BOX SCORE I PLAY-BY-PLAY

ATHENS, Ohio –Junior A.J. Jamison and freshman Bryan Soloman combined to go 8-for-9 with three RBI on Wednesday night as the Eastern Kentucky University baseball held on to defeat Ohio, 5-4, in dramatic fashion at Bob Wren Stadium. With the win, EKU improves to 11-22 on the season.

With EKU clinging to a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the ninth, senior closer Ryne Purcell struck out the first two batters he faced in the frame before surrendering a two-strike single to Jensen Painter. Taylor Emody then crushed a potential walk-off home run to deep right field, but junior right fielder Michael Garcia caught the ball at the warning track to end the game and earn Purcell his third save of the season.

Jamison – who was hampered by injuries early in the season - became the seventh player EKU has used at first base this season, and he made a case to be the last on Wednesday as he played solid defense, batted 4-for-4 with two RBI, two stolen bases and a run scored to raise his batting average to .406 (13-for-32) on the year. Soloman, meanwhile, went 4-for-5 with an RBI and is now hitting .424 (14-for-33) with three home runs and 11 RBI over the Colonels’ last eight games.

Senior southpaw Paul Duncan started on the hill for EKU and pitched 4.1 strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits. Senior right-hander Macon Smith (1-0) picked up his first win of the year, spelling Duncan in the fifth and going 1.2 innings and surrendering one run on two hits to become the pitcher of record.

Brett Barber (3-2) was saddled with the loss for Ohio (15-18), pitching the sixth inning and allowing two runs on three hits.

EKU jumped out to a quick lead in the top of the first as Jamison singled to left center and then came home on a base hit by Soloman. Jamison struck again in the top of the fifth, this time lacing a two-out single to center that scored freshman Sean Hagen and made it 2-0 in favor of the Colonels.

After Ohio tied it in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run double to center by Painter, the Colonels took the lead for good in the top of the sixth when sophomore Matt Phipps blasted an RBI double to deep left field, scoring Garcia. Jamison added another run in that inning with an infield single that scored Phipps.

In the top of the eighth, junior Richie Rodriguez blasted a two-out triple and then scored on a wild pitch to put EKU up, 5-2; however, Ohio pulled to within one in the bottom of the eighth when Adam Gecewich reached on a two-base error on Garcia in right field that scored Emody and Dan Ward and made the score 5-4.

The Colonels loaded the bases with one out in the top of the ninth with a chance to add multiple insurance runs, but Hagen grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the threat and send the game into the bottom of the ninth with EKU leading by only one.

EKU returns to action this weekend when the Colonels host Morehead State in an important three-game conference series at Turkey Hughes Field.