WKU (20-21), (10-11, C-USA) began their second series against Marshall Thundering Herd (8-25), (4-17, C-USA) on Friday afternoon in Huntington, West Virginia. WKU won a high scoring affair 10-6 making it the fifth win on the year against Marshall. 

Senior Ray Zuberer III went 4-for-5 with two solo home runs in the top of the seventh and eighth inning along with two doubles on the day.  

Sophomore Travis Sankovich went 2-for-3 with two RBIs along with the RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning that gave Marshall a 5-4 lead. 

Redshirt sophomore Jake Kates got his tenth start of the season for WKU. He pitched for 5.2 innings allowing five runs on six hits with six strikeouts. 

Marshall freshman Chad Heiner got the series opening start. He tossed for six innings allowing four runs on six hits with four strikeouts.  

Zuberer led the game off with a double in the top of the first frame. After a walk, freshman Ryan Leitch committed a throwing error to second base on a double steal that allowed Zuberer to score the first run of the game. 

WKU tacked on two more runs to extend their lead to 3-0 in the top of the first frame on an RBI double by senior Kevin Lambert. Marshall did not retaliate in the bottom of the first frame going three up and three down.     

In the top of the second inning, redshirt freshman Ty Crittenberger singled on a bunt with one out then advanced to third after a double by Zuberer. Crittenberger scored a run on an RBI single from junior Justin Carlin to make the WKU lead 4-0. Marshall went three up and three down in the bottom of the second inning. 

WKU went three up and three down in the top of the third frame. In the bottom of the third frame, Marshall cut into the WKU lead 4-1 on a solo home run by sophomore Kyle Schaefer. 

After WKU had nothing to show for, Marshall got the bats going with two out in the bottom of the fourth frame. Senior Zach Inskeep singled then advanced to second base after a walk by Kates. Junior Geordon Blanton cut the Marshall deficit to 4-2 on an RBI double that scored Inskeep.

WKU did not retaliate in the top of the fifth frame, going three up and three down. Junior Jordon Billups led-off the bottom of the fifth with a single followed by a walk to put Marshall runners on first and second base. Both would not advance after WKU recorded three consecutive outs to leave both stranded.

After WKU left runners stranded on second and third base, Inskeep singled to lead-off the bottom of the sixth inning. After a walk put Marshall runners on first and second base, Billups doubled to plate both Marshall runners to tie the game at four apiece. 

Junior Ryan O’Connell then relieved Kates. Sankovich gave Marshall a 5-4 lead on an RBI single that scored Billups. WKU got out of the sixth inning with an O’Connell strikeout. 

In the top of the seventh, Marshall made a pitching change going to senior Josh Zeboskey. Zuberer then tied the game back up at five apiece on a lead-off solo home run. Zeboskey was then relieved by freshman Will Dando with one out and a runner on first base for WKU. 

After a ground out, WKU regained the lead 6-5 on an RBI double by sophomore Matthew Meyer. Meyer then scored at the next at bat with Lambert’s second RBI double of the game to make the score 7-5. Marshall could not retaliate in the bottom of the seventh frame. 

WKU extended their lead to 8-5 in the top of the eighth with Zuberer’s second solo home run of the game. Sankovich cut into the WKU lead 8-6 with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth frame. 

In the bottom of the ninth inning, WKU tacked on two more runs to make the score 10-6 on a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly from senior Matt Phipps. 

Redshirt junior Bailey Sutton relieved O’Connell in the bottom of the ninth frame to close the game out for WKU. Marshall could not get the bats going as WKU won 10-6. O’Connell picked up his second win of the season. 

Up next WKU continues their road series against Marshall on Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.

Baseball beat reporter Wyatt Sparkman can be reached at [email protected]. Follow Wyatt on Twitter at @WyattSparkman3.