Marshall County baseball opened the 2024 season against the defending and 9-time First Region champions McCracken County Mustangs. Tyler O’Daniel begins his third year as the Marshals head coach and led the team to a 20-14 record last year. Last season, the Marshals won the Fourth District title 8-2 over Calloway County before falling in the First Region semifinals 11-1 to Paducah Tilghman.
McCracken County leads the all-time series 21-1 over Marshall County. The Marshals only win a 4-3 victory on May 15, 2018.
The pre-season #2 ranked Mustangs delivered a 14-0 win on 13 hits in five innings over the Marshals on Tuesday at Preston Cope Field.
The Marshals loaded up the bases on no outs in the bottom of the second on a double by Reese Oakley, Gavin Clark bunt and walk drawn by Kaden Merrick. Miller Green struck out the next two up and a line out ended the inning leaving all three base runners stranded.
McCracken County put the first run up in the top of the third on a solo home run by Green. The Mustangs scored six runs in the top of the fourth on five hits and another five hits in the top of the fifth brought seven more across the plate for the 14-0 win.
Clark went 2-for-2 at the plate for the Marshals. Oakley 1-for-2 with a double and took the loss from the mound after giving up seven runs on seven hits.
Green went 4-for-5 with a triple, home run and drove in three to lead the Mustangs. Cressler was 4-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. Green earned the win in two innings of work, allowing two hits and striking out four.
McCracken 0 0 1 6 7 0 x | 14 13 1
Marshall 0 0 0 0 0 x x | 0 4 2
Marshall (0-1): Oakley 1/2 (2B), Clark 2/2, Swoope 1/2
McCracken (2-0): Ehling 2/5, Green 4/5 (3B, HR, 3 RBI), Farley 1/2 (2 RBI), Moffatt 1/2 (RBI), Kerm 1/2 (RBI), Cressler 4/4 (2-2B, 3 RBI)
Marshall: Oakley 3.1 (7 hits, 7 runs), Driver 1.0 (2 hits, 4 runs), Morgan 0.2 (4 hits, 3 runs)
McCracken: Green 2.0 (2 hits, 0 runs), Ehling 2.0 (1 hit, 0 runs), Calhoun 1.0 (1 hit, 0 runs)
