BECKLEY, W.Va. (Interstat) — The Marshall Thundering Herd erupted for six runs in the first inning and never looked back, cruising to an 11-1 victory over the Saint Bonaventure Bonnies in a nonconference baseball game Saturday evening at Linda K. Epling Stadium.

The most important part of the game was its inception, as Marshall sent 11 batters to the plate in a decisive bottom of the first. The frame was fueled by Saint Bonaventure miscues and clutch hitting. After Evan Bottone was hit by a pitch and Ty Kamerer doubled, Jack Halter reached on a fielder’s choice that resulted in a throwing error by the pitcher, allowing two runs to score. AJ Havrilla followed with a double, and Ethan Murdoch drove in another run with a single. Oliver Service added a sacrifice fly before Cleary Simpson walked. Jack Smith then delivered the biggest blow, a two-run double to left center that capped the outburst and gave Marshall a commanding 6-0 lead before Saint Bonaventure could record a third out.

The Thundering Herd added two more in the second on a sacrifice fly by Havrilla and another RBI single from Murdoch, stretching the advantage to 8-0. Marshall starter Drew Harlow made the early lead stand, earning the win with a strong seven-inning performance. He allowed one run on seven hits, striking out four and walking none. His effort stifled any hope of a Bonnies rally.

Saint Bonaventure’s lone run came in the seventh inning when Chris LaMothe singled to right field to score Manuel Castro, who had singled earlier. The Bonnies managed seven hits but grounded into two double plays and had a runner caught stealing.

Marshall put the game further out of reach in the fifth inning when Cleary Simpson launched a two-run homer to right field, scoring Oliver Service who had tripled, to make it 10-0. The Thundering Herd added a final run in the eighth on a pinch-hit RBI single by Patrick Mazur.

Simpson finished 2 for 3 with the home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. Murdoch went 2 for 4 with two RBIs, while Havrilla and Smith each drove in two runs. Marshall tallied 13 hits as a team.

For Saint Bonaventure, Owen Smith provided 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing no hits after entering in the third inning. Ryan Kucy and Jack Kelly also pitched scoreless frames for the Bonnies.

The victory improved Marshall’s season record to 7-6, while Saint Bonaventure fell to 4-9. The Thundering Herd have now won the first two games of the weekend series after a 5-4 win on Friday. The teams are scheduled to conclude the three-game set on Sunday.

The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted a narrow 4-3 Marshall victory. The Thundering Herd’s offensive explosion in the first inning rendered that forecast obsolete early.