After suffering its first Conference USA loss of the season in a 10-2 six-inning setback to Marshall on Saturday, Western Kentucky’s softball team responded with a 7-1 win over the Thundering Herd to even the series heading into Sunday’s finale in Huntington, W.Va.

WKU’s Kennedy Sullivan went 4-for-6 on the day with two home runs while also earning the win in the circle in Game 2.

WKU moved to 27-7 on the season with the Saturday split at Marshall while improving to 10-1 in C-USA action. Marshall is now 24-13 overall and 7-4 in C-USA play.

In the opener, the Hilltoppers’ Kelsey Aikey carried a perfect game into the bottom of the fourth before a solo home run by Marshall put an end to it with two outs in the frame. The Thundering Herd went on to add another run in the bottom of the fifth for a 2-0 advantage.

In the top of the sixth, Sullivan connected with her second home run of the season with a runner on to tie the game 2-all.

Marshall opened the bottom of the sixth with a single before Shelby Nunn took over in the circle. The Thundering Herd struck for six more hits in the inning while scoring eight runs to take the 10-2 run-rule victory.

Aikey finished with a line of three runs allowed, three hits and four strikeouts in five innings while taking the loss. In relief, Nunn registered two outs in the bottom of the sixth while allowing six hits and five earned runs with one strikeout.

Marshall struck first again in the day’s second game with a run in the bottom of the first. WKU’s first seven batters went down in order before Maddie Bowlds struck for the Hilltoppers’ first of eight hits in the game. Next up, Tommi Stowers reached on an error moving Bowlds into scoring position before a Jordan Thomas single plated Bowlds to knot the game at 1.

Paige Carter kept things moving with a single, allowing Stowers to score for WKU’s first lead of the day. Then, the Hilltoppers converted a double steal as Carter induced a throw to second, allowing Thomas to beat the throw home for a 3-1 advantage.

WKU held Marshall scoreless over the final six frames as Sullivan scattered three hits.

WKU added two more runs in the top of the sixth. After checking in as a defensive substitution in the bottom of the fifth, Kelsey McGuffin connected for a leadoff home run in the top of the sixth in her first plate appearance of the day.

Stowers added WKU’s second run of the sixth after sending a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to score Sullivan for a 5-1 Hilltopper advantage.

Sullivan helped her own cause with her second two-hit game of the day. Sullivan connected for her second home run is as many games in the top of the seventh to extend the Hilltopper lead to 7-1.

In the circle, Sullivan moved to 15-2 on the season and 5-0 in C-USA play with the complete-game victory. The freshman struck out four while allowing four hits and five walks in the win.

WKU and Marshall will close the series Sunday with a rubber match slated for 11 a.m. CDT.