MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Central Michigan, behind a six-run fifth inning, completed the sweep of the Thundering Herd baseball team with a 12-4 win on Sunday afternoon.

The Chippewas (27-15, 9-6 MAC) scored 12 runs on 16 hits, led by Bryan Mitzel's 2-4, four RBI performance. That also included a three-run home run.

For Marshall (13-25, 6-9 MAC), it marked the fourth straight loss overall and also the fourth straight conference defeat.

For the first time in the series, the Thundering Herd got on the board first, scoring three times in the first inning. Adam Ptacek (Assaria, KS) opened up the game with a single up the middle. It extended his hitting streak to seven games. He has also hit safely in 14 out of the last 15 games.

Ptacek advanced to second on a wild pitch and, after two quick outs, would score on a single to center by Aaron Jamieson (Lindsay, Ont.). Next to the plate was Tommy Johnson (Gaithersburg, MD), who was walked to bring up Brad Helm (Downingtown, PA). Helm doubled to deep left field to bring in Jamieson and Johnson, who scored all the way from first.

Central Michigan's offense cut into Marshall's lead in the third inning, putting up two runs. After center fielder Jeremy Crum reached base on an error, Troy Moratti tripled to right field to bring in Crum for CMU's first run of the contest. Right fielder J.T. Jones followed that up with a sacrifice fly to bring in Moratti for the second run of the inning. They would threaten again in the bottom of the fourth inning with runners on second and third with two outs. Second baseman Aaron Jamieson saved what would have been a two-RBI single, making a spectacular stop and throw to first to get the third out of the inning.

The Herd was not as lucky in the bottom of the fifth as the CMU offense would come back in a big way, tagging pitcher Jeremy Slone (Painstville, KY) for six runs in the inning to take an 8-3 lead. Troy Moratti notched his second extra-base hit of the day, this one a double, and scored on a triple by J.T. Jones. Jones scored on a Jim Geldhof single. After giving up another single to put two batters on, Slone gave up a three-run home run to designated hitter Bryan Mitzel. One more run would score to cap off CMU's six-run inning.

Two more Chippewa runs would cross the plate in the sixth to make it a 10-3 game. The Herd managed five baserunners in the seventh and eighth innings, but only one run would score. The Chippewas added on two more runs in the eighth and downed the Herd in order in the ninth to clinch the win.

Marshall had six hits on the day, as opposed to 16 by CMU. Brad Helm and Aaron Jamieson each had two hits and two RBI's in the game. Adam Ptacek went 1-3, scoring two runs. For CMU, Troy Moratti was 4-5 with two runs scored. Jim Geldhof had three hits while Bryan Mitzel had four RBI's.

Starter Jeremy Slone went four innings, allowing eight runs on eight hits. He took the loss, his second of the season. CMU starter Jason Cairns pitched five innings giving up three runs to take his fourth win of the year.

This marked the second season in a row that Central Michigan has swept Marshall. CMU has now topped Marshall eight games in a row.

Baseball will return home for a series against MAC East rival Akron next weekend. Following the Akron series, the Herd will host Ball State before finishing up the season with mid-week games against Dayton and Morehead State before traveling to Buffalo for the season finale.