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PLAY-BY-PLAY
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team used a four-run sixth inning to rally past UNC Greensboro, 9-6, Tuesday night at UNCG Baseball Stadium. The Colonels have now won three straight games.
After the Colonels (5-3) fell behind, 5-2, heading into the fifth inning, junior
Bryce Labhart delivered a two out, two strike double to right center that scored junior
Ryan Faidley and allowed junior
Jayson Langfels to step to the plate, who promptly blasted an RBI triple off the right field wall and made it 5-4.
In the top of the sixth, EKU took advantage of three Spartan errors early in the inning to manufacture four runs and take a lead it would hold until the end.
Freshman right-hander
Chris Barte (1-0) got the win by going 1.1 innings and allowing one run on two hits. Barte was part of a Colonel bullpen, including freshman
Cody Alvey, sophomore
Eric Sanders and junior
Ryne Purcell, that relieved starter
Austin Rexroat and held the Spartans to just two runs over the final 6.2 innings.
Purcell picked up his third save of the year on the night.
Wes McBride (2-1) received the loss for UNCG, going just 0.1 innings and allowing four runs (all unearned) on two hits.
The Colonels, who were among the national leaders in triples last season, had no three-baggers heading into Tuesday night; however, they blasted four in the win over UNCG.
Faidley went 3-for-4 with one of those triples and three runs scored. Langfels batted 2-for-5 with a double, a triple and an RBI, while sophomore
Jacob Daniel and freshman
Kyle England also hit triples in the cavernous ballpark.
Ed Jayjack led UNCG (7-4) at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.
The Colonels struck first in the top of the second as senior
Anthony Ottrando led off the inning with a single to center, stole second and came home on a single through the left side by sophomore
Michael Garcia.
However, the Spartans took the lead in their half of the second as Chris Barker and Eric Brindle delivered RBI singles to put UNCG up, 2-1. They added two more in the third and could have added more if not for a 5-2-3 double play turned with the bases loaded and one out.
EKU got a run back in the fourth as Langfels doubled down the left field line, swiped third and scored on an error by Brindle. The Colonels had an opportunity to score another but stranded Garcia on third as Spartan starter Colby Hyatt got England to strike out swinging for the third out of the inning.
After Labhart and Langfels drove in runs in the fifth, he Colonels took their first lead since the second inning in the top of the sixth as they took advantage of three Spartan errors to score four runs. Garcia and sophomore #A.J. Jamison# both reached on errors, and on a double steal, Garcia scored on a throwing error by Spartan catcher Ed Jayjack. Pinch runner
Jeff Emerich then scored on an RBI groundout by England to give the Colonels the lead. After Faidley laced a single up the middle, Daniel crushed a pinch hit triple off the wall in center, scoring Faidley from first. Sophomore
Richie Rodriguez then plated Daniel with a groundout to second that made it 8-5.
After UNCG plated a run in the bottom of the sixth, EKU tacked on another in the eighth when Faidley roped a triple into left center and then scored on a single down the right field line by Rodriguez to make the score 9-6.
EKU returns to action on Wednesday, March 10, when they play North Carolina A&T at 3:00 p.m.