BOX SCORE I PLAY-BY-PLAY

RICHMOND, Ky. – Visiting East Tennessee State scored 11 runs in the first two innings and never led by less than five as the Buccaneers defeated the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team, 18-7, on Tuesday afternoon in a midweek non-conference matchup at Turkey Hughes Field.

In accordance with a recent tradition of high-scoring slugfests between the two teams (EKU defeated ETSU, 20-16, in Johnson City last year), 37 hits were pounded out in a loss that dropped EKU to 14-27 on the year and a win that improved ETSU to 24-15.

Freshman right-hander Blake Bottoms (0-1) started on the bump for EKU and got the loss, going just 0.2 innings and allowing six runs on eight hits. Sophomore right-hander Austin Rexroat was the Colonels’ most effective reliever in the game as he worked five solid innings, surrendering only two runs on five hits while striking out two batters.

Left-hander Clinton Freeman (2-2) earned the win for ETSU, pitching the final 5.2 innings for the Buccaneers and holding EKU scoreless while allowing just four hits.

EKU was led at the plate by freshman Bryan Soloman, who batted 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored. The Jackson, N.J. native crushed his eighth home run of the season in the bottom of the third, added two doubles later in the game and is now batting above .300 (.306) for the first time since March 6. Senior Ryan Faidley, junior Richie Rodriguez and sophomore Austin Grisham all had a pair of hits in the losing effort.

Matthew Scruggs led the way for ETSU, batting a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI and three runs scored. In all, six Buccaneers recorded three hits in the rout.

After ETSU took a commanding 12-0 lead in the top of the third, EKU clawed back to within five in the fourth inning. Sophomore Alex Hughes started the rally in the bottom of the third with an opposite field solo home run to put the Colonels on the board. After Rodriguez singled and Grisham was hit by a pitch, Soloman crushed a three-run shot to left that made it 12-4. Then, with two outs in the inning, Faidley, freshman Sean Hagen and sophomore Matt Phipps strung together three singles to score another run. The Colonels were robbed of even more runs in that inning when a bases loaded line drive up the middle was snagged reflectively by Logan Rice on the mound to end the five-run frame. The Colonels added two more in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run single to left by junior Michael Garcia that plated Grisham and junior #A.J. Jamison# and pulled EKU to within five, 12-7.

With Freeman stifling the Colonels on the mound the rest of the way, though, ETSU added a run in the top of the sixth and then exploded for five more in the top of the eighth to slowly pull away.

EKU returns to action tomorrow when the Colonels try to even the series with ETSU at 2:00 p.m. at Turkey Hughes Field.