Cincinnati, Ohio - The Eastern Kentucky baseball team took a two-run lead into the bottom of the ninth on Tuesday, but watched as the Xavier Musketeers plated two runs to pull out a 4-3 victory.

EKU senior Richard Boothe (0-4) retired the first batter he faced in the ninth before surrendering back-to-back singles to pinch hitter Collin Salzenstein and James Schlosser.

With runners on the corners, Jay Johnson hit a shallow fly ball to right field which allowed Salzenstein to score the tying run. The throw from right fielder Bryan Stevenson was there on time, but the ball got away as Salzenstein slid into the plate.

After a walk by Adam Lipski, Drew Roberts singled through the left side allowing Schlosser to score the game-winning run for the Musketeers (13-20).

Eastern (9-16) built a 2-0 lead in the top of the first and led for the majority of the contest thanks to a strong outing from Nick Barte. The junior starter went 5.2 innings with six hits and one run allowed. Barte fanned four hitters during his stint and helped the Colonels to a 3-1 lead when he left in the sixth.

Senior Derrick Bussell and junior Brett Bolger opened the game with consecutive singles for EKU. Bussell scored the team's first run off an RBI single by Stevenson, while Bolger went on to score off a groundout by junior Chris O'Dell.

Bussell and Stevenson tied freshman Joe Oliver with a team-high two hits in the loss.

After going scoreless over the first four innings, the Musketeers got on the board in the fifth courtesy of RBI single by Schlosser.

Eastern brought its lead back to two runs in the top of the sixth, 3-1, off a RBI sacrifice fly by senior Adam Visnic. O'Dell got the Colonels going with a lead off double to center. Sophomore Shawn Flora came in to pinch run for O'Dell, and scored moments later off Visnic's fly to deep center.

The Musketeers set the stage for their comeback by making it a 3-2 ballgame in the bottom of the eighth. Sean Brewer opened the frame with a double off EKU reliever junior Greg Harper, who was pulled in favor of Boothe. Brewer went on to score two batters later by advancing on a pair of deep fly balls.

XU reliever Brett Smith (1-3) picked up his first win of the year by holding the Colonels to one run over 4.1 innings in relief of starter Mark Grissom.

EKU returns to action tomorrow evening at Western Kentucky before hosting a three-game set against Jacksonville State this weekend.