GAME ONE: BOX SCORE I PLAY-BY-PLAY
GAME TWO: BOX SCORE I PLAY-BY-PLAY

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Junior Richie Rodriguez strung together seven straight singles and finished the day 7-for-8 as the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team split a doubleheader with Ohio Valley Conference foe Austin Peay on Saturday at Raymond C. Hand Park, losing game one, 7-4, before taking game two, 8-5.

Rodriguez grounded out in his first at-bat of the day, and then collected seven straight hits, swiped two bases and scored four runs to lead EKU (10-21, 3-5 OVC) to an important road split and the chance to win the series on Sunday afternoon. The shortstop from Miami, Fla. is now batting .430 (54-for-121) on the season.

Junior Matt Harris (1-2) earned his first win of the season in game two, spelling freshman starter Kyle McGrath out of the bullpen and stifling the Govs over the last four innings of the game, allowing just one unearned run on one hit while striking out five batters. Southpaw Jack Snodgrass (1-4) received the loss for APSU (14-15, 4-3 OVC), working four innings and surrendering seven runs on nine hits.

Rodriguez finished game two 3-for-3 with a stolen base and three runs scored. The Colonels’ 3-4 hitters, junior Jacob Daniel and freshman Bryan Soloman, combined for four hits and five RBI in the game. Rolando Gautier, Greg Bachman and John Hogan all drove in runs for the Govs.

The Colonels jumped out to an early lead in game two, as Soloman executed a perfect hit-and-run single through the right side of the infield in the top of the first that scored Rodriguez from second. Junior Michael Garcia then plated junior #A.J. Jamison# with a sacrifice fly to right center that made it 2-0.

After the Govs scored two runs of their own in the bottom of the first, EKU took another two-run lead in the top of the second, this time getting a sacrifice fly from Jamison that scored sophomore Matt Phipps and another sacrifice fly by Daniel that scored Rodriguez. Again, though, APSU matched the Colonels as Gautier and Hogan delivered RBI singles in the bottom of the second to tie the score, 4-4.

EKU took the lead for good in the top of the fourth when Daniel and Soloman produced back-to-back, two-out RBI singles that scored Rodriguez and Jamison and made it 6-4. The Colonels added another with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly by sophomore Austin Grisham in the top of the fifth and another RBI single by Daniel in the top of the sixth.

In game one, EKU stranded runners on third base in four different innings, as APSU scored two insurance runs in the bottom of the ninth and then executed a swift strike-him-out/throw-him-out to quell an ensuing Colonel rally in the top of the ninth and, effectively, end the game.

Junior right-hander Matt Fyffe (0-4) picked up the game one loss for EKU, going 5.2 innings and allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out two batters. Left-hander Jeremy Dobbs (6-1) earned the win, going 6.2 innings and surrendering only three runs on six hits while fanning seven, while right-hander Ryne Harper got the four-out save, his third of the season.

Rodriguez batted 4-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored to pace the Colonel offense. Matt Wollenzin, meanwhile, led the Govs offensively, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored.

EKU got on the board first in the top of the second as senior Ryan Faidley laced a single up the middle to lead off the inning and then scored on an opposite field two-run home run by Soloman that made it 2-0. APSU responded in the bottom of that inning, though, as the Govs strung together five hits and plated four runs to take a two-run lead.

Rodriguez led off the top of the third with a base hit, went to third when Jamison reached on an error and then scored on an RBI groundout by Daniel. After Jamison advanced to third on a balk with just one out in the inning, the Colonels looked to have something going again; however, Faidley and Soloman both struck out to end the threat with Jamison stranded.

After the Govs made it 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth, the Colonels squandered another scoring opportunity in the top of the fifth. Rodriguez led off the inning with a single, stole second and went to third following a groundout by Jamison. After Daniel was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners with just one out, Faidley lined out to the shortstop and Daniel was doubled up at first base to end the inning with Rodriguez at third.

In the top of the seventh, EKU staged a two-out rally as Rodriguez and Jamison strung together consecutive hits before Daniel was plunked by another pitch to load the bases for the Colonels’ clean-up hitter, Faidley. Faidley, however, grounded into a fielder’s choice at third base to leave them loaded.

EKU finally broke through in the top of the eighth when Grisham delivered a pinch-hit, two-out RBI double down the right field line, scoring Garcia from first and pulling the Colonels to within one, 5-4. However, APSU plated two insurance runs in the home half of the eighth to take a three-run lead into the ninth.

EKU assembled the makings of a comeback in the top of the ninth as Rodriguez singled to lead off the inning and then went to third on a base hit by Jamison, bringing the Colonel’s best run-producer, Daniel, to the plate with no out and runners on the corners. In a stunning swing of events, however, Daniel struck out and Rodriguez was picked off at third to instantly squelch the rally. Faidley then popped up to first to end the game.

EKU and APSU will battle for the important series win tomorrow at Raymond C. Hand Park at 2:00 p.m. EST.