HUNTINGTON, WV – The Merrimack College baseball team suffered a loss in game one of their series with Marshall University on Friday afternoon.
Andrew Selima had a career day, after hitting two home runs and grabbing three RBI's. The Warriors found themselves down 7-1 in the seventh inning, then rattled off five runs to pull within one run. Selima launched a two-run home run in the seventh to give Merrimack some much needed momentum.
Michael Golankiewicz followed up with a two RBI double in the eighth to cut the advantage to one run.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 6, Marshall 7
Records: Merrimack (2-7) | Marshall (10-5)
Location: Huntington, WV. | Kennedy Center
Rapid Recap
- Marshall scored in the first after a solo homerun to right field. Selima matched the Marshall homerun in the first with one of his own in the second inning to tie the game at one. The Herd added two runs in the bottom half of the second. Both teams batted keeping the score at 3-1. The Warriors went down in order three innings in a row. Marshall tacked on three runs on another homerun to right.
- Kurtis Stadnicki singled to lead off the sixth. The Warriors then went down in order after the single to keep the Herd advantage at five runs. Marshall added one more run in the bottom half of the sixth. In the seventh Merrimack started to make their comeback. Golankiewicz started the inning with a walk. Bryant Skurbe then doubled to center. The rocket drove him Golankiewicz. Selima then hit his second homerun of the afternoon to right, adding two runs to the Warriors total. The score was now 7-4. Jack Collins threw a shutdown inning in the seventh to give Merrimack some life for the final two innings. In the eighth, Scott Elliot singled to lead off the inning, followed by a Haba walk. Anthony Gentile singled to load the bases up with no outs in the inning. Golankiewicz then doubled to right, which scored two runs and pulled the Warriors within one run. In the bottom on the eighth, Timmy Kalantzakos entered for Merrimack. After letting up a leadoff single, he did not let up another hit, maintaining the momentum heading into the ninth. Stadnicki led off the eighth with a walk. Elliott bunted over the runner to second, giving the Warriors a runner in scoring position with just one out. Haba singled, advancing the runner to third. Gentile grounded into a double play to end the game.
Top Performers // Notes
- WP: Purnell (2-0) | LP: Zappulla (1-2
- Haba makes it nine straight game with a hit. He leads the squad with a .481 batting average.
- In game one, Selima had his first two homerun game of his career, including his four seasons at Holy Cross.
- Due to darkness in West Virginia game two will resume on 3/13 before the start of game three.
Up Next:
Due to an incoming storm, Merrimack will not play tomorrow. The Warriors will conclude game two before game three down in Huntington on Sunday afternoon.
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