MARTIN, Tenn. – Sophomore Joe Oliver connected on a three-run home run and freshman Christian Friedrich tossed 6.0 innings, striking out 10, as the Eastern Kentucky baseball team downed UT Martin, 6-1, to complete a doubleheader sweep Saturday at Skyhawk Field. Senior Scott Goetz allowed only two runs in 6.1 innings to lead the Colonels to a 4-2 victory in game one. EKU moves to 15-12 overall and 5-2 in the conference while the Skyhawks fell to 10-19 and 4-4.

Oliver gave Eastern an early 3-0 lead in game two, smashing his third home run of the season to left-center, following walks to senior Chris O'Dell and junior Tyler Nix.

The three runs was more than enough for Friedrich (6-0) as he reached double-figures in strike outs for the third straight game and fourth time in five games. UT Martin cut the lead to 3-1 in the third on a RBI groundout from Lance Renton, snapping Friedrich's scoreless innings streak at 15 innings.

EKU added to its lead with two runs in the fifth, all coming after two men were out. Freshman Matt Davis flew out to center to begin the inning and sophomore Lucas Waters then lined to third for the second out. But junior Shawn Flora followed with a single, stole second and came home on a RBI single from senior Brett Bolger. Junior Charlie Yarbrough then singled to right and Bolger came all the way around from first to score.

Eastern took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two, as junior Tony Wells drove in Brett Bolger on a sacrifice fly. The Skyhawks knotted the score at one in the third on a Chris Rezabeck RBI single.

But the Colonels answered the Martin rally with two runs in the third. Yarbrough doubled to start the inning and Wells followed with a walk. O'Dell then moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt and Nix gave Eastern the lead with a RBI single. Oliver drove in the final run of inning with a sacrifice fly to right.

Waters put EKU ahead 4-1 in the seventh with an RBI single but Martin cut the lead back to two in bottom of the inning on a Dough Nicodemus RBI single.

The Skyhawks put on their first two runners to begin the eighth but Eastern reliever David Owens then struck out consecutive batters before giving way to junior Michael Mulholland. He gave up an infield single to load the bases but then got Blake Turner to fly out to left to get out of the jam.

The Colonels go for the sweep tomorrow at 2 p.m.