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Box Score  I  OVC Tournament Bracket  I  Live Stats (vs. APSU)  I  Live Video (vs. APSU)  I  Live Audio (vs. APSU)

JACKSON, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky overcame a three-run deficit to beat No. 1 seed Tennessee Tech, 6-4, and advance to the championship round of the 2013 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

Fifth seeded EKU will play No. 2 seed Austin Peay at 4:45 p.m. ET TODAY.  The Governors have yet to lose in the double elimination tournament.  In order for the Colonels to claim the title they will have to beat APSU today and again on Sunday.

Eastern (23-33) trailed 3-0 after three innings and 3-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. 

The Colonel rally nearly never got started.  Kyle Nowlin doubled to lead off the inning and Doug Teegarden drew a walk.  However, TTU turned a line drive into a double play.  Shaun Ball kept the inning going with a single to center to put runners on the corners.  A single to left by Bryan Soloman, on an 0-2 count, tied the score 3-3.  Alex Hughes followed with an RBI double to right.  Kenny Hostrander’s single through the left side platted two runs and put Eastern in front 6-3.

EKU starter Shane Grimm set the Golden Eagles down in order in the eight, but Tennessee Tech (40-17) wouldn’t give up.  With one out and two on in the ninth, Zach Zarzour singled to right to load the bases.  A sacrifice fly by Austin Wulf made it a two-run game with two outs and the tying run at first.  Reliever Cody Creamer ended the game when he got Zach Stephens to strike out looking on a 1-2 fast ball.

Grimm (5-5) allowed four runs, three of which were earned, on seven hits in eight and one-third innings of work.  He walked one and struck out three.  Hughes finished 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.  Nowlin was 2-for-3 with two walks and an RBI.

Wulf finished 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.  TTU starter Jacob Honea surrendered three runs, two of which were earned, on six hits in six innings of work.  He walked four and struck out seven.  Seth Lucio (3-2) suffered the loss after giving up three runs on four hits in two innings of relief.

Tennessee Tech drew first blood with two runs in the top of the first inning.  Zach Stephens drove in a run with a double to right center and then later scored on a fielding error.  EKU stranded five base runners in the first two innings.  An RBI double by Brandon Thomasson in the third put Tech on top 3-0.

Eastern got on the board in the bottom of the fourth.  Alex Hughes scored on a throwing error and Kyle Nowlin drove in Luke Wurzelbacher with a single up the middle to cut the deficit to 3-2.

NOTES
Shaun Ball entered the game 1-for-11 in the 2013 OVC Tournament.  He went 2-for-3 and scored a run in the elimination game against Tennessee Tech.

Senior Shane Grimm turned in his fifth quality start of the season, allowing 3 earned runs in eight and one-third innings.

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

Luke Wurzelbacher has started 20 straight games and has hit safely in 15 of those.

Sean Hagen had reached base in 15 straight games, tying the season-best by a Colonel in 2013.

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

Eastern Kentucky starter Shane Grimm gave up four runs on six hits in five innings of work when he faced Tennessee Tech earlier this season.

Earlier this season, Tennessee Tech starter Jacob Honea allowed three runs on five hits in 3.2 innings against EKU.  He had four strikeouts and two walks.