GAME ONE: BOX SCORE I PLAY-BY-PLAY
GAME TWO: BOX SCORE I PLAY-BY-PLAY

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team split a doubleheader with Jacksonville State on Saturday at Turkey Hughes Field, winning game one, 4-2, before dropping a rain-shortened game two, 3-2. Freshman right-hander Anthony Bazzani hurled the Colonels’ first complete game of the season, allowing just one earned run on seven hits, to lead EKU to victory in the first game.

With the split, the Colonels’ record goes to 24-23 (9-11 OVC) on the year while the Gamecocks’ record goes to 25-23 (11-8 OVC).

Bazzani, who hadn’t started an OVC game since April 3 at Southeast Missouri State, gave up a solo home run to Todd Cunningham in the first at-bat of the game, but then cruised the rest of the way, pitching all nine innings, scattering seven hits, striking out six and allowing one more unearned run in the third inning. After the third, Bazzani did not allow a JSU runner to reach second base.

Hunter Rivers got the start for JSU and went 5.1 innings, surrendering two runs on six hits. Alex Jones (1-5) picked up the loss for the Gamecocks as he was responsible for the go-ahead run in the seventh inning.

Junior Jayson Langfels broke out of an 0-for-14 slump with a 3-for-4, one RBI performance in game one. Senior Anthony Ottrando batted 1-for-3 with a solo shot – his 16th of the season – in the bottom of the sixth that tied the game at 2-2. Freshman Austin Grisham went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Bert Smith led JSU offensively in game one, batting 2-for-4 with a run scored.

After Cunningham blasted a solo home run in the top of the first, sophomore Richie Rodriguez singled to lead off the bottom of the inning and then scored on a base hit to right center by Langfels.

The Gamecocks took the lead again in the third when Smith singled and went to third on a two-base throwing error by Rodriguez. He then scored on a sacrifice fly by Steven Leach.

JSU held that lead until Ottrando powered an opposite field solo home run over the wall in right center in the bottom of the sixth. The Colonels then took the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Rodriguez grounded into a double play with the bases loaded, scoring Grisham. They plated an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth as Grisham recorded an RBI groundout to second that scored Ottrando, and then watched as Bazzani mowed through the Gamecocks in the top of the ninth to close the book on game one.

Game two played out in a more unorthodox fashion. The game was delayed by rain for an hour and forty minutes in the top of the third inning with JSU winning, 2-0. After the rain delay, JSU took a 3-2 lead into the sixth inning when the game was called for good due to darkness.

Both pitchers tossed complete games; albeit, five inning complete games. Austin Lucas(4-0) maintained his perfect record on the spring, allowing just two runs on three hits while striking out six. Junior left-hander Paul Duncan (4-4) received the loss despite going all five innings and giving up three runs on five hits.

Rodriguez batted 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI in game two. Sophomore Jacob Daniel drove in the Colonels’ only other run.

Cunningham hit another home run (this time from the right side of the plate) and finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Jake Sharrock also compiled two hits for JSU in game two.

JSU took a quick 2-0 lead with an RBI groundout by Leach in the first and an RBI base hit by Cal Lambert in the second.

After the rain delay, however, the Colonels’ bats came alive as Rodriguez singled home Grisham in the bottom of third to make it 2-1. The next batter, Daniel, then crushed a double into the gap in left center that plated Rodriguez and tied the game.

Cunningham’s solo home run in the fifth, however, proved to be the game-winner as the Gamecocks went ahead before the game was called due to darkness.

The Colonels will try to win the series tomorrow as they take on the Gamecocks in their final OVC game of the regular season. First pitch for that game has been pushed up to 12:00 p.m. due to the threat of more rain.