MURRAY, Ky. – Sophomore Christian Friedrich struck out 11 in 6.0 innings but it wasn't enough as the Murray State Thoroughbreds scored four times in the seventh to force extra innings and then won it in the eighth on Tyler Owen walk-off RBI double to hand the Eastern Kentucky baseball team a 6-5 loss in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. Murray completed the sweep with 3-2 11-inning victory in game two. The Colonels fall to 14-16-1 overall and 5-5 in the conference with the losses while the Thoroughbreds improve to 11-21 and 6-4.
Eastern entered the seventh and final inning of game one with a 5-1 lead but saw Murray rally for four runs to send it into extra frames. The Thoroughbreds loaded the bases with none out against EKU reliever McKenzie Willoughby, who replaced Friedrich who allowed just two hits and an earned run in his 6.0 innings of work. Murray scored its first run of the inning on a Colonel error and then cut the lead to 5-3 a batter later on a RBI groundout.
Seth Hudson followed with an infield single to drive in Chad Allen before Willoughby uncorked a wild pitch to allow Wes Cunningham to score with the tying run. Freshman Chris Hord then came in to replace Willoughby and promptly retired James Akin on a groundout to send the game into extra innings.
Eastern had a chance to go ahead in the eighth, as junior Joe Oliver reached third with two outs but senior Shawn Flora was retired to end the threat. Hord retired the first batter in the bottom of the inning but allowed consecutive doubles to Tyler Pittman and Owens to send Eastern to its third straight loss.
The Colonels struck first, taking advantage of two Murray errors to score three runs in the third. Oliver led off with a single to left, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and then came around to score on a two Thoroughbred throwing errors after sophomore Aaron Barrows had walked. Barrows eventually came into score on a wild pitch and junior Lucas Waters then drove in the final run of the inning with an RBI double.
Eastern stretched the lead to 5-0 an inning later on run-scoring singles from freshman Zach Monroe and senior Tyler Barnett. Friedrich cruised through the first five innings allowing only a one-out fourth inning single to Hudson. Murray finally reached Friedrich for a run in the sixth on an Akin RBI single.
Hord took the loss for the Colonels while Mike Perconte went the distance for Murray, allowing four earned runs and 10 hits, to pick up the victory. Monroe and Oliver each registered two hits for Eastern.
Game two turned into a pitcher's duel as EKU starter Eric Hash, making his first start of the season, and Murray starter Lucas Allen matched zeroes for the first five innings. Eastern broke on top in the sixth as Barrows led off with a single, moved to second a sacrifice bunt from Flora and then came around to score on a two-out single from Waters.
Murray tied it in the bottom of the inning as Jason Payton doubled with one out and then came home on an error by junior first baseman Clint Seymour.
The game remained scoreless until the 10th when Barrows came through with a two-out RBI single to drive in Oliver who led off the inning with a double. But Murray once again responded in the bottom of the inning against EKU reliever Alex Napier with Payton driving in the tying run with a one-out RBI single. Napier prevented the 'Breds from winning it in the inning though, getting Andrew Cella to groundout to second with runners on second and third to end the threat.
But Napier could not hold off Murray in the 11th inning as Payton came up with the big hit again, driving an RBI single to center with one out and the bases loaded as the Thoroughbreds completed the sweep.
Hash was terrific in his first of the season, after 13 relief appearances, allowing just an unearned run on three hits in his 7.0 innings of work. Barrows was the offensive star for Eastern, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Eastern returns to action on Tuesday, hosting Marshall at Turkey Hughes Field. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
