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JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Sophomore left-hander Paul Duncan pitched seven strong innings to lead the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team over Jacksonville State, 9-3, Sunday afternoon in the final game of this weekend’s series at Rudy Abbott Field. Duncan allowed just three runs on five hits to pick up his fifth win of the season.
The win improves EKU’s record to 21-19 (7-10 OVC) and snaps the Colonels’ eight game conference losing streak. Sunday’s win was EKU’s first within the conference since April 4, when they defeated UT Martin 4-2.
After the loss, JSU falls to 25-15 (9-6 OVC) on the season.
Freshman southpaw Greg Terry relieved Duncan in the eighth and held the Gamecocks scoreless over the final two innings to secure the victory for EKU.
Ben Tootle (3-2) received the loss for JSU as the Colonels roughed up the All-American, hanging five runs and three hits on him over just two innings of work.
Seniors Matt Davis and Tyler Rehmel, junior Anthony Ottrando, sophomore Jayson Langfels and freshman Jacob Daniel all recorded two hits on the day to lead a very balanced Colonel scoring attack.
Andrew Edged paced JSU offensively, going 1-for-3 on the day with a run scored and two RBI.
The Colonels jumped on Tootle early as Davis led off the game with a double down the left field line and then went to third on a base hit by senior Aaron Barrows. Two batters later, Langfels scored Davis with an RBI groundout to third base.
After Duncan made quick work of the Gamecocks in the bottom of the first, Tootle displayed control problems in the second. He walked the first four batters he faced in the inning before a sacrifice fly to right by Davis made it 3-0 and left men on the corners. After Barrows went down on strikes, Rehmel cleared the bases with a two-run double off the left field wall that pushed the Colonels’ lead to 5-0.
JSU pulled Tootle in the third and went with Tanner Freshour, and the Colonels squandered a golden opportunity against him. After hitting Daniel with a pitch to begin the inning, Freshour allowed consecutive singles to Ottrando and freshman Michael Garcia; however, junior Joey Stevens and freshman Richie Rodriguez both popped up to second base and Davis grounded out to short as JSU escaped the inning without allowing a run.
EKU continued to roll in the fourth against Freshour. Barrows was plunked by a pitch to begin the inning and then stole second. The next batter, Rehmel, walked before Langfels delivered a doubled down the left field line that plated Barrows and left Rehmel at third. Daniel then grounded out to the shortstop to score Rehmel and give the Colonels a 7-0 lead.
JSU got on the board in the home half of the sixth when Blake Seguin laced a double into right field that scored Todd Cunningham and made it 7-1.
Daniel singlehandedly got that run back in the seventh, making it 8-1 with a solo bomb to left, his first hit of the series.
By the seventh inning, Duncan had thrown over 100 pitches and the Gamecocks began to take advantage. Following a single to right by Jake Sharrock, Andrew Edge crushed a two-run homer to straightaway center that pulled JSU to within five, 8-3.
Barrows, however, provided EKU with an insurance run in the top of the eighth when he drove a sacrifice fly to center that scored Davis and made the score 9-3.
The Colonels return to action this Wednesday when they travel to play the RedHawks of Miami (Ohio) in Oxford, Ohio. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST.
