Box Score I Play-by-Play

RICHMOND, Ky. – Visiting Austin Peay rallied to take the lead with six runs in the top of the sixth inning and then held on to beat the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team, 10-9, on Friday afternoon in a thrilling opener of this weekend’s pivotal Ohio Valley Conference series at Turkey Hughes Field.

EKU (16-18, 8-5 OVC) trailed, 10-8, entering the bottom of the ninth, but the Colonels pulled to within one when junior Austin Grisham legged out an infield hit that scored freshman pinch-runner Demetrius Moorer, making the score 10-9 with one out. Senior Jacob Daniel was then hit by a pitch, loading the bases for EKU’s clean-up hitter, sophomore Bryan Soloman. Soloman, however, swung at the first pitch and grounded into a 5-2-3 double play to end the game in dramatic fashion.

Senior right-hander Matt Harris (4-4) received the loss for EKU as he was hit hard for the first time in the conference season. Harris went 5.2 innings and allowed eight earned runs on 13 hits while striking out four batters. Senior right-hander Matt Fyffe came on in relief of Harris in the top of the sixth and pitched the next 3.1 innings, allowing just one run on four hits while fanning four batters.

Right-hander Ryan Quick (4-1) earned the win for first-place APSU (23-14, 10-2 OVC) despite surrendering eight earned runs on 10 hits over eight innings of work. Right-hander Tyler Rogers came on in the bottom of the ninth and picked up his seventh save of the season, as he induced Soloman into the game-ending double play.

EKU took a commanding lead in the bottom of the third when the Colonels exploded for five runs, all with two outs. Daniel started the rally with a base hit into center field that scored junior Alex Hughes and sophomore Sean Hagen and advanced senior Richie Rodriguez to third. One pitch later, Soloman crushed a three-run shot to left field that quickly made the score 5-1 in favor of EKU.

After APSU plated two in the top of the fourth, EKU improved its lead to 6-3 in the home half of that inning on an RBI base hit by senior Dustin Dunlop that scored fellow senior Michael Garcia.

The score remained 6-3 until the top of the sixth, when the Govs rallied for six runs to take a lead they would not relinquish. Reed Harper provided the go-ahead hit in that inning, a two-run single into center field that made the score 8-6. That hit proved to be the game-winner.

Daniel and Soloman both drove in three runs apiece for the Colonels, while Grisham, Garcia, Hughes and senior #A.J. Jamison# all collected two hits in the loss.

Harper paced the APSU offense, finishing the day 3-for-5 with four RBI and a run scored.

EKU and APSU will square off tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. in game two of this weekend’s series.