RICHMOND, Ky. -- Coach Jim Ward's Eastern Kentucky University Colonels took up where they left off last week and that's putting the aluminum on the baseball as EKU pounded out 18 hits en route to a 13-5 non-conference victory over the visiting Marshall University Thundering Herd Tuesday afternoon at Eastern's Turkey Hughes Field.

Eastern (13-13) chased Herd starter Chris Dunn (0-1) with a four-run second and a five-run third as Eastern quickly bolted to a 9-4 lead after three innings. The Colonels added another run in the fourth, two more in the sixth and closed the scoring with a tally in the eighth to grab their fifth straight victory.

EKU, who batted .392 as a team last week in going 4-2 on the week with a win over Louisville and a three-game sweep of Ohio Valley Conference rival Austin Peay, was aided by strong pitching performances by sophomore righthanded starter Shawn Thacker and junior reliever Jason Estep.

Thacker (3-1) went seven innings and gave up all five runs and five walks, but was able to pitch out of most jams that he found himself in during the early going. One mistake cost him dearly as on a two-out, 0-2 pitch to Marshall left fielder Mike Fleming, he hung a curveball and Fleming deposited it over the left field fence to trim the EKU margin to 5-4 after two and one-half innings. However, EKU quickly added four runs in the bottom of the frame and the rout was on.

Eastern was led at the plate by shortstop Jason Sharp who went 5-5 with four singles and a triple; second baseman Adam Basil who was 3-5 with two solo home runs; and rightfielder Sean Murray, first baseman Matt Mason, catcher Joe Smith and third baseman J.D. Bussell with two hits each.

Centerfielder Joe Shetler had three singles for the Herd, while first baseman Tom Kuempel added two hits to Marshall's (9-13) cause.

Eastern returns the game to Marshall in Huntington, Tuesday, Apr. 14, at 6:00 p.m.

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