Box Score I Play-by-Play

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – One day after crushing Ohio, 12-1, the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team’s bats stayed hot as the Colonels pounded out eight extra-base hits and rolled past host Marshall, 12-4, on Wednesday afternoon at the Kennedy Center.

The win evens EKU’s record at 19-19 as the Colonels head into a crucial weekend showdown at Ohio Valley Conference and in-state rival Morehead State. The loss drops Marshall to 14-26 on the season.

EKU was led by the senior trio of Richie Rodriguez, Jacob Daniel and Michael Garcia in the rout. Rodriguez, who led off yesterday’s game with his team-leading 12th home run of the season, opened up Wednesday’s affair with his first triple of the spring, a rocket into center field that galvanized the Colonels to three runs in the top of the first inning and to a lead they would not relinquish. Rodriguez finished the day 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Daniel went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored and Garcia went 3-for-5 with three RBI.

The Colonels have now slugged .727 (15 doubles, three triples, five home runs) in their last three non-conference games dating back to March.

Andrew Dundon paced the Thundering Herd offensively, batting 2-for-4 with a pair of runs driven in.

It was another true staff day, as the Colonels trotted out eight arms in the game. This time it was freshman left-hander Nick Bozman (1-0) who earned his first collegiate win, hurling a scoreless bottom of the first while allowing just one hit and striking out a pair of batters. Senior left-hander Greg Terry, senior right-hander Matt Fyffe, junior right-handers Anthony Bazzani and Austin Rexroat, sophomore right-handers Blake Bottoms and Brent Cobb and freshman right-hander Cody Creamer all saw action out of the bullpen, helping to stifle Marshall to just four runs on nine hits.

Left-hander Wayland Moore (1-3) took the loss for Marshall, working three innings and surrendering four runs on seven hits.

After EKU jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead, Marshall got one run back in the bottom of the fourth and then two more in the bottom of the sixth to cut the Colonels’ lead to four.

EKU responded in the top of the seventh, as senior Dustin Dunlop scored fellow senior #A.J. Jamison# on a sacrifice fly to left field, and then the Colonels exploded for three runs in the bottom of the eighth to put the game out of contention. Junior Alex Hughes led off that inning with a pinch-hit solo home run. Rodriguez followed that up with a base hit and then advanced to second on a single by Daniel. Back-to-back RBI singles by Jamison and Garcia cleared the bases and promptly made the score 11-3.

EKU added a run for good measure in the top of the ninth as junior Matt Phipps blasted a pinch-hit home run, his first of the season, to match yesterday’s run output.

EKU will now square off with Morehead State this weekend in a three-game series between the two third-place teams in the OVC. First pitch on Friday at Morehead is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.