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RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team split a doubleheader with conference foe Morehead State on Saturday afternoon at Turkey Hughes Field. The Colonels (13-8, 3-2 OVC) won the first game 6-3; however, the Eagles (7-16, 1-4 OVC) regrouped and took the second game 7-3.
Trailing 3-1, the Colonels rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead for good. After freshman Jacob Daniel was hit by a pitch to begin the inning, senior Aaron Barrows singled and sophomore Ryan Faidley reached on an error to load the bases. Freshman Richie Rodriguez then hit into an RBI groundout, scoring Daniel and bringing the Colonels to within two. Consecutive RBI singles by senior Matt Davis and Anthony Ottrando capped the rally for EKU and made it 4-3. The Colonels would not trail again.
Sophomore Matt Fyffe (1-1) earned the win for EKU, pitching the final 3.1 innings of the game for EKU and holding the Eagles scoreless on four hits.
Junior Chris Hord started on the mound for the Colonels and went five innings while allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits. Sophomore Macon Smith went two thirds of an inning and allowed no runs on one hit before leaving the game with an injury.
Quentin Morgan (1-2) received the loss for Morehead State, working 5.1 innings and surrendering four runs on six hits.
Barrows went a perfect 4-for-4 on the day with a run scored. Ottrando, meanwhile, batted 3-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI, while sophomore Jayson Langfels went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Offensively, the Eagles were led by Daniel Pugh, who went 2-for-5 with a run scored, two RBI and home run in the top of the first inning. J.D. Ashbrook batted 2-for-5 with a run scored on the day.
After Ashbrook opened the game with a triple, Pugh blasted a two-run home run to left to give Morehead State a quick 2-0 lead.
EKU cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third when Langfels plated Ottrando with an RBI single to right center, but the Eagles got that run back in the fourth when Taylor Davis scored on a double play by Michael Fear, making the score 3-1.
After EKU’s sixth inning rally, the Colonels added two insurance runs in the eighth. Ottrando brought home the first run, scoring Davis with a sacrifice fly to left. After senior Tyler Rehmel reached on an error, Langfels drove him in with a double into the right center gap.
Morehead State 7, EKU 3
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In the second game of the day, Morehead State starter Tyler Bess went the distance, pitching all seven innings and holding the Colonels to nine hits and three runs, all of which were scored in the last inning.
Junior Jim Clancy (2-1) got the loss for EKU, working 5.1 innings while surrendering six runs (five earned) on eight hits.
Freshman Eric Sanders pitched the final 1.2 innings for the Colonels and allowed one unearned run on one hit.
Rehmel and junior Joey Stevens paced the Colonels offensively in the second game. Rehmel went 2-for-3 with a run scored while Stevens batted 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The Eagles were led by Ashbrook and Michael Bottoms. Ashbrook finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored while Bottoms went 1-for-5 but delivered a clutch bases clearing double in the sixth to put Morehead State up by six.
Leading 2-0, the Eagles exploded for four runs in the top of the sixth inning. Eric Bainer scored the first on a throwing error by Jim Clancy. Bottoms delivered the other three with a double to left field that cleared the bases and made it 6-0.
After Morehead State added another run in the top of the seventh, EKU’s seventh inning rally fell short. Rehmel started the rally with a single up the middle, and after Langfels was hit by a pitch, Stevens singled Rehmel home and Langfels advanced to third. Daniel then went down on strikes; however, a wild pitch on the third strike scored Langfels and advanced pitch runner #A.J. Jamison# to second. A single to right field by Barrows plated Jamison and made it 7-3; however, following a single by freshman Michael Garcia, Rodriguez and Davis hit into consecutive fielder’s choices to end the ballgame.
EKU returns to action tomorrow, March 29, when they take on Morehead State in the deciding game of this weekend’s series. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
