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

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team was swept in a doubleheader at SIU Edwardsville on Friday afternoon at the Simmons Complex, losing game one, 2-1, in extra innings before dropping game two, 5-1. The Colonels, however, have now qualified for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament due to UT Martin losing both ends of a doubleheader to Austin Peay.

It will be the second consecutive OVC Tournament appearance for EKU (21-33, 11-13 OVC), which won five of its last seven conference games down the stretch to make the six-team field. If Eastern Illinois loses to Southeast Missouri tomorrow, EKU will enter the tournament as the No. 5 seed. If EIU defeats SEMO tomorrow, EKU will enter the tournament as the No. 6 seed. The OVC Tournament is held next week (May 25-29) at Pringles Park in Jackson, Tenn.

Joel Greatting delivered the game-winning hit for SIUE (27-24), EKU’s future OVC opponent, in the bottom of the 10th of game one, lacing a single through the left side of the infield that scored Travis Becherer and lifted the Cougars to the victory.

Senior right-hander Stephen Hefler started for EKU and received a no-decision, going four innings and allowing just one run on two hits. Junior right-hander Matt Fyffe spelled Hefler in the fifth and pitched three scoreless innings before junior left-hander Greg Terry surrendered a single to Becherer to lead off the bottom of the 10th and sophomore right-hander Austin Rexroat (1-1), who received the loss, allowed the game-winning hit to Greatting.

Right-hander Josh Malin started for SIUE and went 9.2 innings, allowing just one run on four hits. Left-hander Dustin Quattrocchi (4-2), however, earned the win as he recorded the final out in the top of the 10th to become the pitcher of record.

Junior Richie Rodriguez led off the game with his second home run of the season, a solo blast to left field that provided EKU with its only run of the game. SIUE tied it in the bottom of the third when Mitch Matecki scored Mike Swinnen on an RBI ground out back to Hefler, and the Cougars won it in the 10th on Graetting’s heroics.

In game two, junior right-hander Matt Harris (2-3) received the loss, throwing five innings of the seven-inning game and allowing just two earned runs on six hits. Right-hander Spencer Patton (9-3) earned the complete-game win for SIUE, working all seven inning and surrendering just one run on four hits while striking out nine batters.

After the Cougars took an early 2-0 lead in game two, the Colonels rallied for a run in the top of the third as juniors #A.J. Jamison and Jacob Daniel and freshman Bryan Soloman# connected on three straight singles, Soloman’s scoring Jamison to cut SIUE’s lead in half.

SIUE, however, plated two runs in the bottom of the fourth off a two-run double by Swinnen and then added another in the bottom of the sixth to pull away and earn long-time head coach Gary Collins his 1,000th career victory. EKU recorded only one hit after the third inning rally.

EKU will wrap up its series with SIUE tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. EST before heading to Jackson, Tenn. for the OVC Tournament next week. Check back to www.ekusports.com for more information on the tournament.