RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team rallied from five runs down to beat the University of Toledo Rockets 8-6 Monday in the final game of the Early Bird Tournament. Junior college transfer Tyler Rehmel delivered the big hit of the day for the Colonels in the bottom of the sixth, drilling a two-out double into the gap in right center, scoring two and putting the Colonels up 6-5. They would not trail again. With the victory, the Colonels improve to 2-0-1 while the Rockets fall to 1-1.

"This says a lot about the character of our ballclub," head coach Elvis Dominguez said. "We got down early, but we manufactured runs that we needed, and then we got a big hit from Tyler Rehmel."

EKU starter Chris Grider was roughed up early, yielding five earned runs on six hits in just two innings of work, and putting the Colonels in quick 5-0 hole.

Grider, however, gave way to senior Michael Mulholland to begin the third, and Mulholland quickly put a halt to the Rocket onslaught. The southpaw pitched four innings of three-hit, no-run baseball, and in doing so gave the Colonels time to mount their comeback.

"Michael came in and really did a great job," Dominguez said. "He gave us a chance to win the game."

With Mulholland stifling the Rockets from the mound, freshman Ryan Faidley got the Colonel offense going in the bottom of the fourth with a bases-loaded double down the left field line that scored two. That was followed by an RBI fielder’s choice from senior Joe Oliver and an RBI single to left center from freshman Jayson Langfels. At the end of the fourth, the Colonels had cut the Rocket lead to 5-4.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Langfels walked and senior Clint Seymour drove a single through the right side of the infield. Then Rehmel delivered by driving a fastball over the center fielder’s head in right center, scoring both Langfels and Seymour and putting the Colonels up for good.

In the top of the eighth, the Rockets made one last push for victory. Colonel sophomore Jim Clancy walked the first three batters he faced in the inning, and was immediately replaced by freshman Michael Martinez. Facing the bases loaded with no outs, and in his first performance as a college pitcher, the Miami, Fla. product got the first batter he faced to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, allowing only one run. Then, after walking the next two batters and again loading the bases, Martinez got the next man to fly out to left, ending the rally and, ultimately, the Rockets’ bid for victory.

Mulholland got the victory for the EKU, and the Colonel bullpen gave up just one run on five hits in seven innings of work. Senior McKenzie Willoughby came on to pitch the ninth and get the save, his first of the season. Meanwhile, Toledo pitcher Ryan France suffered the loss, giving up four runs on four hits in 2.1 innings of work.

Offensively, the Colonels were very efficient, scoring eight runs on only six hits. No Colonel batter had more than one hit on the day. Offensive leaders included Faidley, who went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and Matt Davis, who went 1-for-3 with two runs scored.

The Colonels return to action this Saturday, March 1, for a doubleheader with the Bradley University Braves.