Box Score I Play-by-Play

MURRAY, Ky. – Senior right-hander Matt Harris pitched 7.1 strong innings and senior Michael Garcia delivered a pair of key two-out hits as the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team edged host Murray State, 5-4, on Thursday afternoon in game one of this weekend’s pivotal Ohio Valley Conference series at Reagan Field.

With the win, second-place EKU improves to 29-21 (17-7 OVC) and remains in the hunt for its first OVC regular season title since 2000. The loss drops MSU to 23-31 (8-17 OVC).

Harris (5-5) went 7.1 innings and allowed just two earned runs on eight hits while striking out four batters to earn his first win since early April. Junior right-hander Anthony Bazzani came on in the bottom of the eighth inning and recorded the final five outs to pick up his eighth save of the season.

Right-hander Tyler Beers (3-7) received the loss for MSU, working 7.1 innings and surrendering five runs on nine hits.

MSU strung together four straight singles and plated three runs to take an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Garcia, however, rallied EKU in the top of the fourth when he smacked a two-out RBI single that scored senior Jacob Daniel and put the Colonels on the board.

After senior Richie Rodriguez plated senior Dustin Dunlop with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth, Garcia struck again in the top of the sixth, this time delivering a two-out RBI double into left center field that scored Daniel and tied the score at 3-3. The next batter, Dunlop, then gave the Colonels the lead for good when he laced a single through the left side of the infield to score Garcia.

EKU added to that lead in the top of the seventh when Daniel hit into an RBI fielder’s choice that scored sophomore Sean Hagen and made the score 5-3.

That run proved to be valuable as MSU scored once in the bottom of the eighth to make it 5-4. Harris and sophomore right-hander Brent Cobb combined to load the bases with one out in that frame, before Bazzani came on, allowed a sacrifice fly to Noah Zipko and then got out of the inning by inducing a fly out by Dylan Wheeler.

Bazzani then retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to seal the crucial win for EKU.

The Colonels and the Breds meet tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. in game two of this weekend’s series.