Bryson Smith notched his fourth multi-hit effort of the season for the Hilltoppers.
WKU freshman starting pitcher Jeff Ciocco retired the first nine Thundering Herd batters of the afternoon on 30 pitches. The first three innings netted a pair of strikeouts for Ciocco, but he allowed five hits in the bottom of the fourth and was relieved by Kevin Elder as Marshall took a 5-0 lead.
Elder, Conner Boyd, Michael Hicks and Ben Morrison all made their first appearances of the series. Elder notched three strikeouts, while Hicks and Morrison combined for a scoreless eighth frame against the Thundering Herd.