By Thomas Duzan
On Wednesday the Marshall Lions played host to the Cumberland Pirates out at Hornbrook Field, beginning a stretch of three games in three days. The Lions got off to a nice start getting out to an early lead. However, things started to take a turn for the worse midway through the game, to the point of the Pirates walking away with a six-inning 14-4 victory.
Reed Ramey got the start for the Lions as the starting pitcher and ran into a bit of trouble early on. He got leadoff hitter Maddox Miller to pop out but then surrendered a walk to Grady Jones. An infield single for Hudson McElravy put runners at first and second with one out.
Up next was Adyn Heuerman, who hit a fly ball out to center field. The ball kept carrying to Payton McGuire, who was playing in center field, but unfortunately, he dropped the ball and that loaded the bases. The next batter, Lance Lock, hit an RBI sacrifice fly that resulted in the second out, but also brought in the run. The damage was kept at that when Reed Miller grounded out.
Branson Maskell started the bottom of the first with a strikeout. Tucker Osborn picked up the first Marshall hit of the game with a single. From there Garrett Pugh was hit by a pitch. Osborn advanced into scoring position for Reed Ramey who grounded out to second. Soon after, Osborn got caught up in a rundown play for the third out, sending the game to the second with Cumberland in front 1-0.
It was a bit easier the top of the second for Ramey on the mound. He did give up a leadoff hit to Kade McMechan but was able to retire the side in order after that. Then the Lions got three of their four runs in the bottom of the inning. Eli Thompson, Ayden Houpt and Max Welsh all walked to start.
After Gavan Propst struck out, a bases loaded walk to Liam Keim brought Thompson in to score. Another walk to Maskell brought in Houpt. Osborn popped into an infield fly popout for the second out, then Pugh got hit for the second time in the game to score the third run.
A Ramey flyout ended the inning, but not before the Lions had three runs come across the board, without the luxury of getting a hit. So the game went to the third with Marshall now up 3-1.
The top of the third started with a groundout for Jones, then McElravy walked. Heuerman then grounded into a fielder’s choice and Lock grounded out to end it for the Pirates. The Lion bats went down in order in their half of the third as Thompson flew out, Houpt struck out and Welsh lined out on a solid rope to center. So the game went to the fourth still 3-1 in favor of Marshall.
It was in the top of the fourth when things began to spiral for the home team. Following a strikeout of Miller, McMechan got on with an infield single, and Evan Davis reached on an error. A walk to Bryson Weber brought an end to Ramey’s outing and brought in Keim to pitch.
The struggles continued as the top of the order came up in Miller. He and Jones knocked two-run RBI doubles to put Cumberland ahead. Ten batters and six runs came across for Cumberland to break the game open. The Lions did scratch across one more run in the bottom of the inning.
Propst and Keim both walked, then two batters later, an RBI groundout for Osborn brought Propst in to score. That made it 7-4 Cumberland going to the fifth.
The struggles went on into the fifth. McMechan was hit by a pitch, then Keim got a strikeout of Davis. A walk to Weber and a two-run RBI double for Miller brought the score to 9-4. Later in the inning, Keim was replaced on the mound with Shane Tarble, who inherited the bases loaded.
Unfortunately for Marshall, the big blow of the game came on the very next hitter when Heuerman knocked out a grand slam home run. In the bottom of the inning Houpt and Welsh both got singles, but both were stranded when Propst grounded into a fielder’s choice with two outs. That sent the game to the sixth with Marshall now trailing 14-4.
Maskell made a nice, backhanded stop at shortstop to get Weber for the first out of the sixth, and Cumberland was kept off the scoreboard. Marshall looked to get the game extended in the bottom of the inning and Osborn picked up an infield single to aid in that cause.
However, He got hung up again looking to get to third on a wild pitch and was thrown out for the last out of the game, bringing it to an early end and giving Cumberland the six-inning 14-4 win.