BRADENTON, Fla. - Junior right-hander Chris Grider turned in his best performance of the season, the Colonel offense compiled more runs than hits, and the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team rolled past the University of Vermont Catamounts Monday, 14-3. In the first game of the day, EKU fell to Bucknell University, 8-1. At the end of the day, the Colonels' record stood at 6-4-1.
Grider picked up his first win of the season against Vermont, pitching five innings and allowing no runs on just four hits. He also stuck out five Catamounts.
Sophomore Chris Hord came in to pitch the sixth and seventh innings, allowing no hits on one run in his two innings of work. The Lexington native has yet to give up a run this season.
Senior McKenzie Willoughby threw in the eighth, giving up one run on thee hits, and freshman Jay Embree made his collegiate debut for the Colonels in the ninth, allowing just two runs on one hit.
The Colonels were balanced and efficient at the plate, scoring 14 runs on just 11 hits. They put on additional bases runners with seven walks and three hit batters.
11 of the Colonels' 14 runs came in the eighth inning.
No Colonel batter had more than two hits. Senior Tyler Barnett and sophomore Anthony Ottrando led the way. Barnett went 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored, while Ottrando went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs.
Other notable debuts for the Colonels were freshman outfielder Jordan Hoffman making his first collegiate plate appearance, and senior Blake Anderson, a former pitcher, making his first appearance for the Colonels behind the plate.
In the first game of the day, the Colonels dropped one to the Bucknell Bison, 8-1.
Senior lefty Michael Mulholland pitched into the seventh, allowing seven runs on eight hits, to pick up his first loss of the season.
Junior David Owens spelled Mulholland in the seventh, and allowed just one run in his second outing of the season.
At the plate, the Colonels were led by junior Dylan McMaine and sophomore Anthony Ottrando, both collecting two hits in four trips to the plate.
The Colonels play Illinois State tomorrow, March 11, at 1:30 p.m.
