Box Score I Play-by-Play

RICHMOND, Ky. – Senior A.J. Jamison’s two-out grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning blew the game open as the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team defeated visiting Eastern Illinois, 9-2, on Saturday afternoon in game two of this weekend’s Ohio Valley Conference series at Turkey Hughes Field.

With the series win, EKU improves to 16-16 (8-3 OVC). The Colonels have now won nine of their last 10 games and eight of their last nine conference games. The loss drops EIU to 13-19 (4-6 OVC).

With the game knotted at 2-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth, senior Michael Garcia untied with a solo home run, his sixth of the season, to left field. The home run extended Garcia’s team-best hitting streak to 11 games.

The Colonels then took advantage of a key error in the bottom of the seventh to blow the game wide open. With two outs and senior Jacob Daniel on first, EIU third baseman Brant Valach committed a throwing error on a ground ball from sophomore Bryan Soloman. Soloman advanced to second on the error and Daniel went to third. The next batter, senior Dustin Dunlop, walked to load the bases, and Garcia was then plunked by a pitch, scoring Daniel and making the score 4-2. That set the stage for Jamison, who crushed a 0-1 pitch over the wall in left-center to clear the bases and give the Colonels a comfortable 8-2 advantage.

Senior Richie Rodriguez added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run to left, his team-leading 11th of the season.

Junior left-hander Shane Grimm (4-4) earned the win for EKU, pitching seven strong innings without allowing an earned run. He scattered nine hits, allowed just one walk and struck out a batter to pick up his fourth win of the season. Sophomore right-hander Brent Cobb came on in the top of the eighth and held the Panthers scoreless over the final two innings of the game.

Left-hander Christian Slazinik (4-4) received the loss for EIU, working 6.1 innings and surrendering three earned runs on eight hits while fanning five batters.

Rodriguez finished the day 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored to pace the EKU offense. Jamison, Daniel and Soloman all collected two hits in the game for the Colonels.

Jacob Reese had the only RBI on the day for the Panthers, as he scored David Ciaglia with a base hit in the top of the first.

EKU will go for the series sweep of EIU tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. at Turkey Hughes Field.