Richmond, Ky.-The Eastern Kentucky baseball team jumped out to an 8-1 lead after two innings, then watched as Marshall fought back and pulled within a run, 11-10, in the eighth inning. With the tying run on second, senior closer Richard Boothe came on in the eighth and held the Thundering Herd scoreless over the final 1.2 innings to pick up his second save and secure the win for the Colonels.
Marshall (7-14) racked up 17 hits on the day, compared to 12 by Eastern, but was unable to overcome its early deficit. Senior Will Whisenant put together a 3-for-4 afternoon, including his team-leading fourth home run and a game-high four RBI to lead the way for the Colonels (8-10). Whisenant drove in three runs over the first two innings, courtesy of a two-run homer and a RBI bunt single, to help the team to its early 8-1 advantage. Senior Eric Anthrop (1-0) pitched an effective 3.0 innings in relief of starter Blake Anderson to help Eastern hold on for the win.
Senior Derrick Bussell got Eastern going in the bottom of the first by drawing a leadoff walk. Bussell moved to second with his first of two steals on the day, then scored off a RBI single from senior Adam Visnic. Whisenant followed with his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot to right field, to make it 3-0.
Leading 3-1 in the bottom of the second, after Bubba Pfaff drove in Marshall's first run in the top half, Eastern exploded for five runs to go up 8-1. Bussell and junior Chris O'Dell accounted for the majority of the damage as both players came through with two-run singles. Bussell finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, while O'Dell added a 2-for-5, two-RBI effort to Eastern's cause.
Marshall managed two runs off Anderson over the first three innings, but made it an 8-6 contest by pushing across four runs in the fourth. The Thundering Herd tallied five hits in the frame, including a two-run single from Adam Frederick. Anderson (3-0) made it out of the fourth and left the game on a preconceived pitch count prior to the start of the fifth in favor of Anthrop. Anthrop allowed one run and two hits over the next three innings to help the Colonels remain in control of the game.
After scoring eight runs in the first two innings, EKU managed just three over the next six. Whisenant came through with his fourth RBI in the bottom of the fourth to put Eastern on top 9-6. Sophomore Tony Wells followed with his second home run of the year in the fifth to bring Eastern's lead back to four runs, 10-6.
A run-scoring single from Tommy Johnson, who went 4-for-4 on the afternoon, pulled the Herd within three, 10-7, but freshman catcher Joe Oliver answered with an RBI double in the bottom half to make it a four-run ballgame again, 11-7.
Junior Greg Harper came on in relief of Anthrop at the start of the eighth but quickly ran into trouble. Harper hit the first batter he faced, then surrendered a two-run homer to Aaron Levinson. Adam Ptacek followed a single by Johnson with an RBI double to pull Marshall within one run, 11-10. With one out and the tying run on second, EKU called on Boothe to preserve the team's lead. After watching the first batter he faced reach on a fielding error, Boothe responded by fanning the next batter and forcing Joe Glevenyak to pop up to end the inning.
Holding on to a one-run lead, Boothe returned in the ninth and opened the frame by striking out Roddy Stieger and Josh McConnell. Marshall tried its best to tie the game, as the next two batters reached base (single, hit by pitch), but Boothe induced a groundout from Brent Mason to end the game.
The Colonels (8-10, 2-1 Ohio Valley Conference) return to action this weekend when they welcome Tennessee-Martin to Turkey Hughes Field for a three-game set. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at noon (EST), with the final game to start at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
