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RICHMOND, Ky. – Senior Matt Davis batted 5-for-5 with four runs scored, a home run and a key RBI single in the seventh inning to lead the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team to a 10-7 come-from-behind victory over Marshall on Wednesday afternoon at Turkey Hughes Field.

After falling behind 5-0 after just two innings of play, the Colonels (12-7, 2-1 OVC) battled back and cut the deficit to 6-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh. Freshman Richie Rodriguez opened that inning with a triple down the right field line. Davis then tied it with an RBI single up the middle. The next batter, junior Anthony Ottrando, poked a single through the right side of the infield that moved Davis to second and after a wild pitch advanced both runners, senior Tyler Rehmel gave the Colonels their first lead of the day with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Davis. Sophomore Jayson Langfels concluded EKU’s big inning by smashing a two-run shot to left field that gave the Colonels a commanding 9-6 lead. 

Freshman Eric Sanders (1-0) earned his first career victory, pitching two strong innings and allowing no runs on one hit.

Freshman Matt Harris started on the hill for the Colonels and went two innings while giving up five runs on six hits. Sophomore Matt Fyffe pitched three solid innings after Harris, allowing one run on four hits. Junior Jim Clancy worked the eighth and gave up a run and a hit. Junior Chris Hord came on in the ninth and earned his second save of the season, retiring the Marshall batters in order.

Arik Sikula (2-1) received the loss for Marshall (10-12, 2-1 C-USA), going 3.1 innings and allowing five runs on five hits.

Aside from Davis’s monster day at the plate, Ottrando batted 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored while Langfels went 1-for-3 with a run scored and three RBI.

Ben Jurevicius paced Marshall offensively, going 3-for-5 with three RBI, a run scored and an inside-the-park home run in the second inning. Josh Valle, meanwhile, went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI for the Thundering Herd.

Marshall scored two in the first on a two-run single by Victor Gomez and then plated three in the second off back-to-back home runs by Jurevicius and Valle to take a 5-0 lead.

The Colonels, however, cut the Herd’s advantage to two in the third inning. Davis doubled to open the inning and then scored on an RBI single by Ottrando. After Rehmel walked, Ottrando stole third and then scored on a sacrifice fly to center by junior Joey Stevens. An RBI single by freshman Jacob Daniel brought home Rehmel and made it 5-3.

After Gomez crushed a solo home run to center field in the top of the fifth to make it 6-3, EKU responded with two runs in the home half of the inning to slice the deficit to one. Davis singled to start the inning and Ottrando was plunked by a pitch. Rehmel then singled to right to score Davis and Langfels plated Ottrando with an RBI groundout.

After a Jurevicius double in the top of the eighth cut the Colonels’ lead to two, Davis made the lead three again with a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the eighth.

The Colonels return to action this weekend when they host Morehead State in a three-game conference series at Turkey Hughes Field. First pitch on Saturday is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.