Hannibal grabs early lead, holds on to win and to move above .500 in North Central Missouri Conference play

HANNIBAL, Mo. — One day after a walk-off victory over Fulton, the Hannibal baseball team had to hang on for dear life to hold off Marshall on Friday.

The Pirates nearly let a 5-0 lead slip away but escaped with a 5-4 victory in North Central Missouri Conference play at the Veterans Sports Complex.

The Pirates scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning on a back-to-back doubles by Patrick and Alex Arthaud followed by a Marshall error. 

Patrick Arthaud doubled again in the second to drive in two more runs, then the Hannibal offense went quiet while the Owls chipped away at the lead. Marshall scored one run in the third, another in the fourth and two more in the fifth to get within a run.

Three straight singles with two outs in the sixth loaded the bases for Ian Miles. Cooper Scott got Miles to fly out on the first pitch, ending the threat.

Scott surrendered a leadoff single to Chase Thompson in the seventh. Alex Arthaud caught Thompson stealing second two pitches later, then Scott induced a flyout off the bat of Brock Marshall. Patrick Arthaud snared a Logan Kirchhoff line drive to end the game and put a cap on back-to-back one-run victories for the Pirates (9-11, 5-4 NCMC).