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

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team swept a doubleheader from future OVC opponent SIU Edwardsville on Friday at Turkey Hughes Field, winning both games by a score of 4-1. The Colonels got quality starts from junior left-hander Paul Duncan in game one and freshman right-hander Anthony Bazzani in game two.

With the wins, EKU improves to 26-25 on the year while SIUE drops to 14-37.

Duncan (5-4) looked sharp in game one, going 6.2 innings and allowing one unearned run on six hits. Sophomore right-hander Matt Harris worked 1.1 innings of scoreless middle relief before junior right hander Ryne Purcell came on in the ninth to earn his OVC-best 10th save of the season.

Josh Malin (1-7) picked up the loss for SIUE, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing four runs on six hits.

EKU was led at the plate by junior Ryan Faidley, who batted 2-for-4 with the Colonels’ only home run of the day in the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore Dustin Dunlop’s two-run triple to center in the bottom of the seventh gave the Colonels some breathing room. It was the first triple of Dunlop’s career.

Mitch Matecki batted 3-for-5 in game one to pace the Cougars.

The Colonels got on the board in the first inning as sophomore Richie Rodriguez poked a single through the right side and, eventually, came home on a sacrifice fly to right by junior Jayson Langfels. Faidley’s solo home run in the fourth made it 2-0.

The Cougars cut that lead in half in the top of the sixth, though, as Travis Becherer singled and then scored on an error by Colonel center fielder Austin Grisham.

The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the seventh when Dunlop blasted a triple to dead center field, plating Grisham and senior Joey Stevens and handing the Colonels a three-run lead.

Purcell then got Adam Eggemeyer to strike out swinging in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.

Bazzani – the reining OVC Pitcher of the Week – delivered another solid outing this weekend in game two, going five innings and allowing one run on four hits. Sophomore right-hander Eric Sanders came on in the sixth and hurled a scoreless final two innings to record his second save of the spring.

Josh Hoguet (3-2) received the loss, going 4.1 innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits.

Langfels paced the Colonels offensively, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Dunlop and sophomore Michael Garcia also drove in runs in the winning effort.

Brett Lancaster delivered a solo home run and a double for SIUE.

The Colonels again struck first in the bottom of the first, this time as sophomore Jacob Daniel laid down a bunt single and then came home on an RBI base hit to left center by Langfels.

EKU then added three more in the bottom of the second to take a commanding 4-0 lead. Grisham led off that inning with a single and then stole second. The next batter, Dunlop, laced a base hit up the middle, scoring Grisham. Dunlop stole second, went to third on a fly out by Stevens and scored on an RBI groundout by Rodriguez. Rodriguez later scored on an error by SIUE shortstop Matt Highland.

Lancaster blasted a solo home run in the top of the fifth, but that was it as Sanders kept the Cougars off balance in the final two innings to wrap up the win.

The Colonels will go for the sweep of the Cougars tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. as they play their final game of the regular season. If EKU qualifies for the OVC Tournament, postseason play begins on May 26 at Pringles Park in Jackson, Tenn.