JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Junior Charlie Yarbrough hit the go-ahead home run to lead off the 10th inning as the Eastern Kentucky baseball team defeated Jacksonville State 7-4 to gain a split of a doubleheader Saturday at Rudy Abbott Field. JSU won game one 4-2. Eastern now stands at 19-16 and 8-5 in the OVC while the Gamecocks are 19-20 and 7-7. The series concludes with a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.
Yarbrough's second home run of the game, his 15th of the season, gave Eastern a 5-4 lead. EKU would add two more runs in the inning on a RBI singles from freshman Matt Davis and junior Kirt Kleindienst.
Senior Greg Harper who came in to retire Garret Bass on a fly to right with a runner on second in the ninth inning, pitched a scoreless 10th inning to pick up the victory.
Yarbrough gave Eastern a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, driving a 0-2 pitch over the left-centerfield fence.
But JSU tied it at 1 in the bottom of the inning with an unearned run off EKU starter Christian Friedrich.
The Gamecocks nearly won it in the bottom of the seventh inning but EKU reliever Michael Mulholland struck out Ray Bearden to send the game into extra innings.
EKU jumped ahead with two runs in the eighth on RBI singles from senior Brett Bolger and junior Tony Wells.
But JSU responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning, capitalizing on a Mulholland throwing error. The Gamecocks then loaded the bases with two outs but Jake Ball flew out to right to end the inning.
Eastern took another lead in the ninth, with junior Shawn Flora executing a perfect squeeze play to bring home junior Lucas Waters.
JSU would not go away though as Nic Cleckler tied the game again with two-out RBI single. But Harper then relieved Mulholland to get the game to the 10th and set the stage for Yarbrough/
Eastern got off to a strong start in game one, taking a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI single from Bolger.
Ball led off the JSU third with a solo home run to left field to tie the score at 1. The Gamecocks took a 2-1 lead later in the inning as Bert Smith came home on a Colonel error.
JSU tacked on a run in the sixth on a Ball RBI single and another in eighth to take a 4-1 lead on a Bass solo shot down the right field line.
Sophomore Joe Oliver homered to begin the ninth inning to cut the lead to 4-2 but Gamecock closer Mitch Miller then came in and retired the next three Eastern hitters to give JSU the victory.
