Box Score I Play-by-Play

MOREHEAD, Ky. – It was a historic day for the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team on Saturday, as head coach Jason Stein earned his 100th career victory and senior Richie Rodriguez became the school’s all-time hits leader in the Colonels’ come-from-behind 4-3 win over host Morehead State at Allen Field

With the pivotal series win, EKU improves to 21-19 (11-6 OVC) and gains another game on MSU (24-18, 9-8 OVC) in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. The two teams entered this weekend’s three-game set tied for third place in the league.

Stein, who got his first career win as a head coach against IPFW on February 27, 2009, is in his fourth season at the helm of the EKU baseball program. Stein was a middle infielder for the Colonels from 1992-95.

Rodriguez, who was making his 202nd consecutive start at shortstop for the Colonels, entered the day needing three hits to break the EKU mark held by Neil Sellers (2001-04), and he got all three of them in his final three plate appearances of the day, finally breaking the record with a single into left field in the top of the ninth inning. The single gave Rodriguez 280 career hits.

Rodriguez’s second hit of the day was a key moment in EKU’s comeback. After MSU jumped out to a 2-0 lead, senior #A.J. Jamison# made it 2-1 with a solo home run in the top of the seventh. Then, in the top of the eighth, Rodriguez ignited a rally when he blasted a double into left field that scored sophomore Sean Hagen and knotted the score at 2-2. Junior Austin Grisham followed that up by delivering the decisive hit of the game, a single into left field that scored Rodriguez from second base and gave the Colonels a lead they would not surrender. After senior Jacob Daniel advanced Grisham to second on a groundout, sophomore Bryan Soloman added to the lead by singling home Grisham and making it 4-2.

MSU got a run back in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Luke Bainer, but, for the second consecutive day, junior right-hander Anthony Bazzani came on in the bottom of the ninth and retired the Eagles in order to seal the win.

Senior right-hander Matt Fyffe (6-0) made his first start of the season for EKU and, at the same time, made a strong case to be the Colonels’ third weekend starter the rest of the season. Fyffe, who had been masterful out of the bullpen for EKU this season, tossed seven strong innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits while striking out six batters. Bazzani, meanwhile, earned his sixth save of the season.

Right-hander Morgan Cirbo (5-1) picked up the loss for MSU, as he surrendered the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth. The loss ruined an otherwise stellar outing by MSU left-hander Noah Smallwood, who started on the hill for the Eagles and went 7.1 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits.

After going hitless in game one, Rodriguez and Grisham, EKU’s No. 1 and 2 hole hitters, combined to go 5-for-10 with two RBI and two runs scored in Saturday’s game two. Jamison and Hagen also collected a pair of hits each in the win.

Bainer paced MSU offensively, driving in two of the Eagles’ three runs on the day.

EKU will go for the sweep of MSU tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. at Allen Field.