Box Score I Play-by-Play

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team shut out visiting Jacksonville State in all but one inning on Saturday afternoon, but that one inning – a four-run top of the second – was enough to lift the Gamecocks past the Colonels, 4-1, in game two of this weekend’s Ohio Valley Conference series at Turkey Hughes Field.

Senior left-hander Greg Terry (1-3) started on the hill for EKU (7-15) and received the loss, as he surrendered all four runs in the top of the second. Three young EKU relievers, however, combined to shut down JSU the rest of the way, as sophomore right-handers Blake Bottoms and Brent Cobb and freshman left-hander Nick Bozman stymied the Gamecocks to no runs and just two hits over the final seven innings of play. Bottoms worked five of those innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four batters, while Bozman tossed a seamless eighth and Cobb pitched a one-hit ninth.

Left-hander Daniel Watts (2-3) earned the win for JSU (8-14), going 7.2 innings and surrendering just one run on six hits while striking out nine batters in a gem of a performance. Right-hander Todd Hornsby recorded the final four outs to pick up his second save in as many days.

JSU jumped on Terry early, as a pair of two-run singles by Kyle Stone and Stephen Bartlett in the top of the second gave the Gamecocks the quick 4-0 lead.

EKU scratched across a run in the bottom of the fourth when senior Jacob Daniel singled and then scored on a double to left field by Bryan Soloman, but that would be all the Colonel offense could muster. EKU recorded just two hits over the final five innings.

Senior Richie Rodriguez continued to put together a solid series, finishing the day 2-for-4, and junior Alex Hughes, making his fourth consecutive start at first base, legged out a pair of infield singles to raise his season batting average to .240.

EKU will try to avoid the sweep in game three of this weekend’s series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.