MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Central Michigan recorded 15 runs on 21 hits as they would take down the Thundering Herd baseball team by a 15-2 score Friday afternoon.

CMU (25-15, 7-6 MAC) scored 11 runs in the first three innings and never looked back. The CMU offense was not the only story as its pitching was also solid in the outing. Starter Ty Dunham went eight innings allowing two runs on eight hits for his fifth win of the season.

Marshall (13-23, 6-7 MAC) found itself in an early hole as the Chippewa offense tagged Herd starting pitcher Chris Koutsavlis (Pittsburgh, PA) for four runs in the first inning. Six hits were recorded by CMU in the inning, including RBI singles by Jim Geldhof, Ryan Peel and Jeff Lafavors. Geldhof knocked in another run with a double to left field in the bottom of the second inning.

A home run by Adam Ptacek (Assaria, KS) put MU on the board in the top of the third. Nick Wolle (Coatesville, PA) singled with one out to bring up Ptacek, who hit his second home run of the season to make it a 5-2 game. Ptacek's other home run came in the first game of the Kent State series earlier this season.

Just when the Herd was able to get back in the game, Central Michigan came back with six runs in the bottom of the third. After recording the first out, Koutsavlis allowed three hits and a walk, including an RBI triple by J.T. Jones. Freshman Andrew Hancock (Ashland, KY) relieved Koutsavlis at that point, but the CMU offense was still able to muster up the offense.

The first batter Hancock faced, Bryan Mitzel, singled to left field. Up next was Kurtis Wells, who doubled to score the doubled to right to bring in the fourth run of the inning. Two wild pitches allowed two more runs to cross the plate to put Central up 11-2.

CMU's offense kept rolling, adding one run in each of the final four innings. In the fifth, Kurtis Wells drove the first pitch of the inning over the right field wall for his fourth homer of the season. A run scored in the sixth on a double by Troy Moratti while Kurtis Wells struck again with an RBI double in the seventh. In the eighth, Wells finished up the scoring with an RBI single.

Wells led the CMU offense with a 5-6 day at the plate. He scored three runs and notched four RBI's. Jim Geldhof also had a solid outing on offense, going 3-4 with two runs scored and three RBI's.

For Marshall, Adam Ptacek led the way, going 2-4 with a two-run home run that accounted for the Herd's offense in the game. Brad Helm (Downingtown, PA) and Tommy Johnson (Gaithersburg, MD) had two hits each.

Chris Koutsavlis started the game and went 2 1/3 innings. Nine runs scored on 11 hits over that span as Koutsavlis took his fifth loss of the season. Andrew Hancock finished the rest of the game, going 5 2/3 innings. He gave up six runs on ten hits.

On Saturday, Marshall will look to rebound from today's outing on Saturday when they will square off in the second game of the series at 1 p.m..