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RICHMOND, Ky. – Freshman right-hander Austin Rexroat picked up his first career win and juniors Jayson Langfels and Ryan Faidley both homered as the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team defeated Purdue, 5-2, in the Colonels’ home opener on Tuesday afternoon at Turkey Hughes Field.

Rexroat (1-0) pitched four strong innings in the win, surrendering just two runs on three hits while striking out three batters.

Sophomore right-hander Matt Harris came on in relief of Rexroat in the fifth and threw four innings of scoreless baseball before giving way to junior Ryne Purcell, who pitched a perfect ninth to secure his fifth save of the season.

Brad Schreiber (0-1) received the loss for Purdue, pitching 2.1 innings and giving up four runs on seven hits.

Langfels batted 2-for-4 on the day with three RBI, two runs scored and a two-run bomb to right center in the bottom of the third. Faidley, meanwhile, went 2-for-4 with two RBI, a run scored and a solo shot to left in the bottom of the third.

Barret Arthur and Angelo Cianfrocco both collected two hits on the day for the Boilermakers, while Arthur and Kevin Plawecki drove in Purdue’s only two runs.

The Colonels jumped on Purdue early as sophomores Richie Rodriguez and Jacob Daniel led off the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles. Langfels then laced a single into right center that scored Rodriguez and saw Daniel get tagged out in a rundown between second and third. After senior Anthony Ottrando walked, Faidley knocked a base hit through the right side of the infield that plated Langfels and made the score 2-0.

The Boilermakers got one back in the second as Barret doubled to right, scoring Drew Madia and pulling Purdue to within one.

With one out in the bottom of the third, though, Daniel singled and came home on Langfels’ fifth home run of the season. Faidley then corked his third of the year over the wall in left field to make it 5-1.

An RBI groundout by Plawecki in the fourth made it 5-2; however, neither team would score again from that point on.

It is the Colonels’ first win in their home opener since 2007 and first win over a Big Ten team since 2006, when they defeated Indiana, 7-6.

EKU will face Purdue again tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.