The Chippewas snapped Marshall’s four-game winning streak, sweeping a doubleheader Friday in Beckley 9-7 and 7-3.
Marshall let early leads slip away in both games as the Central Michigan offense used a combination of power and fundamentals to drive runners in. The Chippewas benefited from a solo homer Alec Ornelas in the top of the third innings and a two-run blast from Neal Jacobs in the fifth. Central Michigan plated insurance runs in the sixth and eighth innings to cement the 7-3 win.
Marshall’s Chase Boster took the loss giving up four earned runs on four his in five innings of work.
The Herd came out swinging in the second game as Isaac Ballou led of the first with a single, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball. The Herd took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third. Ballou got things rolling with a single and would eventually come around to score on a Nathan Gomez sacrifice fly. Marshall would take advantage of a Central Michigan throwing error plating Andrew Dundon. Alfredo Brito followed with a single scoring Gray Stafford who reached on the throwing error.
However a disastrous fifth would doom The Herd. Central Michigan scored five runs on four hits and benefited from two Marshall errors. The big blow came off the bat of Neal Jacobs who crushed a three-run homerun to put Central Michigan up for good.
Marshall got the winning run to the plate in the ninth but failed to get him in.
Brandy Sittinger was saddled with the loss for Marshall.
Marshall wraps up its series with Central Michigan Saturday at Noon at Epling Stadium in Beckley.