RICHMOND, Ky. – Brendan Murphy hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning, his third of the game, to lead the Marshall Thundering Herd to a 14-12 victory over the Eastern Kentucky baseball team Wednesday at Turkey Hughes Field. The teams used a combined 14 pitchers and totaled 30 hits. Eastern fell to 21-20 with the loss while the Thundering Herd improved to 20-21.

Murphy hammered a grand slam in the first off EKU starter Casey Howard to give Marshall an early 4-0 lead. But Eastern came back with four of its own in its first at-bat highlighted by a three-run home run by junior Tyler Nix.

Marshall got a run in the top of the second to go ahead 5-4 but the Colonels responded with three in the bottom of the inning on a RBI single from junior Kirt Kleindienst, a Brett Bolger run-scoring double and a RBI groundout from junior Charlie Yarbrough.

The Thundering Herd closed the lead to 7-6 with a run in the third and then took the lead with four runs in the fourth on a Brit Vincent two-run single and a Aaron Levinson two-run double.

EKU came back to take the lead with four runs in the fifth though as junior Tony Well smacked a pinch-hit two-run home run to put the Colonels in front 11-10.

The Herd tied it in the seventh off EKU reliever David Owens as Adam Frederick singled in Tommy Johnson.

Eastern jumped ahead 12-11 in the bottom of inning on a solo shot from senior Keith Bolger, the first home run of his career.

EKU returns to conference play this weekend, traveling to take on a Southeast Missouri for a three-game series. The teams will play a doubleheader beginning Saturday at 1 p.m. and a single game starting Sunday at the same time.