BOX SCORE I PLAY-BY-PLAY

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to win it, but fell just short, as the Colonels lost to Miami University, 6-3, on Tuesday afternoon at Turkey Hughes Field in the first game of this week’s home-and-home series.

Trailing 6-3 heading into the home half of the ninth, senior pinch-hitter Bryce Labhart led off with his team-leading 19th walk and then went to second on a pinch-hit base hit by sophomore Alex Hughes. After sophomore Matt Phipps popped out, sophomore Austin Grisham laced a single into center to load the bases with the Colonels’ 3-4 hitters coming to the plate. Junior Richie Rodriguez popped out to the third baseman, however, and junior Jacob Daniel struck out swinging to end the threat and the game.

With the loss, EKU falls to 6-14 on the year, while the win improves Miami to 8-11.

Nine different EKU pitchers worked an inning each in the defeat. Junior right-hander Matt Harris (0-1) started on the hill and surrendered three runs on three hits in his only inning of work to secure his first loss of the season. The ensuing eight pitchers stifled Miami to only two earned runs over the next eight innings, as freshman right-handers Blake Bottoms and Brent Cobb, sophomore right-hander Austin Rexroat, senior right-hander Macon Smith, junior left-hander Greg Terry and senior right-hander Ryne Purcell all threw scoreless innings.

Left-hander Shawn Marquardt (1-3) earned his first win of the season for the RedHawks, working 6.2 innings and allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out four batters.

Daniel batted 2-for-5 with an RBI on the day, while Grisham went 2-for-5 with a run scored. Senior Ryan Faidley and junior Michael Garcia both provided solo home runs in the loss.

Jon Edginton led Miami at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Marcus Makuch, meanwhile, drove in a game-high two runs.

The RedHawks took the lead in the top of the first and never relinquished it. Kyle Weldon drove in the first run of the inning with a double to right center, and then Makuch knocked in a pair with a single through the right side that placed the Colonels in a quick 3-0 hole.

Faidley put EKU on the board with a solo blast to left – his first of the season – in the bottom of the second; however, after four innings of scoreless baseball, Miami added two more in the top of the seventh to go up by four. Garcia cut the lead to three with a solo home run – also his first of the season - in the bottom half of that inning, and after the RedHawks scored again in the top of the eighth, a double to right center by Daniel in the bottom of the eighth scored Grisham and made it 6-3, setting up the ninth inning dramatics.

EKU will try to break its current six-game losing streak tomorrow, March 23, when the Colonels play the road portion of this week’s home-and-home series with Miami. First pitch from McKie Field at Hayden Park is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.