Bowling Green, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky baseball team took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth, but watched as Western Kentucky put together a five spot to take control for good and walk away with a 9-5 victory. Casey Hamilton led the Toppers (11-21) with a 2-for-4 effort and four RBI, including a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth, to lead WKU to the win.
Eastern (9-17) was unable to comeback from its deficit, mustering just one hit over the final three frames off WKU reliever Stephen Muck. The Colonels registered eight hits in the loss, courtesy of eight different players. Junior Brett Bolger led the team with two runs batted in, while senior Derrick Bussell swiped a pair of bags to increase his team-leading total to 16.
Eastern jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first off WKU starter Ryan Landrum. Bussell reached with a leadoff single and scored two batters later off a RBI double by senior Bryan Stevenson. A groundout to short by junior Chris O'Dell allowed Stevenson to score from third and make it a 2-0 contest. Bussell made it a 3-0 contest in the second when his sacrifice bunt scored sophomore Tony Wells.
The Hilltoppers got on the board in the bottom of the second, as a sacrifice fly from Casey Hamilton gave Jordan Newton enough time to score from third. WKU pushed across another run in the fourth to make it a 3-2 ballgame. Matt Ransdell opened the frame with a leadoff double and went on to score three batters later off a RBI triple to deep center by Marcus Ross.
With their lead cut to a single run, 3-2, the Colonels responded by plating two in the top of the sixth to take a three-run lead courtesy of a two-out bases-loaded single by Bolger. The junior outfielder came to the plate with the bags full and came through with his first hit of the game, which extended his team-high hit streak to 17 games and scored senior Adam Visnic and freshman Lucas Waters.
Senior Eric Anthrop, making his first start of the season, was solid through the first five innings, allowing two runs off just four hits, but his luck ran out in the sixth. WKU managed to load the bases with no outs off two walks and a Tim Grogan single. Newton came to the plate next and delivered a sacrifice fly to deep center to score Cortez Armstrong. A throwing error on the play by Waters allowed Ransdell to score as well, making it a 5-4 contest.
Holding on to a 5-4 lead, freshman Blake Anderson entered the game with one out and a runner on second. Anderson was unable to preserve Eastern's lead, as Ross sent a RBI double to left center to tie the game at 5-all. Hamilton followed Ross' effort with a two-run homer to left center to put the Toppers ahead for good.
Trailing 7-5, the Colonels managed just one hit over the final innings and could not overcome their deficit. Muck entered the game with a 7-5 lead in the seventh and pitched the final 2.2 innings for the Toppers, with five strikeouts, to pick up his third save of the season. Garrett Stembridge was credited with the win, despite going just 0.2 innings in the game.
Senior Andy Polzin pitched the final two frames for the Colonels, including a seventh inning in which he struck out the side. Anderson took the loss for EKU after allowing two runs in 0.2 innings of work. Western tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the eighth, courtesy of a two-run single by Hamilton, to bring the game to its 9-5 conclusion.
EKU returns to action this weekend when it hosts Jacksonville State for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday.
