Box Score 2

Jason Brooks set a single season home run record belting his 21st homerun.

HUNTINGTON, WV -- People who follow Marshall baseball knew going in that Saturday's doubleheader between the Herd and Ohio at University Heights Field would be much different from Friday's 4-1 pitcher's duel in Athens.

But no one could have anticipated the almost seven hours of fireworks Saturday afternoon.

The Bobcats (25-21, 12-10 in the Mid-American Conference) used a seven-run seventh inning in the first game to rally for a 14-10 victory. In the nightcap Ohio also had a seven-run inning, the fifth, but had to score seven more down the stretch to hold off Marshall (22-25, 9-14) for a 20-18 victory in a game that went 10 innings.

The two teams will wrap-up their four game series on Sunday back in Athens. The first pitch is slated for 1 p.m.

The offensive totals posted on the day were staggering. The two teams combined for 62 runs on 73 hits. There were 16 home runs hit in the doubleheader and a total of 12 pitchers threw a whopping 714 pitches. Even with all that offense, there were still a combined 34 runners left on base in the game.

The opener saw Ohio score five quick runs off Herd starter Brandon Bartos, three on a homer by Cory Keylor and one on a solo shot by Joe Carlone, his first collegiate homer in 242 at bats.

Marshall battled back to take a 7-5 lead with two in the first, one in the second, two in the third on back-to-back homers by Jason Brooks and Matt Eldridge and two more in the fourth off Ohio starter Chuck Lombardy.

Bartos ran into trouble in the sixth when the Bobcats loaded the bases with three singles. Grant Harper (4-2) came on in relief and got what appeared to be an inning-ended double play, but Jason Ricceri's relay throw to first was wild, allowing two runs to score, knotting the game at 7-7.

As has been the case several times this year, Ricceri atoned for his error in the bottom of the inning with a solo homer to start a three-run Herd rally for a 10-7 lead. But, as Marshall fans know, no lead is ever save at The Heights.

Keylor led off the seventh for the Bobcats with his second homer of the game. After a line out, Ohio used two singles, two walks and a hit batter to score two runs and leave the bases loaded for Andrew See. The senior did not disappoint the Ohio fans at the game, launching a grand slam to cap the inning and give the Bobcats the win.

See, who had come on to pitch in relief in the sixth inning, gave up a hit, but closed out the Herd in the seventh for the win.

The nightcap started innocently enough, with neither team scoring in the first. That, however, soon changed.

Ohio scored two in the second on a Ryan Kyes homer, got one in the third on a double by Lombardy, who added a two-run homer in the Bobcats' three-run fifth. Ohio also scored seven runs in the sixth inning to apparently blow the game open and chase starter Chris Meadows.

Marshall, however, was keeping pace. The Herd scored two in the second on a Joe Shetler double, two in the third on a Brooks homer -- his 21st setting a new Marshall single-season record -- and four in the fifth on four singles and a two-run double by Homer Renshaw.

Ohio pushed it's lead to 16-8 with back-to-back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning for Arbinger, See and Keylor off Marshall reliever Trapper Tyrell.

That apparently lit a fire under the Herd, who scored four in the seventh on six singles and three on a Renshaw homer in the eighth to cut the deficit to 16-15, but a two-run homer by Adam Fox in the ninth for Ohio looked to have put the game away.

The Herd had other ideas as Marshall loaded the bases to start the inning with a pair of singles and a hit batter and bring Brooks to the plate. Ohio turned to See to close the door, and he struck out Brooks to dodge a bullet, but Marshall got one run on a passed ball, scored another on a ground out and a third, to tie the game at 18, on a two-out Bryan Colley single. See got out of the inning by striking out Matt White with the bases loaded.

In the 10th Ohio catcher Jeremy Johnson hit the first pitch he saw from Brian Shade (1-3) over the scoreboard in left for a 19-18 Ohio lead. Rick Suter came in to relieve and surrendered another run on a single, three walks and a sacrifice fly.

Marshall ran out of magic in the bottom of the 10th, despite a one-out double by Clay DeSantis, as See (3-4) closed the door to earn the victory in both ends of an unbelievable doubleheader.

Top hitters on the day were numerous, they included:
For Marshall
-- David Colangelo (5-9, 4 runs, 2 RBI), Jason Ricceri (5-12, 6 runs, HR), Jason Brooks (6-11, 4 runs, 5 RBI -- giving him 69 for the year, two shy of the MAC season record, 2 HR -- new school season record with 21), Matt Eldridge (4-9, 3 runs, 6 RBI, HR), Bryan Colley (4-10, 4 runs), Homer Renshaw (5-9, 2 runs, 6 RBI, HR), Joe Shetler (5-9), Clay DeSantis (3-6, 2 RBI).

For Ohio -- Ryan Kyes (3-7, 5 runs, 3 RBI, HR), Mike Arbinger (6-10, 4 runs, 4 RBI, HR), Andrew See (4-11, 4 runs, 9 RBI, 2 HR), Cory Keylor (5-8, 6 runs, 5 RBI, 3 HR), Chuck Lombardy (2-2, 3 RBI, HR), Adam Fox (3-11, 3 runs, 3 RBI, HR), Jeremy Johnson (3-8, 3 runs, 3 RBI, HR), Joe Carlone (5-9, 4 runs, HR).