BOX SCORE I PLAY-BY-PLAY

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team continued to swing hot bats on Sunday afternoon as the Colonels cruised past UNC Asheville, 13-6, in the finale of this weekend’s series at Turkey Hughes Field. With the win, EKU (6-8) completes the three-game sweep over UNCA (4-10).

EKU pounded out 16 hits on the day, and every Colonel starter had at least one hit. Juniors Richie Rodriguez, Jacob Daniel, Dustin Dunlop, sophomore Matt Phipps and freshmen Bryan Soloman and Sean Hagen all earned multiple-hit days while sophomore Alex Hughes drove in a team-best three runs, all of which came on his first career-home run in the bottom of the fourth.

Lost amid the season-high 16 hits and 13 runs from the EKU offense was another steady pitching performance from senior right-hander Stephen Hefler (2-1). Hefler, the Colonel ace who entered this weekend with a 1.00 ERA, worked 7.2 innings and allowed just four earned runs on eight hits while striking out seven batters to earn his second win of the season.

Right-hander Robert McIntosh (0-2) picked up the loss for UNCA as he worked four innings and surrendered six earned runs on 10 hits while fanning five batters.

Nick Callazo led the Bulldogs offensively he batted 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. The UNCA defense committed four errors on the day and 11 for the entire series.

With the score tied 1-1, the Colonels blew the game open by scoring six runs in the bottom of the fourth. Soloman led off the inning with a double and then went to third on a base hit to center by Daniel. After Hagen scored Soloman with a single through the left side, Hughes blasted a three-run bomb to right center that made it 5-1. EKU was not done, though, as Phipps singled and then scored on a base hit by Dunlop and a throwing error on UNCA centerfielder Andrew Kirkland. After Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, Dunlop stole third and then came home on an error by UNCA third baseman Cody Buch to make the score 7-1.

EKU averted disaster in the top of the fifth as the Bulldogs - who had already plated one run in the inning - loaded the bases with just one out. However, Hefler struck out Eli Miller swinging and then sophomore Austin Grisham robbed a potential bases-clearing double by McIntosh with a diving catch in right field that ended the threat and the inning.

After EKU added a run in the bottom of the sixth, UNCA pulled to within three in the top of the eighth following Collazo and Ian Graham RBI singles and Collazo scoring on passed ball to make it 8-5.

However, EKU plated five runs in the home half of the eighth to put the game out of contention. Soloman drove in the first run with an RBI single and a double to dead center by Daniel scored the second run. The Colonels’ final three runs of the inning were a product of two crucial UNCA errors.

EKU returns to action this week when they travel to Morgantown, W.Va. to play West Virginia in a doubleheader on Tuesday beginning at 1:00 p.m.