By Thomas Duzan
On Friday the Marshall Lions were back at it, facing off against the South Vermillion, IN Wildcats out at Hornbrook Field. Coming into the game having lost four games in a row, the Lions were in need of a breakout with the bats, and that’s precisely what happened. Marshall scored early and added on in route to snapping the four-game skid and winning 10-3.
Taking the hill for the Lions for this game as the starting pitcher was Liam Keim. He got the first two outs as Carter Zucca flew out and he struck out Braxton Idelwine. He surrendered a walk to Bryson Lemmons but a strikeout of Colton Minnett kept any runs off the board.
The bottom of the first saw the Lions get on the board first. Branson Maskell led off drawing a walk, then Tucker Osborn got on with a hit, on which there was also an error. Garett Pugh was then hit by a pitch. That loaded the bases for Reed Ramey, who drove in two runs on a two-run RBI single.
The Wildcats briefly tied the game in the top of the second. Brayden Crim started off with a single, then Cam Lemmons grounded into a fielder’s choice. Lemmons then later scored on a balk. Keim then struck out Easton Smith then Robbie Ludlow got on base with an infield single.
Two batters later, an RBI single for Zucca drove in Ludlow. The tie didn’t last too long with Marshall retaking the lead in the bottom of the inning. D.J. Williams grounded out to start the inning, then Keim was hit by a pitch. Maskell then singled. A well-placed bunt single for Osborn brought Keim in to score.
Pugh hit a soft line-drive to short for the second out, then later Maskell looked to score on a wild pitch but was thrown out looking to score. So the game went to the third with Marshall back in front 3-2.
Following a scoreless top of the third thrown by new Lion pitcher Max Welsh, which ended in a double play, the Lions added on in their half of the third. Ramey, Eli Thompson and Ayden Houpt all singled to start the inning. Gavan Propst had an RBI groundout on which Ramey scored, and Welsh followed suit with one of his own, that scored Houpt.
Keim picked up a hit and Maskell later walked, but they would be stranded on base. Regardless, three runs came across to score to send the game to the fourth with Marshall now leading 6-2.
South Vermillion scored one more time in the fourth. Zucca walked and later scored on a wild pitch. Idelwine doubled, but then Welsh got Bryson Lemmons to fly out that left him on base. Marshall went down without much noise in the bottom of the inning so the game went on to the fifth now at 6-3 Lions.
Crim got a hit with one out and Cam Lemmons walked, but then Marshall turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. The bottom of the fifth saw the Lions add on to all but ensure a win. Houpt led off with a popout, but then Propst singled. After Welsh reached on an error and Keim grounded into a fielder’s choice, Maskell drove in a run with an RBI single.
Osborn then singled and Pugh was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, to bring in another run. Two more runs came in when Ramey drove them in with a two-run RBI single. All nine batters took to the plate to score four runs to make it a 10-3 Lions lead after five innings.
Shane Tarble came on to pitch in the top of the sixth and got Ludlow to fly out to start the inning. He then gave up a hit to Colton Rippy but then he got Zucca to ground into a 5-4-3 double play, the third of the game. The Lions went down in order in their half of th sixth to send the game to the seventh still 10-3.
South Vermillion got a couple of hits in the top of the seventh when Idelwine got an infield single and Bryson Lemmons got a hit of his own. Minnett then grounded into a fielder’s choice for the first out and then Crim flew out to right for the second out. Lemmons, who was the runner at third tagged up looking to score, but got a bad jump, and the throw from left field was cut off by Pugh at third and he threw home and successfully got Lemmons at the plate for a rare 7-5-2 double play to end the game and give the LIons the win by the final of 10-3.