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

RICHMOND, Ky. – Senior right-hander Stephen Hefler tossed a complete-game gem in a 5-3 game one win and the Colonels rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to win game two, 9-4, as the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team swept a pivotal Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader from Murray State on Saturday afternoon at Turkey Hughes Field.

EKU, which has now won four straight games, improves to 18-29 (9-11 OVC) with the sweep and overtakes MSU (16-28, 6-9 OVC) by a half of a game in the conference standings.

On Senior Day, Hefler (6-4) hurled his first career complete game (and EKU’s first nine-inning complete game of the season) in his last career start at Turkey Hughes Field, going all nine innings of game one and surrendering just three runs on five hits while striking out three batters.

Right-hander Tyler Beers (3-7) also pitched a complete game for MSU, but received the loss, allowing five runs on six hits while striking out eight.

EKU got on the board early in game one as junior Richie Rodriguez reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the first, stole second and third and then scored on an RBI groundout by junior #A.J. Jamison#. The next batter, junior Jacob Daniel, then blasted a solo home run – his ninth of the season – to make the score 2-0.

After MSU cut the lead in half with a run in the top of the fourth, EKU rallied again in the home half of the fourth as junior Michael Garcia blasted his first career triple off the wall in left center to score sophomore Matt Phipps and sophomore Austin Grisham followed that up with a double into the right center gap that plated Garcia. The Colonels tacked on one more in the bottom of the fifth when junior Dustin Dunlop roped a solo shot to left - his first home run of the season – to make it 5-1.

MSU plated a run in the top of the eighth and ninth to pull within two, but Hefler remained in control the entire game to earn the complete-game victory.

Trailing 4-2 in game two, the Colonels rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to earn the come-from-behind 9-4 victory. Jamison provided the key hit in that rally as he delivered a two-out, two-run single through the right side of the infield that broke a 4-4 tie and gave EKU a lead it would hold.

Sophomore right-hander Austin Rexroat (1-0) earned the win as he retired one batter in the top of the sixth to become the pitcher of record. Junior right-hander Matt Harris started on the hill for the Colonels and pitched 4.2 solid innings before getting nicked in the head by a line drive back at the mound that forced him to leave the game.

Southpaw Jake Donze (6-4) picked up the loss for the Thoroughbreds, working 5.2 innings and surrendering eight runs on eight hits.

The Colonels struck first in game two as Jamison scored from first on a double down the right field line by Daniel in the bottom of the third. The Breds, however, tied it with a run in the top of the fourth and then rallied for three runs in the top of the fifth to take a 4-1 lead.

Freshman Bryan Soloman, who had been relegated to the designated hitter position following an ankle injury in game one, started the rally in the bottom of the sixth with an opposite field base hit. After a double to left center by Garcia advanced pinch-runner Alex Arovits to third, Dunlop laced a base hit through the right side that scored Arovits and cut the lead to two. Phipps then walked to load the bases and, in what might have been the key play of the game, Grisham grounded into a possible 4-6-3 double play ball but beat the throw at first as Garcia scored and MSU was only able to force Phipps at second.

Following a pop out by freshman Steve Ferraro, the flood gates opened as Rodriguez walked and Jamison ripped the decisive two-run single through the right side that gave the Colonels the lead, 6-4. Sophomore pinch-hitter Alex Hughes then added a two-run single and Garcia delivered his second hit of the inning that scored Daniel and made the score 9-4.

Senior right-hander Ryne Purcell came on in the seventh for the Colonels and got Elliott Frey to ground into a game-ending double play as the Colonels held on for the twinbill sweep.

EKU returns to action tomorrow when the Colonels host the Breds in the finale of this weekend’s series at 1:00 p.m. at Turkey Hughes Field.