RICHMOND, Ky. – Freshman Eric Hash went 6.2 innings, allowing just one earned run, to lead the Eastern Kentucky baseball team to a 6-4 victory over Austin Peay in the regular season finale Saturday at Turkey Hughes Field. The Colonels earned the four seed in the 2006 O'Reilly OVC Baseball Tournament and will face Austin Peay, the fifth seed, again in its opening round game on Wednesday, May 24 in Paducah, Ky at 3:30 p.m.
The Governors took a 1-0 lead after two batters as Cody Youngblood reached on bunt single and moved to second when freshman Matt Davis' throw went wide of first. Youngblood then moved to third on a Hash wild pitch and came home to score on an RBI groundout from Matt Ledbetter.
APSU tacked on two more in the second on a Colonel error with the bases loaded and a Youngblood sacrifice fly.
In the second inning the Colonels put runners on second and third with one out and senior Sean Ryan then pushed a bunt to second which he beat out for an infield single as Davis came home from third to score. Ryan stole second with junior Shawn Flora up; Flora would strike out but senior Brett Bolger then grounded one to shortstop Matt Leddbetter who threw it wide of first allowing Keith Bolger and Ryan to score and tie the game at three.
EKU took a 4-3 lead in the third on a two-out RBI double from Keith Bolger.
The Colonels took advantage of poor Austin Peay defense to tack on two more in the fifth. Senior Chris O'Dell came up with two out and none out and skied a fly ball to left which was misplaced by left fielder Ryan Kane allowing O'Dell to advance to second. Davis then hit a grounder to third which Jacob Schroeder threw wide of first allowing O'Dell to score and Davis to go all the way to third. Leddbetter then misplayed a hard grounder from Keith Bolger allowing Davis to score.
APSU got an unearned run in the seventh to pull within 6-4 but were unable to crack the Colonel bullpen in the final two innings.
Junior Michael Mulholland relieved senior Greg Harper with a runner on in the ninth and none out and retired the next three hitters to pick up the save.
