BOX SCORE I PLAY-BY-PLAY

RICHMOND, Ky. – Freshman Bryan Soloman batted 5-for-6 with three RBI and four runs scored to lead the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team past Western Carolina, 12-8, on Tuesday afternoon at Turkey Hughes Field.

One of Soloman’s four runs gave EKU the lead for good as he scored on a two-out pinch hit single by freshman Mitch Durbin in the bottom of the sixth to break a 7-7 tie. The Colonels (3-4) then scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull away from the visiting Catamounts (5-3).

Junior lefty Greg Terry (1-0) retired one batter in the top of the seventh to earn his second win over WCU in as many years. Sophomore right-hander Austin Rexroat earned the four-out save as he came on in the top of the eighth with two outs, two men on and the tying run on deck. It was Rexroat’s first career save.

Preston Hatcher (0-1) worked two innings and picked up the loss for WCU as he surrendered the go-ahead run to the Colonels in the top of the sixth.

Junior Richie Rodriguez continued to swing a hot bat, going 3-for-5 on the afternoon with three runs scored. The shortstop from Miami is batting .586 through seven games this season. Senior Ryan Faidley, meanwhile, continued to pull out of an early-season mini-slump as he went 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI. After starting the season 1-for-14, he is now 5-for-10 with four RBI and three runs scored in the Colonels’ last three games.

Matt Johns – Soloman’s cleanup hitter counterpart – had a big day for WCU, going 5-for-6 and driving in five of the Catamount’s eight runs. Ross Heffley – WCU’s leading hitter on the year – batted 3-for-5 with three runs scored.

Trailing 6-3, EKU rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take its first lead of the afternoon. Soloman started the rally with his first collegiate home run, a solo shot to left center that made it 6-4. After freshman Sean Hagen blasted a double to center, Faidley advanced him to third with a base hit to right. Junior Michael Garcia then walked to load the bases and sophomore Austin Grisham was plunked on the foot to score another run. Following a strikeout, senior Bryce Labhart grounded to first base, but a throwing error by Tyler White on the attempted fielder’s choice attempt allowed all base runners to advance safely and Faidley to score. Junior Jacob Daniel ended the scoring and gave the Colonels the lead with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Garcia and made it 7-6.

After Johns crushed a solo home run in the top of the sixth to tie it, EKU manufactured another run in the home half of that inning to take the retake the lead, this time for good. The rally, again, started with Soloman as he singled to lead off the inning and then went to second when Hagen was hit by a pitch. Following two straight outs, Soloman and Hagen double stole to set up Durbin’s heroics, a pinch-hit base hit – only his second hit of the season in only his sixth plate appearance of the season - laced through the right side of the infield that scored Soloman and got Hagen thrown out at home plate to end the inning.

An RBI single by Soloman, a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch by Faidley and a two-run single by Garcia highlighted a four-run seventh for EKU as the Colonels pulled away for the win.

EKU hosts WCU again tomorrow in the finale of this week’s two-game series at 2:00 p.m. at Turkey Hughes Field.