RICHMOND, Ky. – Junior Dylan McMaine smacked a home run and saved a home run Saturday as the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team defeated Austin Peay, 7-3, in the deciding game of this weekend’s three game series. McMaine blasted a solo shot to right in the bottom of the seventh to give the Colonels a 5-2 lead, and then made a leaping catch at the wall in the eighth to save a potential three run homer by Peay’s Will Hogue that would have tied the game. With the win, the Colonels improve to 9-8-1 (2-1 OVC), while the Governors drop to 9-9 (1-2 OVC).

“I thought our team rebounded well from yesterday’s second game,” head coach Elvis Dominguez said. “We played a complete game. We got some timely hitting, and a great pitching performance from Chris Grider.”

The Colonels got on the board in the seventh when freshman Ryan Faidley ripped a single up the middle, driving home junior Tyler Rehmel and tying the score at 1-1.

Junior Matt Davis’s bases loaded single through the left side in the sixth gave the Colonels a 3-1 lead, and another RBI single by Faidley made it 4-1.

The Governors got one run back in the seventh, but McMaine’s blast in the bottom half of that inning again stretched the Colonel lead to three.

In the top of the eighth, the Governors got men on second and third with one out. Freshman right-hander Patrick Cooper was brought in to face Hogue, who launched one to deep right field that was snagged by a leaping McMaine at the wall, allowing only one run to score.

The Colonels tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the eighth, before sophomore Jim Clancy came on to close things down in the ninth, getting Josh Kemph to line into a game-ending double play.

“I think we learned yesterday that every pitch counts and every situation matters,” Dominguez said. “And I think today’s game was a perfect example of that.”

Junior Chris Grider (2-1) got the win for the Colonels, going six and a third innings and allowing just two runs on four hits. He also struck out six Governors.

Senior Michael Mulholland came on in the seventh, and pitched one inning of one run, two-hit baseball. Cooper faced two batters in the eighth, and allowed neither a hit nor a run. Clancy pitched the ninth and allowed no runs on one hit.

Junior Ryne Mantooth (3-1) picked up the loss for the Governors, going six innings and allowing four runs on four hits.

At the plate, the Colonels were led by McMaine, who went 1-for-3 with the home run and two runs scored. Junior Aaron Barrows enjoyed another two hit day, going 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Faidley went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

The Colonels return to action on Tuesday, March 25, when the Louisville Cardinals visit Turkey Hughes Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.