BOX SCORE I PLAY-BY-PLAY

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team was shut out at home by Western Carolina, 5-0, on Wednesday afternoon in the final game of this week’s two-game series. A day after compiling 13 hits against the Catamount pitching staff, the Colonels could muster only two in Wednesday’s losing effort.

Junior right-hander Matt Fyffe (0-2) started on the mound for EKU and was at the raw end of the Colonels’ lack of offensive production as he picked up the loss despite going four innings and allowing just two runs on six hits while striking out four batters. Senior right-handers Jim Clancy and Macon Smith both pitched two scoreless innings of relief later in the game for EKU.

Right-hander Dakotah Thomas (1-0) hurled a gem for the Catamounts as he worked seven scoreless innings, allowed just one hit and fanned seven batters to earn his first win of the year.

A triple by senior Ryan Faidley in the seventh and a double by junior Richie Rodriguez in the eighth were EKU’s only hits on the day. The Colonels had base runners, as they drew six walks and were hit by three pitches. They left 10 runners on base, though, and three of them were stranded at third.

Austin Schultz, Ross Heffley and Dykota Spiess all collected two hits in the game for WCU. Heffley, meanwhile, scored a team-best three runs on the afternoon.

WCU led by only two heading into the fifth inning, but exploded for three runs, two of them unearned, in the top of that inning to pull away. Schultz singled to lead off the inning, stole second, went to third on a throwing error and scored when Cameron Dullnig reached on an error by EKU first baseman Bryce Labhart. After Dullnig swiped second, Heffley walked and both advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler White. Dullnig then scored on a balk by EKU right-hander Matt Harris and Heffley came home on an RBI single by Aaron Attaway that made it 5-0.

It is the first time EKU has been shut out under third-year head coach Jason Stein.

The Colonels return to action this weekend when they play in Southern Illinois (Friday), Memphis (Saturday) and Oral Roberts (Sunday) in the Memphis Classic Tournament in Memphis, Tenn.