Cookeville, Tenn. – The Eastern Kentucky baseball team opened up Ohio Valley Conference play on Friday by splitting a doubleheader with Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tenn. The Colonels (6-9, 1-1 OVC) pushed their win streak to five games with a 10-4 victory in their OVC opener, before falling 6-2 in the second installment. Junior Brett Bolger led EKU to its victory with a 4-for-5 effort at the plate, while seniors Bryan Stevenson and Will Whisenant chipped in three RBI a piece.

The Colonels return to action tomorrow afternoon with the third and final game of their series against TTU (6-15, 1-1 OVC) at 2 p.m. (EST). Eastern then returns home to Turkey Hughes Field next week, where it will take on Wright State (March 29) and Marshall (March 30) in a pair of non-conference mid-week games before hosting UT Martin (April 2-3).

EKU 10, Tennessee Tech 4
Eastern posted a five spot in the top of the sixth and rode a strong outing from sophomore McKenzie Willoughby (2-1) to their fifth-straight victory. Brett Bolger paced the Colonels with four hits, including two doubles, while Stevenson and Whisenant combined to drive in six of the team's 10 runs.

EKU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, compliments of an RBI groundout by Stevenson and a sacrifice fly by junior Chris O'Dell. The Golden Eagles manufactured two runs in the bottom of the second, after opening the frame with three-straight singles, to even the game at 2-all. An RBI double by Scott Dunham gave TTU a short-lived 3-2 lead in the fourth, before singles by Keith and Brett Bolger set the stage for a sacrifice fly by Stevenson.

Tied at 3-all through five, Tennessee Tech made a pitching change prior to the start of the sixth which would prove costly. Colt Ashman entered the game for the Golden Eagles and promptly surrendered a solo homer to Whisenant. The senior first baseman's third homer of the season sparked a five-run sixth for the Colonels, which included RBI singles by Tony Wells and Brett Bolger. Wells went on to score from third off a wild pitch, then Stevenson capped the scoring by driving in the final run with a groundout fielder's choice.

Willoughby left the game prior to the start of the eighth after blanking the Golden Eagles over the previous three frames. Willoughby surrendered three runs, all earned, with three strikeouts over 7.0 innings of work. Greg Harper pitched the final two innings for the Colonels to secure the win.

Up 8-4, Eastern pushed across two insurance runs in the ninth after Brett Bolger opened the inning with his second double. Shawn Flora followed a Stevenson walk with a single to load the bases, before Whisenant came through with a two-run base knock. The Colonels finished with 12 hits in the game, with three players enjoying multi-hit performances.

Tennessee Tech 6, EKU 2
The Golden Eagles limited Eastern to five hits in the nightcap and used a four-run fifth inning to avenge their earlier loss. TTU's Michael Alcorn (3-0) allowed just three hits over 5.0 innings to remain undefeated on the young season.

Tennessee Tech jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second courtesy of a two-run single by Matt Mihoci. Whisenant sparked the Colonels with a leadoff triple in the top of the fourth and went on to make it a 2-1 ballgame off an RBI single by senior Adam Visnic.

Freshman starter Shane Zegarac (1-1) ran into trouble in the fifth as TTU manufactured four runs off five hits. Brandon Selvog provided the biggest blow of the frame with a two-run single, while Nathan Marty and Robby Adams both chipped in run-scoring singles. A sacrifice fly by Flora in the top of the sixth scored Whisenant and pulled the Colonels within four, 6-2, but Eastern was unable to get any closer.