After losing leads of 4-0 and 7-4, Clark beats Marshall in 8th
By Mark Kusenberger
tsrnsports.com
Special to SAsports.com
E.J. Salazar lifted a 3-run homer over the left field fence, finally producing a lead the Marshall Rams couldn’t overcome and giving the Clark Cougars a 10-7 victory in eight innings Friday night at Inselmann Field.
With the win, Clark (16-6-1, 8-4 in 28-5A) pulls into a tie with idle Stevens for 2nd place in the district, 1½ games behind O’Connor. Marshall (18-6, 8-5 in 28-5A) is now tied with Jay for 4th in district; Marshall and Jay split their season series.
Of the 17 runs scored Friday night, only 6 were earned.
Clark took the early lead by capitalizing on defensive mistakes. Chucko Bernal reached on an error to lead off the game, then went to second on a single by Salazar off Marshall starter Joey Guerra. Hennessy singled to right, scoring Bernal; Salazar’s courtesy runner Tyler Rankin went to third, and Hennessy went to second on the throw home. Two outs later, Matt Thrailkill was hit by a 0-2 pitch to load up the bases, then a sharp grounder bounced off the shortstop’s chest, allowing Rankin and Hennessy to score. A fortunate bounce off the shortstop might have gone to the second baseman and resulted in a force play, but the ball bounced past Roman Alfaro, allowing the two runs to score and make it 3-0 Clark.
Joseph Ybarra hit the first pitch of the third inning well over the left field fence for his 5th homer of the year, making it 4-0 Clark.
Meanwhile, Marshall put up consistent threats against Clark, but couldn’t capitalize, stranding 5 base runners in the first three innings.
Marshall finally broke through against Salazar in the fourth, and their rally was ignited by a strikeout.
With two out, Jonathan Parker swung at a wild pitch strike three; a good throw from the catcher would have retired Parker, but the ball was bobbled and poorly thrown, the error allowing Parker to reach safely. Marcus Uechi singled to moved Parker to second, then Alfaro singled to left; Marshall coach Bruce Holmes was holding the runners, but a poor throw from the left fielder got away from the catcher, allowing Parker to score, bringing Marshall within three. A passed ball allowed Uechi to score, making it 4-2 Clark, then Ory Kalenkosky walked. Alfaro and Kalenkosky scored on a two-run double by Ty Marron to tie the game at 4. After Josh Vanta was hit by a pitch, Clark’s Matt Thrailkill made a long run to catch a fly ball by Bobby Saenz to end the fourth.
Clark responded with three in the fifth, all unearned. Hennessy led off with a double; two outs later, Thrailkill reached on another error by the shortstop. Hennessy scored on a double to the left field wall by Jonathan Farina, then both scored on a single by Jonathan Schneider to make it 7-4 Clark.
Marshall chased Salazar in the fifth. Aaron Gonzalez led off the 5th with a single; one out later, Parker singled him to second, then Marcus Uechi doubled them both home to make it 7-6 Clark. Rather than let E.J. Salazar, having thrown 94 pitches, face a powerful order a fourth time, Clark coach Aldo Velasquez went to his closer Carl O’Neal. Alfaro blooped a single to right to move Uechi to third. Kalenkosky struck out swinging for out number two. Then with a 2-2 count on Marron, O’Neal uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Uechi to score to tie the game.
Clark threatened in the seventh against Marshall reliever Davy Hinebaugh (0-1). With one out, catcher Joseph Ybarra walked, and Tyler Rankin became his courtesy runner. Pitcher Carl O’Neal, in his first varsity at bat, dropped a beautiful bunt down the first baseline for a hit. Matt Thrailkill followed with another fine bunt; catcher Marron fielder the ball, but held it because no Ram was covering first base. Rankin, perhaps expecting an errant throw, tried to score from second, not realizing the ball was waiting for him in Marron’s catcher’s mitt; Rankin was tagged out with little effort. Farina then grounded out to Hinebaugh to end the inning.
O’Neal twice pitched out of first-and-second, one out jams in the sixth and seventh, then Clark broke through once more in the 8th.
Jonathan Schneider drew a leadoff walk from Hinebaugh, then Clark bunted again, this time with pinch hitter – and earlier courtesy runner - Tyler Rankin. Hinebaugh fielded his bunt, and again Marshall left first base uncovered. This time, Hinebaugh threw the ball, allowing Schneider and Rankin to end up at third and second.
Marshall coach Holmes then brought ace Ory Kalenkosky to the mound from third base. Kalenkosky got Bernal to ground out to the pitcher; Kalenkosky help the runners to preserve the tie. E.J. Salazar then hit a 1-2 pitch for the homer to put Clark back ahead 10-7.
Clark’s only earned runs were scored on the homers by Ybarra and Salazar.
Marshall, in 19 at-bats against O’Neal’s fastball-curveball mix, put the ball in play only 7 times, just twice in the last 12 at-bats. O’Neal gave up a two-out single to Parker and a walk to Uechi, letting Alfaro bat as the tying run. But O’Neal struck out his 8th Ram by catching Alfaro looking to end the game.
O’Neal earned his second victory, both wins coming in relief stints in extra inning games. Marshall left 15 runners on base, two each inning except the second, when they left one.
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