RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team dropped the second game of a home and home series with Miami University on Wednesday, 14-6. With the loss, the Colonels fall below .500 at 21-22-1, while the RedHawks improve their season record to 16-28.
The Colonels scored two runs in the first inning, just as they did a day earlier. Junior Matt Davis led off the inning with a double to right center, and was advanced to third on a bunt single by sophomore Anthony Ottrando. Junior Dylan McMaine then grounded out to second base, scoring Davis and putting Ottrando at second. After junior Tyler Rehmel grounded out to short, freshman Jayson Langfels ripped an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Ottrando and putting the Colonels ahead 2-0.
The RedHawks, however, used six singles and two walks in their half of the first to take the lead 4-2. After a fast second inning, Colonel starter Patrick Cooper again struggled in the third. He got two fast outs to start the inning, but then allowed four consecutive singles followed by a two run double from shortstop Jordan Petraitis that put Miami up 8-2.
The Colonels got two back in the fifth, both coming off an opposite field home run from McMaine, his second home run in as many days.
Petraitis, however, continued to hurt the Colonels. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Petraitis delivered again, this time with an RBI single to left, putting the RedHawks up 9-4. A hit batsman, a single and two walks pushed two more runs across for Miami before Colonel reliever Michael Martinez was pulled in favor of sophomore Chris Hord. The first batter Hord faced, designated hitter Kyle Weldon, laced a bases loaded single through the left side, scoring two to make it 14-4.
The eighth inning saw the Colonels tack on two more runs, the first coming off a bases loaded infield single from McMaine, and the second scored when a groundball by Rehmel ricocheted off the glove of the third baseman and into the outfield. Those two runs, however, would be it for the Colonels.
Cooper (1-5) got the loss for the Colonels, pitching two and two thirds innings and allowing eight runs on 11 hits. Martinez went two innings and gave up six runs on three hits. After that, the Colonel pitchers calmed down, with Hord pitching two and a third innings and allowing no runs on three hits, and sophomore Jim Clancy striking out the side in the bottom of the eighth.
Chase Stewart (3-2) received the win for the RedHawks, going four and two thirds innings while allowing four runs on seven hits.
The Colonels were led offensively by McMaine, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored, three RBI, and the home run. Ottrando also had a productive day at the plate, hitting 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Rehmel batted 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Langfels went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
The Colonels return to action this weekend when they host a weekend series with the Samford Bulldogs, the second place team in the OVC.
