Marshall Baseball Recap
By Ethan Peltier, FM88 Sports
March 1, 2025
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WMUL-FM) — The long wait is officially over — baseball is back in Huntington.
The Marshall Thundering Herd opened its second season at Jack Cook Field Friday afternoon with a 5-4 victory over the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights.
Marshall (2-6) entered the matchup after splitting its previous series on the road against Georgia Tech. Meanwhile, the Knights (0-7) were looking for their first win of the season.
Offensively, the Herd wasted no time getting on the board. After Cam Harthan and Jackson Halter walked in the bottom of the first, Nolan Wilson laced a hit deep into right field to bring both runners home. Tyler Kamerer followed with a ground-rule double to right-center field, scoring Wilson and giving Marshall a 3-0 lead.
The Knights responded in the third inning when Felix Gonzalez launched a solo home run over the center-field fence to cut Marshall’s lead to 3-1. In the fourth, Nate Dudeck tied the game at 3-3 with a two-run blast to right field.
Marshall regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Harthan came through with a two-RBI double, bringing Ethan Murdoch and Eddie Leon home to give the Herd a 5-3 advantage.
The Knights’ starting pitcher, Chris Mattioli, was pulled after four innings. Mattioli struck out two batters but allowed five runs on five hits and three walks. Nick Noble came on in relief.
The Knights added another run in the sixth to trim the deficit to 5-4 and had a golden opportunity to take the lead. With runners on first and third and only one out, Marshall called in Nicholas Weyrich to relieve Bryce Blevins. Weyrich struck out two batters, and the Knights stranded three men on base, failing to capitalize on the opportunity.
From there, the game became a pitching duel between the teams’ relievers. Both Weyrich and Noble were stellar, each recording four strikeouts in their respective innings.
Despite a solid effort from Noble, Marshall was able to hold on for the 5-4 win. The Herd now has three victories in its last four games.
For the Knights, the search for their first win of the season continues despite the comeback effort.
Game two of the three-game series will continue tomorrow at Jack Cook Field. Originally slated for a 3 p.m. start, the contest has been flexed to 1 p.m.