Photo by Jake McNeill: Marshall pitcher Liam Kruse delivers a pitch from the mound during the Big South Conference baseball championship game against Fairmont at Legion Field in Marshall on Saturday. Kruse pitched the game’s first 6 1/3 innings for Marshall while hitting a two-run triple at the plate, leading the Tigers to a 4-2 win and their second consecutive conference championship.

MARSHALL — Despite a series of fielding errors, the Marshall baseball team put together enough offense in the first inning of its Big South Championship game against Fairmont on Saturday to capitalize on a stellar pitching performance from Liam Kruse. The Tigers were shut out after the first frame but held on defensively for a 4-2 victory.

The win gives Marshall its second consecutive Big South Conference title after the Tigers defeated Luverne 5-3 in the 2024 conference championship.

Kruse earned the pitching win for Marshall, tossing the first 6 1/3 innings while limiting the Cardinals to one earned and one unearned run. He struck out seven batters while giving up a walk and three singles. He also held Fairmont without a hit from the third inning through the sixth.

“I was just trying to stay in the zone and have the defense work behind me. We did have quite a few errors, but it didn’t end up hurting us too much at the end,” Kruse said. 

Marshall loaded the bases with one out in the first when Andrew Stelter and Chase Alcorn walked and Josh Kraft singled in between. Eli Alcorn then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to give Marshall the go-ahead run, and a Liam Kruse two-run triple and a Braxton Koster RBI double capped off a four-run inning from the Tigers.

Kruse’s four total bases on a triple and a single were a game-high, as were his two RBIs. Chase Alcorn also reached base four times on two singles and two walks while Koster contributed a double and a single for Marshall.

“We’ve been hitting well for the last couple of games. Now I think the only thing we need to work on at all offensively is just driving in runs when they’re there,” Kruse said. Marshall left 10 runners on base in six innings of at-bats, including six in the first three innings. “Over the last couple of games, we’ve left a lot of runs on base, so that’s the only thing we need to fix offensively.”

Trailing by a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, Joe Long singled and Josh Soelter reached base on Marshall’s seventh error of the game to put the tying run on first and the go-ahead run at the plate. After Marshall had Owen Kesteloot relieve Kruse due to pitch count, Joseph Hackett hit a deep fly ball into center field. 

The runners advanced after the out, but the officials ruled that Soelter didn’t tag up at first base before advancing, and the Tigers put together a rare 8-4-3 double play to end the game.

Marshall finished the game out-hitting Fairmont 10-3 but committed seven errors compared to none from the Cardinals.

“We did a nice job defensively, didn’t make any errors today. We kind of pride ourselves in playing good defense and that kept us in the game,” Fairmont head coach Don Waletich said. “They hit the ball really well against us, but we got the key outs when we needed them… and Josh did a nice job pitching for us as well.”

Luke Haefner and Mason Bicknase singled to start the second for Fairmont, and a Nolyn Goerndt ground out and a Marshall error at second on a Long ground ball gave the Cardinals a pair of runs. 

Haefner, Bicknase and Long each singled to account for Fairmont’s only hits of the day while Goerndt drew a walk. 

“Sometimes that’s how the ball bounces. Give credit to their pitcher today, the Kruse kid pitched very well and he got stronger as the game went on, I thought,” Waletich said. “We put together some pretty good at-bats against him, but we tip our cap to them, they were the better team today and let’s keep on moving forward.”

“Sometimes that’s how the ball bounces. Give credit to their pitcher today, the Kruse kid pitched very well and he got stronger as the game went on, I thought,” Waletich said. “We put together some pretty good at-bats against him, but we tip our cap to them, they were the better team today and let’s keep on moving forward.”

Soelter pitched four scoreless innings of relief for Fairmont, giving up a pair of hits while striking out a pair of batters. Yet, Fairmont was unable to climb out of an early deficit to capitalize on the performance. 

Bicknase pitched the first two innings for Fairmont, giving up four earned runs on seven hits with three walks. He gave up consecutive singles to start the third but Soelter got three straight outs to leave the runners stranded, marking the fifth and sixth runners Marshall left on base through three innings.

Marshall improves to 15-4 with the win and hosts Alexandria (12-4) for its next game at Legion Field today at 5:30 p.m.

Fairmont falls to 16-2 on the season with the loss and next goes on the road to take on Worthington (2-14) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.