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Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky plated five runs in the eighth inning, but fell short in their final home game of the 2013 season, as Dayton escaped with a 14-11 win at Turkey Hughes Field on Tuesday.

Entering the eighth, the Colonels (18-31) trailed 14-6. The EKU rally started as senior Austin Grisham singled with the first of five Colonel hits in the frame. Grisham later scored on a sacrifice fly to left by sophomore John Wilson. Kyle Nowlin and Doug Teegarden also scored on a triple to left from senior Shaun Ball, which narrowed the Flyer lead to five, 14-9.

Still in the eighth, pre-season All-OVC selection Bryan Soloman knocked his sixth homer of the season to pull Eastern within three, at 14-11. The Colonels would not cross the plate again in the contest.

Soloman finished 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs.  Ball went 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs.

The Flyers (11-37-1) got on the board with nine runs in the first inning highlighted by a 3-run home run by Mark Podlas.  Jared Broughton had a pair of doubles and drove in five runs in the big inning.  Podlas had three hits in four at bats, scored once and drove in four.  Broughton finished 3-for-4 with three runs and five driven in.

Eastern Kentucky answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Teegarden scored first for the Colonels on a single to left from Ball. Later in the inning, a Kenny Hostrander single scored Ball and Sean Hagen.  Hostrander went 2-for-5 with four RBIs.

After allowing 14 runs through the first five innings, the Colonels held the Flyers scoreless the remainder of the contest.

Dayton pitcher Charlie Dant (2-4) recorded the win for the Flyers. Dant went seven innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits and striking out seven batters. The Colonels sent seven different pitchers to the mound. Freshman Eric Nerl (1-2) struggled early, allowing nine runs in his 2/3 innings of work.

Eastern Kentucky will have Wednesday off, before starting a three-game series with OVC rival Murray State. The series will complete the regular season for both teams, as the OVC Tournament will take place next week in Jackson, Tenn.

The series will begin with the first game on Thursday at Reagan Field. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET.