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RICHMOND, Ky. – Junior Jayson Langfels’ two-run single in the bottom of the eighth broke a 4-4 tie and gave the Colonels a lead they would hold as the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team wrapped up a series sweep over preseason OVC favorite Eastern Illinois with a 7-6 win over the Panthers on Sunday afternoon at Turkey Hughes Field.

The sweep improves EKU to 11-11 (3-0 OVC) on the season while EIU drops to 4-18 (0-3 OVC).

It is the Colonels’ first three-game series sweep over a conference opponent since March of 2007 when they swept Morehead State.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, freshman Austin Grisham singled up the middle and went to second on a single by sophomore Richie Rodriguez. Sophomore Jacob Daniel then walked to bring Langfels to the plate with the bases loaded. The Colonels’ third baseman promptly laced an 0-1 pitch into right center, scoring Grisham and Rodriguez and making the score 6-4. Senior Anthony Ottrando made it 7-4 with a sacrifice fly to center that plated Daniel.

Junior Ryne Purcell earned his sixth save of the season, despite allowing two runs in the top of the ninth. He got Gerrik Wallsten to ground out to third to end the game.

Sophomore right-hander Matt Harris (2-3) picked up his second win of the series, working 1.2 innings without allowing a hit or a run. Harris made four appearances this week, all in relief, and earned two wins while allowing no runs on just one hit. He also struck out eight batters.

Freshman right-hander Anthony Bazzani started on the hill for EKU and went four solid innings, allowing just three runs on four hits. Sophomores Greg Terry and Eric Sanders provided serviceable middle relief between Bazzani and Harris.

Troy Barton (0-2) received the loss for EIU, working one inning and allowing two runs on two hits.

Langfels batted 2-for-4 on the day with three RBI, a run scored and a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth. Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to an OVC-best 15 games by going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Ottrando and junior Ryan Faidley both drove in two runs for the Colonels.

Curt Restko batted 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Panthers. Daniel Rowe, meanwhile, led EIU with two RBI on the afternoon.

Ottrando got the Colonels on the board with an RBI single to right in the bottom of the third. The next batter, Faidley, made it 3-0 with a two-run double to right center that plated Ottrando and Daniel.

However, following a nearly hour-long rain delay, the Panthers battled back as Rowe delivered a two-run triple in the fourth and then Ben Thomas tied it in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Wallsten.

Langfels gave EKU the lead in the fifth with a solo home run, his seventh of the season; however, Restko tied it again with a solo home run of his own in the top of the seventh, making it 4-4.

EKU returns to action on Wedneday at 3:00 p.m. when the Colonels host Marshall at Turkey Hughes Field in a midweek non-conference showdown.