Box Score Box Score

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team fell to host Marshall, 7-3, on Tuesday afternoon at Kennedy Center Field.
 
A pair of freshmen, Taylor Blair and Ben Fisher, combined to go 5-for-7 from the plate for the Colonels, but it was not enough, as the Thundering Herd staved off a potential EKU rally in the seventh inning to secure the midweek victory.
 
EKU took an early lead when sophomore Kyle Nowlin led off the game with a base hit and later scored on a balk; however, Marshall responded with two runs in the bottom of the first and then added another in the bottom of the fifth to take a 3-1 advantage.
 
The Colonels made it 3-2 in the top of the sixth when Fisher scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore TJ Alas, but Marshall again responded with a pair of runs in the home half of that inning to stretch its lead to three.
 
EKU's opportunity for a late rally came in the top of the seventh, when the Colonels loaded the bases with one out for senior Bryan Soloman, who laced a single into right field to score sophomore Luke Wurzelbacher and make it 5-3. However, with the bases still loaded, senior Sean Hagen pinch hit for Fisher and grounded into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
 
Marshall tacked on two more runs for good measure in the bottom of the eighth and held on for the non-conference win.
 
Sophomore right-hander Chris Cervantes (0-1) received the loss for the Colonels, going 5.1 innings and surrendering only two earned runs on seven hits.
 
Right-hander Kolin Stanley (1-2) earned the win for Marshall despite allowing two runs on three hits in his 1.2 innings of relief work.
 
With the loss, EKU drops to 14-18 on the year. Marshall improves 12-18.
 
The Colonels return to action tomorrow when they host Northern Kentucky at Turkey Hughes Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.