RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky baseball team scored seven runs in the fifth inning including back-to-back-to-back home runs on its way to a 16-9 victory over first-place Jacksonville State on Sunday afternoon at Turkey Hughes Field. Eastern improves to 16-19-1 overall and 6-7 in the OVC with the victory, while JSU falls to 23-18 and 11-4.

Sophomore Dylan McMaine hit the first of the three home runs in the fifth, launching a two-run shot to dead center field to give Eastern a 8-7 lead it would not relinquish. Junior Clint Seymour followed with a solo shot to right and senior Shawn Flora capped it off with a solo shot to left. Eastern has now hit 13 home runs in its last five games after having just eight over the first 31 contests.

The Colonels were not done though, loading the bases after Flora's home run. Senior Tony Wells made it 11-7 with an RBI groundout and Davis then capped the seven-run inning with a two-run single up the middle. Davis went 2-for-4 on the day with a career-high five RBI.

It looked as if JSU was on its way to a third straight victory over the Colonels as the Gamecocks scored three runs in the first before Eastern recorded an out. Bert Smith and Kyle McCreary led off with infield hits and Jake Ball followed with an RBI double to make it 1-0. Clay Whittemore then drilled a two-run double to left-center to make it 3-0.

Eric Beck registered JSU's fifth straight hit to begin the game, a single to center, but Wells relayed it into junior shortstop Tyler Barnett who nailed Whittemore at the plate for the first out of the inning. EKU starter Chris Grider then got a strike out and a line out to get out of the inning without any further damage.

Eastern returned the favor in the bottom of the first putting five runs on the board. Sophomore Aaron Barrows walked to lead off, and moved to third on a line single from Barnett. Waters, who went 3-for-4 with two batted in on the day, then smashed a RBI double and Wells followed with a RBI single to make it 3-2. Davis then gave Eastern the lead with a three-run home run over the left-center field fence.

JSU grabbed the lead right back with four more runs in the second. Daniel Adamson doubled to lead off, moved to third on a groundout and came into score on a Smith infield single. Grider then struck out McCreary for the second out but Ball followed with an RBI single to tie it at five.

Whittemore gave JSU a 6-5 lead with his third RBI of the game, a line single to right and Beck knocked in the fourth run of the inning with a run-scoring single to left.

EKU cut the lead to one in the third as Davis begin the inning with a walk, moved to third with one out and then came home on a balk by JSU starter Ben Tootle.

Grider (5-3) picked up his team-high fifth victory as he retired 10 in a row at one point after giving up seven runs in the first two innings. Junior McKenzie Willoughby picked up just his second career save, allowing just one hit in 3.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Eastern returns to action on Tuesday, traveling to take on Marshall at 3 p.m.