RICHMOND, Ky. – Junior Charlie Yarbrough smashed two home runs but it was not enough as Murray State pounded out 38 hits on their way to a doubleheader sweep of the Eastern Kentucky baseball team Friday at Turkey Hughes Field. The Thoroughbreds won game one 13-9 and then completed the sweep with a 13-2 victory. Murray State improves to 10-25 overall and 3-8 in the conference while Eastern falls to 17-14 and 6-4.
Murray jumped on EKU in the first inning of game one, pushing across two runs on a Tyler Owen two-run single.
The Thoroughbreds tacked on a run in the second on an RBI single from leadoff hitter Chaz Ebert and then blew the game open with an five-run third.
EKU starter Scott Goetz struck out Jason Payton to begin the inning but Austin Swain then doubled and came around to score on a Jamie Leidolf RBI single. One batter later Brett Mullins struck the big blow of the inning with a three-run double to make the score 7-0.
Yarbrough hit his first home run of the game and 11th of the season to get the Colonels on the board but Murray came back with two runs in the top of the fifth on an Owen home run.
Eastern cut into the lead with single runs in the fourth and sixth and then two more in the seventh on another Yarbrough home run and a sacrifice fly from junior Tyler Nix.
Murray pushed the lead back to eight with two runs in the eighth, one coming on a Payton home run, and another in the ninth on a Mullins RBI single, his fourth of the game.
The Thoroughbreds would need the added runs as Eastern struck for four runs in the ninth, highlighted by a three-run home run from Nix. Eastern had the tying run on-deck but Murray State pitcher Charlie Wade got junior Shawn Flora to foul out to the first baseman to end the game.
Murray continued its hot hitting to begin game two, striking for two runs in the first on RBI singles from Tyler Pittman and Brett Wilson.
The Colonels came back with a run in the bottom of the inning on a Nix sacrifice fly and tied the game at 2 in the second on a Flora RBI single, driving in freshman Matt Davis who had led off the inning with a double.
Murray took the lead for good in the third though on a Seth Hudson RBI double.
The 'Breds then broke open the game with six runs in the fourth. Ebert reached on a fielder's choice with one out and then came home on a Hudson RBI double. Pittman followed with an RBI single to drive EKU freshman starter Christian Friedrich from the game. Payton greeted Eastern reliever Greg Harper with an RBI single and Murray capped the inning two batters later on Lincoln Kent three-run home run.
Andrew Bishop pitched a seven-hitter, striking out four, to pick up the victory while Friedrich took his first loss of the season for the Colonels.
The teams will conclude the three-game series tomorrow at Turkey Hughes Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
