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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Ahead of East Tennessee State 7-2 going into the eighth, the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team allowed four runs in the bottom of that inning, but junior right-hander Ryne Purcell retired the side in order in the ninth and the Colonels held on to beat the Buccaneers, 7-6, on Wednesday at Cardinal Park.

The win gives the Colonels a two-game sweep over the home-standing Buccaneers and it evens their record at 14-14. The loss, meanwhile, drops ETSU to 17-11 on the season.

Junior right-hander Stephen Hefler (2-2) picked up the win for EKU, pitching 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Freshman right-hander Anthony Bazzani started on the hill for the Colonels and pitched a solid 4.1 innings of baseball, allowing just two runs (only one of them earned) on three hits.

Purcell earned his seventh save of the season by retiring the Buccaneers in order in the ninth.

Josh Means (0-2) received the loss, pitching seven innings and surrendering five runs on nine hits.

Juniors Richie Allen and Ryan Faidley and sophomore Michael Garcia all collected two hits on the afternoon for EKU. Senior Joey Stevens and sophomore Jacob Daniel led the Colonels with two RBI apiece.

Chas Byrne led ETSU at the plate, going 2-for-5 on the day with a run scored. Kerry Doane paced the Buccaneers with a pair of runs driven.

The Colonels took an early lead when Faidley walked early in the second inning, went to second on a base hit by Garcia and then scored on a throwing error. EKU added another in the third inning as sophomore Dustin Dunlop singled to lead off the inning, went to second on a groundout and scored on another throwing error to make it 2-0.

ETSU, however, tied it in the bottom of the third when Matthew Scruggs singled in a run and Paul Hoilman lifted a sacrifice fly to center that knotted it at 2-2.

Stevens broke the tie in the top of the sixth with a two-run double to left center that plated Daniel and Faidley. Senior Anthony Ottrando added another run in the seventh with an RBI single to center and then Daniel blasted his first home run of the season in the eighth, a two-run opposite field shot that scored Garcia and made it 7-2.

ETSU plated four runners in the eighth; however, sophomore right-hander Matt Harris was able to get the Colonels out of the inning clinging to a slim lead.

After the Colonels went down in order in their half of the ninth, Purcell got the first two batters he faced and then got Hoilman to strike out swinging to end the game.

The Colonels return to action this weekend when they host Austin Peay State in a three-game conference series at Turkey Hughes Field. First pitch on Saturday is 1:00 p.m.
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