McKinney, TX- The Marshals (9-5) finished off their home series against the Alexandria Aces (3-9) with a 3-1 victory, and remained in a tie for first place in the Texas Collegiate League. The Marshals victory also marks their fourth consecutive victory, all against the Aces.

Starting pitcher Nick Thomas (Southeast Missouri) threw seven shutout innings before allowing a run in the top of the seventh. He finished the night with 7.1 innings pitched, six hits allowed, two walks, and four strikeouts. Thomas cruised through the game until the Aces loaded the bases with only one out in the eighth inning. That was when Coach Roland Fanning turned to his outfield for help.

Reliever Chase Huchingson (Central Arkansas) came in from his centerfield position to try and get the Marshals out of the jam. It only took a handful of pitches before Huchingson got Alexandria 2B Matt Holsman (Fairleigh-Dickinson) to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Huchingson’s performance was not limited to the mound, scoring in the first inning after leading off the game with a double down the left field line.

Max Lamantia (Stephen F. Austin) increased the Marshals’ early lead with a sixth inning RBI single, scoring Boomer Collins (Nebraska).  Lamantia would help give McKinney their final run after a leadoff single in the eighth inning. Nico Taylor (Texas State) replaced Lamantia as a pinch runner, and scored on a double from Jeff Schaffert (Tulane).

Thomas improved his record to 2-1 with the win, while Chase Huchingson picked up his league-leading third save.

McKinney hits the road for a three-game series against the East Texas Pump Jacks before returning to Gabe Nesbitt Field on June 23rd.