Box Score

MURRAY, Ky. – With three home runs, Eastern Kentucky opened its weekend Ohio Valley Conference series with a 6-4 win at Murray State on Friday.
 
Kyle Nowlin, the nation's leader in home runs, got the fireworks started with his 18th of the season in the top of the first inning.  A two-run shot over the wall in left field by Logan Starnes and a solo dinger by Cole Warrenfeltz in the second inning gave the visitors a 4-0 lead.  It was the first time either of the sophomores have homered in a college game.
 
Starnes added an RBI double in the fourth before TJ Alas drove in a run with a double to right field in the fifth to put Eastern in front 6-1.  Starnes would finish the game 2-for-4 with a run and three driven in.  Alas went 2-for-4 at the plate.  Nowlin scored twice, was walked once and finished 1-for-3.
 
An RBI triple by Taylor Mathews and a run-scoring ground out by Matthew Johnson in the bottom of the seventh got the Racers (14-36, 9-16 OVC) within two, 6-4.
 
Alex Hamilton (4-5) turned in a quality start for the Colonels (18-27, 9-15 OVC), allowing three earned runs on seven hits in six and one-third innings.  He walked three and struck out four.  Ben Gullo pitched the final one and two-thirds innings to earn his second save of the season.  He allowed one base runner and struck out two.
 
The two teams will play the second game of the series on Saturday at 7 p.m.