Xavier drives in 4, hits game-winner in 11th

Because of a disputed substitution in the 11th inning, this game was played under protest and later ruled an incomplete game to be picked back up at the point of controversy. As of July 15, however, the two clubs agreed the game would result in a tie, to be completed on July 25 only if the league standings would be affected. Click here for details.

Glaze

For the third night in a row, fans got some free baseball at Guess Field. And for the second time in three games, the hometown fans left the park as winners with a walk-off hit.

On Saturday, after an extra inning victory the night before, the Bobcats were unable to rally from a run down in the 10th to prevent their fifth loss in the last six games . But on Sunday, Joey Xavier's single in the 11th ended the game with Marion (15-12, 16-12 overall) on top of Owensboro 7-6. The run was the fourth of the night driven in by Xavier on a 3-for-5 night.

Entering the eighth inning up 6-3 on the Oilers behind a strong performance by starter Andrew Edwards, Marion's bullpen couldn't close the door. Manager Kyle Medley's normally reliable tandem of set-up man Daniel Szathmary and closer Matt Vollenwieder each got touched for runs in the eighth and ninth, respectively, to allow Owensboro (13-15) to send the game to extra innings. For Vollenweider, who gave up two runs in the last frame of regulation to tie the game, it was his first blown save of the year and the first runs charged to his ERA.

Vollenweider had not allowed a single runner to reach home all season until Saturday's game winner in Fulton's half of the 10th inning.

But Marion's bullpen redeemed itself in extra innings. Stephen Glaze pitched two hitless innings to give the offense another chance to end a game in walk-off fashion.

With the heart of the order up in the bottom of the 11th, the offense did just that. Desmond Roberts led  with a single off reliever Jim Mulvaney, but Mulvaney rebounded for two quick outs before an error allowed Cody Schmitt to reach and Roberts to move to third. With the winning run just 90 feet away and the count full, Xavier drove a hard grounder between third and short to end the game.

Glaze (1-1) got the win, his first of the year. Mulvaney (3-3) took the loss.

After combining for eight errors the night before, the defense on Sunday was not much better. Seven errors were committed in the game, leading to an unearned run for each team, including the game-winner.

Early in the game, Owensboro scored first with a Brent Weinzapfel two-run homer off Edwards in the second. Marion would answer with three runs in the next half inning, led by Xavier's first RBI of night when he drove in Caleb Eickhoff who started the inning with a double. The second run was forced in on walk from Owensboro starter Brad Pressley. The final run came home on a fielder's choice on a ball put in play by A.J. Dokey.

In the third, Edwards balked home the Oilers' third run of night, tying the game at 3-3. But Marion's bats once again had an answer, adding two of their own on another run-scoring single from Xavier. The Bobcats added their final run in regulation in the sixth when Roberts drove in Dokey with a single.

On the base paths, Dokey and Jake Hirniak each had two stolen bases and Roberts added one of his own.

The Oilers' manager, Steve Fowler, was tossed from the game after arguing a substitution with the umpire. Prior to this year, Fowler was the only manager to have led the Bobcats.

The game was the only action on tap Sunday in the Ohio Valley League, giving Marion a chance to extend their first-place lead by a half-game over Tradewater, who comes to town on Monday 1.5 games in back of the Bobcats. The game starts at 7:05 p.m.

Click here for box score.