Late rally falls short in Marshals 3-2 loss to McCracken County

Griffen Ives on the mound for the Marshals, faces McCracken County batter Jacob Ehling in the bottom of the second inning with a base runner at second in the Tuesday evening game.

Despite out-hitting the Mustangs 6-4, the Marshals fell 3-2 to McCracken County on Tuesday, leaving nine base-runners stranded through the seven innings. Marshall County drops to 26-6 with one final home game on Thursday against Paducah Tilghman while McCracken County improves to 24-7.

Following his single in the first inning, Cole Griggs was left stranded with the third out and the Marshals followed that up defensively in the bottom of the inning, leaving a runner stranded for McCracken County on a double-play that ended the inning with Griffen Ives on the mound.

McCracken County scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the second that began on a triple by Grant Davis, Logan Verble hit into an error and Brandon Dodd reached on an error that brought Davis in for the run. A double by Grant Godwin drove a run in and the third run came on an RBI by Rece Hutchins for the 3-0 lead.

The Marshals brought in a run in the top of the third that started on a lead-off double by Austin Stockdale and he scored on an RBI grounder by Cole Griggs. Ives retired the first three up for the Mustangs in the third, fourth and fifth innings.

Cole Griggs walked in the top of the sixth, Tyler Belcher reached on an error and CJ Johnson drew a two-out walk to load up the bases but all three were left stranded when Dylan Schneider caught Isaiah Neeble out swinging.

The Mustangs led off in the bottom of the sixth with singles by Elijah Wheat and Davis, prompting a pitching change for the Marshals after Ives went five and a third innings. Weston Harper came to the mound and walked Verble which loaded the bases for McCracken County with one out. Harper proceeded to strike out Dodd and Godwin swinging to get out of the inning.

In the top of the seventh with one out, Ty Buchmeier bunted and reached on an error and Cole Griggs walked with two outs which led to a Mustangs pitching change to Jacob Ehling with Belcher at the plate for the Marshals. Belcher singled to bring in Buchmeier to cut the Mustangs lead to 3-2. With base runners on first and second, a ground ball by Jordan Riley led to an out at second to end the game.

Marshall County was led at the plate by Belcher with two singles and Stockdale’s double. Schneider picked up the win for McCracken County in six and two-thirds innings, striking out four, allowing five hits and two runs.

On Monday, the Marshals earned a 3-2 walk-off win over Caldwell County in the eighth inning when Stockdales’s one-out single brought in the game-winning run. Neeble led the Marshall County hitters with two doubles and the win went to Riley Harris who pitched all eight innings, striking out six while allowing four hits and two runs.

Marshall       0 0 1  0 0 0  1  2 6 2
McCracken 0 3 0  0 0 0  x  3 4 2
HITTING
Marshall: G. Griggs 1/4, C. Griggs 1/2 (RBI), Belcher 2/4 (RBI), Riley 1/4, Stockdale 1/3 (2B)
McCracken: Wheat 1/2, Davis 2/3 (3B), Dodd (RBI), Godwin 1/3 (2B, RBI), Hutchins (RBI)
PITCHING
Marshall: Ives 5.1 (4 hits, 3 runs), Harper 0.2 (0 hits, 0 runs)
McCracken: Schneider 6.2 (5 hits, 2 runs), Ehling 0.1 (1 hit, 0 runs)

Cole Griggs watches the play after reaching on a two-out single in the first inning for the Marshals.