Box Score I Play-by-Play

RICHMOND, Ky. – Sophomore Steve Ferraro crushed a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to cap off the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team’s thrilling, come-from-behind victory over Ohio Valley Conference foe Eastern Illinois, 5-4, on Friday afternoon in game one of this weekend’s series at Turkey Hughes Field.

With EIU (13-18, 4-5 OVC) leading 4-3 heading into the bottom of the 11th, EKU (15-16, 7-3 OVC) got key at-bats from three players who had been inserted into the game just a couple of innings earlier. Facing right-hander Troy Barton, EIU’s scheduled Sunday starter, junior Justin Trent, who came in to play first base in the top of the 10th, led off the inning with a double off the wall in left field. Freshman Demetrius Moorer, who came in as a pinch runner in the bottom of the ninth, followed that up with a picture-perfect sacrifice bunt down the third base line. Moorer was out on the play, but an error allowed Trent to score from second, tying the game at 4-4. That set the stage for Ferraro, who, although he had just 18 at-bats coming into Friday’s game, blasted a hanging breaking ball from Barton over the wall in left field to win the day.

Senior right-hander Matt Fyffe (5-0) maintained his pristine record, recording the win as he came on in relief of senior right-hander Matt Harris in the top of the eighth and pitched the next 3.1 innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out six batters. Harris delivered another solid start for EKU, going 7.2 innings and surrendering just three runs on eight hits while fanning four batters.

Barton (4-4) picked up the loss for EIU, as he pitched the decisive 11th inning for the Panthers. The loss overshadowed an impressive outing by EIU right-hander Mike Hoekstra, who worked 8.1 innings and allowed just three runs on 11 hits while striking out nine batters.

Ferraro was only in position to deliver his heroic home run because EKU was able to scratch across two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie it. With the Colonels trailing 3-1 heading into that inning, senior Michael Garcia led off with a walk. After junior Shaun Ball popped out, junior Alex Hughes ripped a double down the right field line, advancing Garcia to third. Sophomore Sean Hagen then walked to load the bases, and senior Richie Rodriguez followed that up with another walk, scoring Garcia. The next batter, junior Austin Grisham, tied it, 3-3, with an RBI fielder’s choice, as he barely beat the double-play throw to first.

Following a scoreless 10th inning, EIU took the lead, 4-3, in the top of the 11th on an RBI fielder’s choice by Caleb Howell.

Rodriguez, senior Jacob Daniel and sophomore Bryan Soloman all collected two hits on the day for EKU.

T.J. McManus paced the EIU offense by going 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.

EKU and EIU will meet in game two of this weekend’s series at Turkey Hughes Field tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.