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Box Score

JACKSON, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky’s surprising Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Tournament run ended with a 6-3 loss to No. 2 seeded Austin Peay in the championship round on Saturday evening. 

Despite entering the tournament as the fifth seeded, the Colonels (23-34) were one of the final two remaining teams in the double elimination event.

A 2-out, 2-run double down the left field line by Bryan Soloman got Eastern Kentucky on the board in the top of the first.  Alex Hughes followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Colonels an early 3-0 lead.

The Governors (45-13) had the answer in the bottom half of the inning.  With one out and two on, Reed Harper sent the ball over the left field wall for a game-tying, 3-run dinger. 

APSU took the lead in the second on an RBI single to left by Jordan Hankins.  Hankins provided an insurance run in the sixth with a run scoring single through the right side.

Soloman had one hit in four at bats and drove in two.  Senior Shaun Ball was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Five Colonels earned OVC All-Tournament honors – Hughes, Luke Wurzelbacher, Kyle Nowlin, Soloman and Shane Grimm.

After picking up a save in Saturday’s elimination game win over No. 1 seed Tennessee Tech, Cody Creamer (2-2) started against Austin Peay.  He allowed four runs on seven hits in one and two-thirds innings.  Myles Scott, who started Thursday’s tournament game against Austin Peay, allowed one run on four hits in four and one-thirds innings of relief work.

Harper finished 1-for-4.  Hankins went 2-for-5 with a run and two RBIs.  Cody Hudson had a 3-for-3 performance.

Lee Ridenhour (7-1) earned the win after pitching two and one-thirds innings of scoreless relief.

NOTES
Eastern Kentucky has won three OVC Tournament games in the same season for the first time since 2005.

EKU made it to the championship round for the first time since 2003.

Freshman Luke Wurzelbacher has started 21 straight games and has hit safely in 16 of those.

Eastern’s recent starting line-ups have featured four freshmen – Doug Teegarden (3B), Kyle Nowlin (LF), Kenny Hostrander (2B) and Luke Wurzelbacher (SS).