RICHMOND, Ky. –Kyle Rowekamp tied the game with a two-out RBI single in the ninth inning and Tennessee Tech added two in the 10th to defeat the Eastern Kentucky baseball team and salvage the finale of the three-game weekend series today at Turkey Hughes Field. The Golden Eagles improve to 10-18 overall and 3-3 in conference play while the Colonels drop to 13-11 and 3-2.
Scott Dunham reached on a fielder's choice with one out, advanced to second on a groundout and then came around to tie the game on Rowekamp's single into right-center.
The Colonels put runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the inning on two Golden Eagle errors. But Tech reliever and winning pitcher Blake Forst got senior Brett Bolger to groundout to shortstop to end the inning.
Tennessee Tech then loaded the bases with one out in the 10th and pushed home the go-ahead run on a Matt Mihoci walk. Dunham then drove in the second and final run of the inning on a RBI groundout.
Forst then retired Eastern in order to give the Golden Eagles the victory.
EKU starter Eric Hash and Tech starter Zac Cole matched zeroes through the first four innings, but the Colonels were able to reach Cole for a run in fifth. Sophomore Joe Oliver began the inning with a double down the leftfield line and then came around to score on single from sophomore Frank Krailler.
The Golden Eagles answered with an unearned run off Hash in the sixth. Jake New reached on an error to begin the inning and Tech then executed a perfect hit-and-run, as Josh Goodwin hammered a double through the vacant right side and New came all the way around to score.
But Eastern answered in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run from senior Chris O'Dell, his fourth straight game with a dinger.
Tech nearly tied it on the seventh as Dunham led off the inning with a bunt single. He then moved to second on a sacrifice and it looked as if the Golden Eagles would tie the score on a Rowekamp single to center but centerfielder Aaron Barrows relayed it to junior first baseman Charlie Yarbrough who fired to Oliver to nail Dunham at home.
Eastern is back in action on Wednesday, April 5, traveling to take on Western Kentucky at 7 p.m.
