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Box Score

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Freshman Caleb Johnson tossed 6-plus strong innings to lead the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team to an 8-5 win over preseason Ohio Valley Conference favorite Tennessee Tech in the series finale on Sunday.

Johnson (1-0), making his second collegiate start, turned in his first career quality start. He allowed one run on five hits in six and two-thirds innings. Johnson walked one and struck out one.

The Colonels (5-9, 1-2 OVC) pulled away in the fourth inning. Ben Fisher began the inning with an RBI single up the middle. Kenny Hostrander followed with an RBI single down the right field line. With the bases loaded and one out, Shea Sullivan made it 5-0 with a run scoring double to left center. A ground ball by Kyle Nowlin was enough to drive in the fourth run of the inning.

Sullivan added an RBI single in the sixth. An RBI single in the eighth by Sean Hagen gave Eastern an 8-1 lead. The Golden Eagles scored twice in the bottom of the eighth and the bottom of the ninth to close the gap to three. Zach Stephens hit a two-run home run in the eighth.

EKU had 15 hits in the game. Nowlin finished 3-for-3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI. Sullivan, Hagen, Luke Wurzelbacher and Fisher had two hits each.

Stephens finished 1-for-5 with a run and two RBIs for Tech (13-3, 2-1 OVC). John Gora (1-1) started for the Golden Eagles but made through just one and one-third innings. He allowed two runs on three hits, walked two and struck out one.

Cody Creamer got the final out in the ninth to pick up his third save of the season.

Eastern Kentucky will play its first home games of the season on Tuesday and Wednesday against Youngstown State. Tuesday's series opener begins at 3 p.m. at Turkey Hughes Field.