Richmond, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky baseball team snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 5-1 win over Jacksonville State behind a solid outing from sophomore McKenize Willoughby (4-1) in game one of Saturday's doubleheader. The Gamecocks earned a split by taking an 11-10 decision in game two behind five RBI from Brian Piazza.

The Colonels (10-18, 4-6 Ohio Valley Conference) return to action tomorrow afternoon when they close out their three-game series against JSU (15-18, 6-5 OVC) with a 1 p.m. meeting at Turkey Hughes Field.

EKU 5, Jacksonville State 1
The Gamecocks jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but managed just two more hits over the next eight innings as Willoughby's stellar outing allowed the Colonels to snap their seven-game skid with a 5-1 victory. Willoughby (4-1) went 7.0 innings for EKU, allowing just four hits and one run, with four strikeouts as he improved to 3-0 against OVC schools.

Jacksonville State put runners on first and second in the top of the first and scored the game's first run after Piazza came through with a base knock to left field, which allowed Clint Carroll to score from second. Bolger's throw from left reached the plate on time, but Carroll jarred the ball loose when he slid into the plate.

JSU starter Donovan Hand kept the Colonels in check for the first two innings, but ran into a world of trouble in the fourth as EKU rallied with two-outs to plate four runs and go up 4-1. Bolger, who extended his hit streak to 18 games with a first-inning single, got Eastern started with his second hit of the afternoon and moved into scoring position after senior Bryan Stevenson drew a walk. Both runners moved up on a passed ball by catcher Richard Turner, then came around to score as senior Will Whisenant delivered a two-run single up the middle.

Eastern wasn't done yet, however, as junior Chris O'Dell added an RBI double to deep center and sophomore Tony Wells chipped in a run-scoring single to give EKU a 4-1 advantage.

The two teams went quietly over the next four and a half frames until EKU manufactured an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Freshman Lucas Waters got Eastern going with a single and moved over to second off a sacrifice bunt by senior Derrick Bussell. Stevenson came to the plate moments later and drove in Waters with a single through the left side.

Willoughby went 7.0 strong innings, allowing just two hits after the first frame. The sophomore hurler put himself in a jam in the seventh by issuing two free passes to start the frame, but got outs from the next three hitters to escape the inning unscathed. Junior Greg Harper and senior Richard Boothe held JSU hitless over the final two innings to secure Eastern's 5-1 victory.

Wells led all players with three hits in the win, followed by two a piece by Bolger and O'Dell, while Whisenant paced the squad with two RBI. Piazza accounted for two of the Gamecocks' four hits in the losing effort. Hand (5-3) took the loss in his first start of the year after allowing four runs and seven hits in 4.0 innings of work.

Jacksonville State 11, EKU 10 (8 innings)
The Colonels came out swinging in game two, building a 4-0 lead after two innings, but watched as the JSU bats came to life and built a 9-4 advantage. A two-run double from O'Dell capped off a five-run sixth inning as Eastern tied the game at 9-all, but JSU's Lee Drinkard (4-2) kept Eastern in check over the final 2.1 innings to lead the team to an 11-10 victory.

Eastern plated two runs in the bottom of the first after Bussell get things started with a leadoff double (his fourth of the season). Stevenson followed by ripping his first triple of the year to center, scoring Bussell and making it a 1-0 contest. Stevenson went on to score off a base knock by Whisenant.

The Colonels tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the second, thanks to a two-out, two-run single from Bolger. JSU starter Jon Clements walked the bases full and Bolger capitalized with a single, which scored senior Adam Visnic and Waters.

The Gamecocks made it a one-run ballgame in the top of the third by pushing across three runs. JSU loaded the bases with no outs off EKU starter Shane Zegarac (walk, single and a walk), then scored its first run of the game off an RBI groundout by Jake Ball. Piazza came to the plate moments later and supplied a two-run single to bring his team within one, 4-3.

JSU evened the game at 4-all the next inning when Winston Pearson scored from third as teammate Carroll tried to steal second base. Despite having two outs on the board, EKU catcher Joe Oliver tried to nail Carroll at second, allowing Pearson to score the tying run on the throw down.

Zegarac left the game at the start of the fifth having allowed four runs, five hits and four walks over 4.0 innings of work. Senior Eric Anthrop didn't fare any better, however, as walk by Ball and a double from Brian Haskins set the stage for Piazza's go-ahead three-run homer.

After a rocky start, Clements retired the Colonels in order in the third and the fourth innings, but was pulled in favor of reliever Josh Forrest after putting two runners on with one out in the fifth. Facing a 7-4 deficit, EKU looked primed for a comeback after a Bolger single loaded the bases with just one out. But Forrest was able to get outs from the next two batters and escaped the inning with JSU's three-run lead intact, as the Colonels stranded three.

Jacksonville State tacked on two more runs off freshman Blake Anderson in the sixth to extend its lead to five runs, 9-4. Austin Stein plated the team's first run of the frame with a sacrifice fly to center. Ball followed with a run-scoring single to make it a 9-4 contest.

Down five after going scoreless the previous three innings, the Colonels erupted for five runs in the sixth to tie the game at 9-all. EKU managed just two hits in the frame, but drew four walks to help fuel its rally. Forrest loaded the bases with one out on the board, then issued a free pass to Bolger to make it 9-5. After recording the second out, Forrest walked Stevenson as well to bring Eastern within three, 9-6.

Drinkard took the mound in relief of Forrest with the bags full and two outs, and promptly made it a 9-7 game when his first pitch was wild and allowed Bussell to score from third. With runners on second and third, O'Dell delivered a two-run double off the wall in right to tie the game at 9-all.

Boothe took the mound in the seventh with the game tied 9-9 and prevented the Gamecocks from taking the lead, even though JSU was able to load the bases. The Colonels were also held scoreless in the seventh, as Drinkard escaped the inning with two EKU runners on board.

The eighth inning was a different story all together, as Boothe issued free passes to the first two batters he faced before surrendering a RBI single to Haskins. An infield grounder by Richard Turner gave Ball enough time to score from third and put the Gamecocks ahead 11-9. Though the Colonels were able to tack on a run in the bottom half, courtesy of an RBI single from Wells, the team's comeback bid fell short in the end.

Boothe (0-5) took the loss for Eastern after allowing two runs, one hit and four walks over the final 2.0 innings. Four Colonels enjoyed multi-hit efforts in the game, while Bolger paced the squad with three RBI and brought his hit streak to 19 games. Piazza led JSU with a 3-for-5 afternoon and a game-high five RBI.