BOX SCORE I PLAY-BY-PLAY

JACKSON, Tenn. – The No. 6 seed Eastern Kentucky University baseball team’s 2010 season ended on Friday afternoon as the Colonels were eliminated from OVC Championship contention following a 10-2 loss at the hands of No. 3 seed Murray State at Pringles Park.

The Colonels finish the season with a record of 28-27 and, in defeating Murray State on Thursday morning, recorded their first postseason win since 2007.

Murray State (27-27-1) advances to play Eastern Illinois on Friday at 4:00 p.m. EST.

Junior right-hander Stephen Hefler (4-6) received the loss for EKU, going 5.1 innings and allowing seven earned runs on five hits. Hefler set a neutral site OVC Tournament record by hitting six Murray State batters. More detrimental to his cause was the fact that he hit three of the six batters with the bases loaded.

Jake Donze (6-6) hurled a complete game for the Thoroughbreds, going all nine innings and allowing just two runs on eight hits while striking out eight batters.

Junior Bryce Labhart led EKU offensively, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. The junior college transfer from Newburgh, Ind. legged out two infield hits on the day and went 4-for-5 with three walks during postseason play.

Junior Jayson Langfels drove in the Colonels’ only other run of the day with a sacrifice fly to left that scored sophomore Richie Rodriguez.

OVC Player of the Year Wes Cunningham batted 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI and a run scored to lead the Thoroughbreds.

Murray State jumped on Hefler early as the Thoroughbreds plated four runs in the top of the first. Following that mishap, though, Helfer began to cruise and the Colonels began to piece together a rally.

Senior Joey Stevens led off the fifth inning with his first career triple to left center. Labhart then laced an infield single that scored Stevens and made it 4-1. After Rodriguez walked, sophomore Jacob Daniel drove a base hit through the right side of the infield but Labhart was thrown out at the plate while trying to score from second. Langfels scored Rodriguez later in the inning with a sacrifice fly, but that was it for the Colonels in that inning and in the game.

Murray State rallied for four runs in the sixth inning to take a commanding lead and the Colonels could never recover.