Herd edges ECU, 4-3

From electronic and staff reports
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BECKLEY, WV — Marshall scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on a throwing error by East Carolina second baseman Bryan Bass as the Thundering Herd rallied to top the Pirates 4-3 in a Conference USA baseball matchup on Saturday night.

The outcome evened the series at one win each with the deciding third game scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday.

ECU (27-23, 11-9) had taken a 3-2 lead with a pair of runs in the seventh. Zach Houchins singled and Chase McDonald walked before Ben Fultz reached on an error by the Marshall shortstop. Philip Clark had a bunt single that brought Houchins home and a throwing error on the play allowed McDonald to score.

Pirates reliever Brett Mabry hit Gray Stafford with a pitch and Isaac Ballou walked before ECU coach Billy Godwin brought Drew Reynolds to the mound in the bottom of the eighth.

Nathan Gomez bunted and Reynolds threw Stafford out on a force at third for the first out. Eric Escobedo singled to left to drive in Ballou and tie the score at 3. With two out, Aaron Bossi hit a slow grounder to Bass. The second baseman's throw sailed wide of McDonald at first and Gomez scored.

Marshall scored the game's first run in the fifth off of ECU starter David Lucroy. Alfredo Brito walked and Robert Fajardo pinch ran for him. Farjado stole second and moved to third on a bunt by Bossi. A wild pitch allowed Fajardo to score.

The Pirates tallied a tying run in the sixth after McDonald singled up the middle. Fultz walked and Clark put down a sacrifice bunt that moved McDonald to third. He came home on a wild pitch.

Bass and McDonald each had two hits as ECU outhit its hosts, 8-4. Reynolds extended his hitting streak to 14 games and Houchins pushed his hitting streak to 10 games. Clark and Dylan Brown also had hits for ECU, which left 12 runners on base.

Lucroy had 11 strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings. He allowed three hits, walked four and both runs were earned.

Ryan Hopkins pitched two and one-third innings of scoreless relief for the win.

PAGE UPDATED 05/12/13 12:44 AM.

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