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CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Senior Joey Stevens’ opposite field three-run home run with two outs in the top of the ninth proved to be the game-winner as the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team rallied from eight down to defeat Western Carolina, 12-9, Saturday afternoon at Hennon Stadium.

It is EKU’s (1-1) first win of the season and WCU’s (5-1) first loss of the season.

Trailing 9-8 with two outs and two men on in the top of the ninth, sophomore Dustin Dunlop took a full count pitch and laced it into center field for an RBI single that scored pinch runner Matt Phipps and tied the game.

The very next batter, Stevens, then powered a fastball over the right field wall that completed the Colonels’ improbable comeback.

Junior Ryne Purcell – in his first appearance as a Colonel – shut down the Catamounts in the bottom half of the inning and earned his first career save.

Sophomore lefty Greg Terry (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth inning and, in doing so, received the win.

After starter Stephen Hefler worked just 3.2 innings and allowed six earned runs, a host of young Colonel pitchers combined to hold WCU to just one run over the remainder of the game. Freshman Chris Barte threw 1.1 innings and allowed just one run on three hits, while junior Macon Smith and sophomore Eric Sanders pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings, respectively.

Daniel Ottone (0-1) pitched the ninth inning for the Catamounts and picked up the loss.

Senior Anthony Ottrando again led the Colonels at the plate, going 2-for-2 with five RBI and a run scored. Junior Jayson Langfels also contributed another home run, while sophomore Richie Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored and Stevens went 2-for-4 with four RBI.

Dylan de Graaf led WCU at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI and runs scored.

The Colonels got down 3-0 early before Langfels lifted his second home run of the series over the wall in left center in the top of the fourth to put EKU on the board.

However, in the bottom of the same inning, the Catamounts manufactured five runs on six hits to make the score 9-1.

The Colonels immediately began to chip away at the imposing deficit, as Ottrando delivered a crucial two-out, two-run single in the top of the fifth to cap a three-run inning that made it 9-4.

Ottrando continued to lead the Colonel comeback as he belted a three-run home run in the top of the seventh, scoring Langfels and junior Richie Allen and bringing EKU to within two, 9-7.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Catamounts put three runners aboard, but junior Bryce Labhart made a spectacular diving catch in left field and Sanders got Austin Schultz to pop out to end the threat and the inning.

EKU continued to close the gap in the eighth as Stevens lofted a sacrifice fly to left that scored sophomore Michael Garcia and made it a one run game, 9-8.

EKU and WCU will hook up for the rubber match of the series tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.