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CHARLESTON, Ill. – With an OVC Tournament berth on the line, sophomore Paul Duncan delivered a heroic pitching performance and junior Anthony Ottrando drove in two runs to lead the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team to a crucial 5-4 victory over first-place Eastern Illinois in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader.
The Colonels (27-23, 10-12 OVC) fell to EIU in game one, 14-4. With the win in game two, however, EKU’s postseason hopes remain alive. If the Colonels win tomorrow, they will be in the OVC Tournament. If they lose, their 2009 season is over.
Duncan (7-6) went the distance in game two, allowing four runs on eight hits and striking out eight batters. It was his fourth complete game of the season.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh and the tying run on third base, the left-hander from Northfield, Ill. struck out EIU’s Jordan Kreke, one of the best hitters in the OVC, swinging to end the game.
Mike Recchia (8-2) got the loss for EIU, working three innings and surrendering three runs on four hits.
Ottrando batted a perfect 2-for-2 in the win, including a big two-run double in the fifth inning with two outs. He also scored a run in the fourth inning.
Freshman Jacob Daniel scored two runs in the win.
Zach Skidmore led EIU at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
EKU got on the board first in game two as senior Tyler Rehmel ripped an RBI double to left in the top of the third, plating freshman Richie Rodriguez. Senior Aaron Barrows attempted to score on the play but was thrown out at the plate.
The Colonels expanded on their lead in the fourth. Daniel and Ottrando drew consecutive walks to open the inning, and both advanced on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Michael Garcia. Daniel then scored on a sacrifice fly to center by junior Joey Stevens and Ottrando came home on a wild pitch by EIU reliever Brian Morrell to make it 3-0.
EIU got two of those runs back in the home half of the fourth when Richie Derbak and Jake Samuels both delivered RBI base hits, making the score 3-2.
Ottrando then delivered his huge two-out, two-run double to center in the top of the fifth, scoring Daniel and sophomore Jayson Langfels, making the score 5-2 and giving the Colonels some breathing room.
The Panthers plated a run on a wild pitch by Duncan in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded and two outs in the inning, however, Duncan got EIU’s Ben Thoma to ground out to end the threat and the inning.
In the seventh, Jordan Tokarz made the score 5-4 with an RBI double to right center that plated Ryan Lindquist. With Tokarz on third and two outs, however, Duncan fanned Kreke to end the game.
After the Colonels cut a seven-run deficit to three runs in the top of the seventh of game one, Kreke blasted a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth to blow the game open and propel the Panthers to a 14-4 victory.
Sophomore Matt Fyffe (4-5) picked up the loss for EKU, allowing seven runs on 11 hits in his 4.2 innings of work.
Josh Mueller (8-0) retained his unblemished record for EIU in the winning effort, going 6.2 innings and allowing four runs on five hits.
Senior Matt Davis led the Colonels at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Rodriguez and Daniel compiled two hits each.
Kreke paced the Panthers offensively, batting 2-for-5 with a run scored and five RBI, while Jake Samuels went 2-for-5 with a run scored and four RBI.
EIU jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, scoring one run in the first and another in the third.
The Colonel defense prevented the deficit from being larger. With men on the corners and no outs in the first inning, Rodriguez and Rehmel hooked up for a smooth double play to put a damper on the potential rally.
Then, in the second inning, EIU’s Alex Gee doubled to center field with Richie Derbak on first. Derbak tried to score on the play, but Rehmel relayed the ball from the outfield and threw Derbak out at the plate to save a run.
In the bottom of the fifth, however, Fyffe allowed six hits and five runs as the Panthers’ lead ballooned to 7-0.
The top of the seventh saw the Colonels slash into EIU’s lead. With one down in the inning, freshman #A.J. Jamison# and Rodriguez drew consecutive walks before Davis laced a double down the right field line that scored Jamison and put Rodriguez at third.
The next batter, Barrows, plated Rodriguez with a sacrifice fly to center. Rehmel then brought home Davis with a base hit through the left side of the infield, making it 7-3.
Daniel made it 7-4 with a single through the right side; however, the four-run inning ended as Daniel was thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit into a double.
The flood gates opened in the bottom of the eighth, however, as Kreke’s grand slam highlighted a seven-run inning for the Panthers and sealed the victory.
The Colonels’ biggest game of the regular season begins tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. EST.
