hit two home runs, Lee was intentionally walked for Ruff. The Lions got two quick outs when they got Ruff to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. McClain grounded out for the third out to prevent more damage being done, but the score was now 10-1 Tri-County going to the fifth.
Tarble struck out and Ramey popped out for the first two outs, but then Marshall finally got their second hit of the game when Pugh sharply lined a single out to left field. That would be all the noise made, though as Keim struck out for the third out. An infield single for Dudley started the bottom of the inning.
Reese then reached on an error and Abdisa Eskew, pinch-hitting for Weaver, drove in the run on an RBI single to bring the game to an early end, giving them the 11-1 five inning victory.