The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team ended its season today, May 28, with a 9-7 loss to the Southeast Missouri Indians. EKU finishes the year with a 34-17 record, while SEMO moves to 28-27 and advances to the championship game Saturday afternoon in Paducah.
SEMO scored first with a single run in the top of the first thanks to three walks by EKU starter Brian Engle. The junior hurler would recover and did not allow a run over the next three innings.
The Colonels took the lead in the bottom of the second when they plated three runs on four hits. Will Whisenant, Drew Reynolds and Derrick Bussell loaded the bases with three singles. Stephen Carter drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Whisenant from third and tied the game at a run apiece. Brett Bolger followed with a two-run single to put the Colonels on top 3-1.
EKU took a three-run lead in the third when sophomore Chris O'Dell led off the inning with a solo homer.
The Indians knotted the game at four in the fifth on four hits, including a two-run homer by Bracamonte. SEMO took the lead when it scored four times in the sixth and went on top 8-4. A solo homer in the top of the eighth gave the Indians a 9-4 advantage.
The Colonels were not done, scoring three runs on three hits to pull to within two runs. Whisenant led off with a single, followed by pinch-hitter Tony Wells who reached on a fielder's choice. Bussell then doubled to right-center to score Whisenant. Wells and Bussell would both score on a pair of balks by SEMO reliever Brad Smith to make the score 9-7 after eight innings of play.
Richard Boothe retired the side in the to of the ninth, but the Colonels weren't able to get to Smith in the home half of the inning as SEMO went on for the two-run win.
Bussell and Whisenant each collected two hits on the day. Bussell was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, while Whisenant finished 2-for-5 with two runs. Bolger drove in a pair of runs, while Carter and O'Dell each had an RBI.
Brian Forsyth tossed 6.2 innings and gave up four runs on six hits while striking out four. Smith earned his 11th save of the season.
EKU tossed five pitchers with the loss going to Eric Anthrop.
"It really just boiled down to pitching today," said EKU head coach Elvis Dominguez. "Forsyth threw an outstanding game for SEMO and we just didn't come through when we had to."
Seven seniors – Nick Adams, Carter, Neil Sellers, Woodard, Clark, Greg Estep, and Brandon Scott – played their last game in a Colonel uniform.
"This is a very special group of seniors," said Dominguez. "I can't say enough about how much they've done for our program. They've lifted the bar and accomplished so many things this season. It's tough to end the season with a loss, but we've fought to the end every game and we did the same thing again today. I'm extremely proud of our team and the season we've had."
