Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

                Andrew Quinnette (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo H.S.) had four runs batted in in the opener and Josh Wallace (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine H.S.) drove home six in the night cap for the Crusaders, but Marshall got the better end of the doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon, defeating Valparaiso 12-6 and 12-10 in Louisa, Ky.

                Marshall started game one with a two-run homer by Nate Lape, his first of two in the game, in the opening inning and added two more on a Tommy Johnson blast in the second.

                Valpo got a leadoff homerun by Mark Schoeck (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine H.S.) in the second and tied the game at four in the third on a three run bomb by Quinnette, the first of his career.

                The Thundering Herd retook the lead with two in the bottom of the fourth inning before Valpo tied the game again in the fifth with RBI singles by Quinnette and Wallace.  Marshall strung together four hits to produce three runs in the fifth and added three more in the six, two of which were unearned, to take the seven-inning affair.

                Quinnette had two hits as did Jason Brunelli (Greenfield, Wis./Greenfield H.S.) in the opener as part of Valpo’s nine-hit attack.  Marshall banged out 13 hits, including three by Lape, who had four RBIs in the contest.

                Ian Kadish (1-1) got the win in relief for the Thundering Herd while Steve Godawa (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Buffalo Grove H.S.) suffered the loss (0-1) in relief for the Crusaders.

                The nightcap was a slugfest from the start.  Valpo scored four times in the top of the first on a grand slam by Wallace.  Dan DeBruin (Combined Locks, Wis./Kimberly H.S.) led off with a hit and Brunelli followed with another.  Zach Rodeghero (New Lenox, Ill./Providence Catholic H.S.) walked to set the stage for the first of two blasts by Wallace in the game.

                Marshall answered with three in the bottom of the inning, all with two outs.  Wallace increased Valpo’s lead to 5-3 in the third with his sixth homerun of the season and the lead grew to four in the fourth as Matt Lenski (Milwaukee, Wis./Marquette University H.S.) walked with the bases loaded and Quinnette added a sacrifice fly.

                The Thundering Herd cut the lead in half on a two-run double by Lape in the fifth, but Valpo got both of those back in the sixth.  Rodeghero singled home Brunelli and Wallace followed with a hit and the Crusaders took a 9-5 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

                With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Marshall erupted for four runs, with Josh Valle’s two-run home forcing extra innings.

                Rodeghero doubled in the eighth to score Brunelli for the fourth time in the game, giving Valpo a lead but Marshall tied the game on a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the eighth.  A two-run homer by Johnson, his second of the day, won it for the Thundering Herd in the ninth.

                Andrew Hancock (1-0) earned the win for Marshall (5-6), pitching three innings of relief allowing just one run.  Jay Clites (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer H.S.) suffered the loss (1-1) for Valpo.

                Valparaiso (2-12) will head to Xenia, Ohio for four games this weekend against Dayton.  This is a change from the original weekend schedule.  The Crusaders and Flyers will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. CDT and another twinbill on Sunday at 1 p.m. CDT.