Marshall University Athletics
EKU Colonels Visit Herd Wednesday at 3 p.m.
4/24/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 24, 2012
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- In a rematch of the Thundering Herd's loss to Eastern Kentucky on March 27, Marshall baseball will host the EKU Colonels Wednesday at 3 p.m. at the Kennedy Center.
Marshall (14-25) is 28-35 in the all-time series with Eastern Kentucky and fell 10-3 in the most recent meeting when the Colonels pounded out nine extra base hits. What was at one point a 3-3 game in the fourth inning turned into the Herd's third consecutive loss as Eastern Kentucky scored seven unanswered runs over its final five frames.
The Herd is coming off of a Conference USA series loss to Houston over the weekend where all three games of the set featured a nail-biting finish. In game one, the Cougars won via a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the ninth. Game two saw Marshall retaliate with a run in the top of the ninth to break a deadlock and even the series. But Houston would steal game three and take the series with a lead-changing run in the bottom of the eighth.
Eastern Kentucky (18-19) used the victory over Marshall four weeks ago to grab a second consecutive win before coming out on top in its next five games. The seven-game winning streak - the longest of the season for the Colonels - helped EKU go 9-4 since March 27.
The Herd is 4-11 since the loss in Richmond, Ky.
Isaac Ballou leads Marshall in hitting with a .312 batting average. The junior is one of seven members of the Herd to boast the team's highest average at some point during the season. Only Nathan Gomez (.310) has been the Herd's hitting leader longer than Ballou.
Further, Ballou remains the C-USA stolen base leader with 18. The centerfielder is followed closely by four members of the UCF Knights.
Eastern Kentucky is led in hitting by Richie Rodriguez (.362). The senior infielder has proven that he can hit for average and for power as he also has 22 extra base hits on the season, including 12 home runs. His batting average has him ranked sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference in hitting, and his low strikeout count of eight Ks is also rare among sluggers.
Wednesday's game can be followed on .
