BOX SCORE I PLAY-BY-PLAY

JACKSON, Tenn. – The No. 5 seed Eastern Kentucky University baseball team was eliminated from the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament by the No. 6 seed UT Martin on Thursday afternoon by a score of 6-2. The Colonels finish the 2011 season with a record of 21-36.

UT Martin (20-35) scored two runs in the second, third and fourth innings to take an early 6-1 lead. In his final appearance as a Colonel, senior right-hander Chris Hord came on in relief and shut down the UT Martin offense over the final 5.2 innings of the game, holding the Skyhawks scoreless while allowing just one hit and striking out five batters; however, the EKU offense could muster only two runs as right-hander Alec Mills (7-4) delivered an outstanding start for UT Martin, going 7.2 inning and allowing just one unearned run on 10 hits to earn the win.

Junior right-hander Matt Harris (2-3), like senior right-hander Stephen Hefler yesterday, did not deliver the kind of start the Colonels expected. Harris, who posted a 0.59 ERA against OVC foes during the regular season, went just three innings and allowed five runs on seven hits to pick up the loss.

Junior Michael Garcia and sophomore Austin Grisham both collected two hits on the afternoon, while junior Dustin Dunlop recorded the Colonels’ only RBI in the game. Cory Stoooksbury and Jordan Owen both batted 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored to lead UT Martin.

EKU took an early lead in the top of the first when junior Richie Rodriguez led off with a double and then scored on a fielding error at second base by Stooksbury. UT Martin, however, then exploded for two runs in each of the next three innings to take a commanding lead.

The Colonels rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Dunlop singled home freshman Bryan Soloman to cut the Skyhawks’ lead to four, and then Garcia came to the plate, with two outs and the bases loaded, representing the tying run. Garcia, however, flew out to deep center field and the threat was over. EKU would not threaten again.