Click here for game one box score!

Click here for game one play-by-play!

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team continued its winning ways on Saturday afternoon, sweeping UT Martin in a doubleheader at Turkey Hughes Field. The Colonels (18-8, 6-2 OVC) won the first game, 12-7, and then defeated the Skyhawks (9-16, 0-5 OVC) in the second game, 4-2.

The Colonels, who were picked to finish eighth in the OVC at the beginning of the season, have now won all three of their conference series in 2009.

Trailing 6-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth of game one, EKU rallied for four runs to take a lead it would not relinquish. Freshman Richie Rodriguez brought home the first run of the inning with an RBI single up the middle that scored freshman Jacob Daniel. Freshman Dustin Dunlop then tied it with a base hit to left center that plated junior Joey Stevens. Two batters later, senior Aaron Barrows untied it with a double down the left field line that scored Rodriguez and senior Matt Davis and gave the Colonels an 8-6 lead.

Sophomore Matt Fyffe (3-1) earned the win for EKU. Fyffe came on in relief of junior Chris Hord in the fifth inning and worked four innings, surrendering only one run on three hits while striking out six batters. Hord started on the mound for EKU and went five innings, allowing six runs on 11 hits.

Coty Green (3-4) received the loss for UT Martin, pitching six innings and giving up nine runs on 13 hits.

Davis led the Colonels offensively, blasting two home runs and finishing the day 3-for-5 with four runs scored and three RBI. Senior Tyler Rehmel, meanwhile, batted 3-for-4 with four RBI.

Scott Gladstone and Miles Hartsfield paced the Skyhawks as both batted 4-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI.

EKU took an early 2-0 lead when Davis blasted a two run shot to right center in the bottom of the third, plating Dunlop.

UT Martin got one run back in the fourth and then scored four in the top of the fifth to take a 5-2 lead. Gladstone highlighted that four-run inning with a two-run bomb to right center.

The Colonels cut their deficit to one in the home half of the fifth. Davis led off the inning with a solo shot to center and, after Barrows tripled to right center, Rehmel made it 5-4 with a sacrifice fly to center.

Gladstone singled in a run in the sixth to make it 6-4 before the Colonels exploded for four in their half of the sixth to go up by two.

Miles Hartsfield pulled the Skyhawks back to within one, 8-7, with a solo shot in the seventh; however, a solo bomb by junior Anthony Ottrando in the seventh and a base-clearing triple by Rehmel in the eighth gave the Colonels much-needed insurance runs.

EKU 4, UT Martin 2

Click here for game two box score!

Click here for game two play-by-play! 

The Colonels won game two with aggressive base running and solid defense. With EKU trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth, Dunlop walked with one out and then advanced to third on a double by Davis. After Barrows walked to load the bases, new Skyhawk pitcher Wes Patterson hurled a wild pitch. Dunlop scampered home and, when UTM catcher Ty Nelson committed a throwing error to home, Davis raced home from second to give the Colonels a 3-2 lead. An RBI groundout by Ottrando later in the inning scored Barrows and made it 4-2.

Junior Jim Clancy (3-1) went the distance for EKU, pitching all seven innings and allowing only two runs (one earned) on six hits.

Brendan Lozupone (0-2) picked up the loss for UT Martin, working 4.1 innings and giving up four runs (three earned) on four hits.

Sophomore Ryan Faidley paced EKU at the plate, batting 1-for-3 with an RBI. Davis, meanwhile, went 1-for-1 with a run scored.

Cody Terry led UTM at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.

The Skyhawks jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead after Clancy plunked Nelson with a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the first.

EKU tied it in the bottom of the second when Faidley singled home Rodriguez.

UT Martin took the lead in the fifth inning when Miles Hartsfield scored on a throwing error by Dunlop.

EKU returns to action on Sunday when they host UT Martin in the final game of this weekend’s series. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.