Final Stats

DAYTON, Ohio - Marshall University junior center fielder Nate Lape went 4-for-5 with three home runs and seven RBIs to lift the Thundering Herd to a 12-4 win over Dayton in Tuesday afternoon's non-conference baseball game at TWC Stadium.

With the victory, Marshall has won five in a row to improve to 13-12 overall, while Dayton falls to 14-10 on the season.

Lape's seven RBIs is the most by a Herd player since junior shortstop Brandon Casamassima knocked in six runs at Memphis, April 22, 2007.

Leading 11-4 in the top of the eighth, Marshall added its 12th run of the game when senior second baseman Matt Helm notched a two-out single, stole second and then scored on a throwing error to give the Herd a 12-4 lead.

Sophomore right-hander Tyler Gatrell entered in the ninth inning and closed the door on Dayton.

Herd freshman right-hander Justin Moore (1-1), picks up the win in his fifth start and seventh appearance of the season.

Marshall put up four runs in the top of the fourth, when Lape launched a three-run home run to deep right center. Freshman second baseman Kenny Socorro tallied a one-out double, and sophomore first baseman Josh Valle reached on an error before Lape collected his ninth long-ball of the season and first since March 14 at VMI. Freshman designated hitter Victor Gomez singled and advanced on a double by junior right fielder Kurt Lipton. Sophomore third baseman Blake Sanders knocked Gomez in with a sacrifice fly to center field to push across the fourth run of the inning.

Lape notched his fourth two-homer game of the season with his second shot of the game, a two-run jack to center field, extending the Marshall lead to 6-0 in the top of the third frame. Lape went deep twice in the first game of the Herd's double-header against Valparaiso back on March 12. Lipton kept the inning going when he reached on a throwing error, advancing all the way to third. With two outs, Sanders picked up his second RBI of the game with a groundout to the third baseman, increasing the Herd lead to 7-0.

Dayton placed runners on the corners with one-out in the bottom of the third but Moore induced an inning-ending double play to keep the Flyers off the board.

The Herd plated a run in the top of the fourth when Valle drove in freshman left fielder Ben Jurevicius with a sacrifice fly to score its eighth run of the contest.

After Dayton cut its deficit in half with a four-run fifth inning, the Herd etched three more runs on the scoreboard, highlighted by Lape's third home run of the game.

Casamassima tallied a one-out single in the top of the sixth, and then scored from first on an error following senior second baseman Matt Helm's base hit. That set the stage for Lape who placed the ball in the bleachers in right center field to give Marshall a commanding 11-4 lead. The last time a Herd player hit three home runs in a game was Brendan Murphy at Eastern Kentucky in 2006.

Herd junior left-hander Brian Mooney replaced Moore on the hill with one out in the fifth inning and pitched the next 1.2 innings in relief. Senior right-hander Adam Dobies then pitched a scoreless seventh inning to keep the Flyers grounded.

Lipton and Helm finished with two hits apiece in the winning effort.

Flyers senior center fielder Kevin Miller tallied a pair of hits, while junior first baseman Marshall MacDonald added a pair of RBIs to lead Dayton in the loss. Sophomore right-handed starter Matt Speckman takes the loss to fall to 1-1 on the season.

Marshall returns to non-conference action Wednesday for a clash with Morehead State. First-pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. at Allen Field in Morehead, Ky. Freshman right-hander Shane Farrell will make his third appearance of the season and his first collegiate start against the Eagles.