Box Score I Play-by-Play

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Senior Michael Garcia was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate and hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to pull the Colonels to within two, but it was not enough as the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team fell at UNC Greensboro, 7-5, on Tuesday afternoon at UNCG Stadium.

EKU (3-8) has now dropped seven of its last eight games.

Trailing 7-3 heading into the top of the ninth, the Colonels got a leadoff single from senior Dustin Dunlop. After junior Matt Phipps went down on strikes, Garcia notched his first-career four-hit game by blasting a two-run home run over the wall in left field to make the score 7-5. The next batter, junior Justin Trent, flew out to left, however, and sophomore Sean Hagen struck out swinging to end the potential rally and the game.

Sophomore right-hander Blake Bottoms (0-1) started on the hill for EKU and got the loss, going four innings and allowing five earned runs on eight hits. Senior right-hander Matt Fyffe, senior left-hander Greg Terry and junior right-handers Austin Rexroat and Anthony Bazzani all came on in relief of Bottoms and stymied the Spartans to just one unearned run over the final four innings of the game.

Left-hander Dylan Hathcock (2-0) earned the win for UNCG (9-2), pitching 5.1 strong innings of relief, allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out two batters.

Garcia finished the day 4-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, upping his season batting average to just below .300. Fellow senior #A.J. Jamison# also provided a two-run homer, his third of the season, as part of a three-run third inning for the Colonels.

Thomas Troelstrup paced the UNCG offense, going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first that gave the Spartans a lead they would never relinquish.

EKU will go for the series split tomorrow at UNCG. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.