Richmond, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky baseball recorded its second series sweep of the season by taking both games of Saturday's doubleheader with Southeast Missouri (16-26, 7-11 OVC). The Colonels (19-21, 10-7) OVC pushed their win streak to nine games thanks to game-winning hits from senior Will Whisenant and freshman Aaron Landis, and a four-hit complete-game gem from junior Nick Barte.

Whisenant delivered a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth to give EKU a 12-11 win in game one. It was Landis' turn in game two, and the redshirt freshman came through with a pinch-hit two-run single in the bottom of the sixth to lead Eastern to the 3-1 victory. Barte (2-2) kept the Redhawks in check the entire contest, scattering four hits and matching his carer high with eight strikeouts.

EKU 12, SEMO 11
The Colonels jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings, with senior Bryan Stevenson driving in all five runs, and answered every Southeast rally with runs of their own en route to a 12-11 win. The Redhawks used a four-run burst in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 10-all, but Whisenant supplied a two-out, two-run double in the bottom half to put Eastern back on top for good.

SEMO tried to mount one last rally in the seventh, pulling within a run, 12-11, off a sacrifice fly by Chris Gibson. The Redhawks went on to put two runners on with two out, but EKU junior Greg Harper (1-1) buckled down and struck out Keith Wollis to end the game. Harper went the final 1.2 innings for Eastern to pick up his second win of the year.

Stevenson went 2-for-3 with five RBI in the game and gave the Colonels an early 5-0 lead with a three-run homer in the first (his team-leading sixth of the year) and a two-out two-run single in the second.

Freshman Shane Zegarac started for EKU and blanked the Redhawks over the first two innings by registering four strikeouts through the early goings. Zegarac ran into trouble in the third however, as SEMO pulled within a run, 5-4, thanks to a two-run single by Freddy Lopez and a two-run double by Levi Olson.

Eastern answered, as it would the entire game, with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Senior Derrick Bussell delivered the big blow with a two-run single to score sophomore Tony Wells and freshman Joe Oliver. Zegarac left the game in the fifth after surrendering RBI singles to Olson and Brent Lawson.

Leading 7-6, EKU tacked on three more runs in the bottom half thanks to a three-run homer by Wells (his fourth of the year) to go on top 10-6. Senior Eric Anthrop had bailed Eastern out of the fifth with the lead intact, but could not do the same in the sixth as SEMO manufactured four runs to tie the game at 10-all. Anthrop left the game after giving up a two-run double to Lopez, but Harper could not stop the bleeding as a pair of run-scoring singles tied the contest.

Tied at 10-all, Bussell drew a leadoff walk from Bill Clayton (0-1) and then moved up to second after junior Brett Bolger followed with a single. Lawson took the mound in relief of Clayton with two on and no out, and watched as the runners advanced off a sacrifice bunt. Lawson recorded the second out of the inning, but could not escape the jam as Whisenant ripped the game-winning double to plate Bussell and Bolger.

Five Colonels enjoyed multi-hit games in the win, while four different players registered multi-RBI efforts. Lopez led the Redhawks with four RBI in the losing effort. SEMO outhit the Colonels 16-12, but surrendered runs to the home team in all but one inning.

EKU 3, SEMO 1
Barte (2-2) scattered four hits and one walk en route to his first complete game of the season. The junior hurler opened the game by fanning six of the first nine batters he faced and finished with eight strikeouts.

Eastern went ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the second after Ryan Forsyth (2-3) issued a bases-loaded two-out walk to Bussell. Forsyth surrendered a single to Wells, then walked senior Adam Visnic and hit Oliver with a pitch. He managed to get the second out of the frame before walking in the first game.

Barte entered the fifth inning having retired nine in-a-row before issuing a leadoff walk to Wollis, who came around to score the tying run off a two-out single from Bo Jenkins.

After holding the Colonels scoreless for three-straight frames, Forsyth ran into trouble in the sixth after issuing a leadoff walk to Stevenson. The senior outfielder stole second and quickly moved up to third off a throwing error by Olson. Forsyth walked two more batters to load the bases with two outs on the board. EKU head coach Elvis Dominguez sent Landis to the plate to pinch hit for Oliver, and the freshman rewarded his decision by ripping a double to right (scoring Stevenson and Wells).

Barte shut the door on the Redhawks in the top of the seventh, thanks in part to a 4-6-3 double play, to cap off Eastern's ninth-straight victory (and sixth-consecutive OVC win).

EKU will enjoy an off week (due to finals) before heading to Eastern Illinois for a three-game conference series (May 7-8).