Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Senior Kyle Nowlin's two-run single in the bottom of the fifth gave the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team the lead for good, as the Colonels defeated in-state rival Morehead State, 8-6, in this weekend's series opener on Friday night in front of a raucous crowd at Turkey Hughes Field.
 
Morehead State (16-10, 5-5 OVC) jumped on Eastern early, as Trevor Snyder's three-run home run highlighted a five-run top of the first for the Eagles.
 
However, Colonel starter Eric Nerl settled in and surrendered only one run over the next four frames, allowing EKU to crawl back into the game.
 
Eastern (12-14, 2-5 OVC) got two back in the bottom of the first, as junior Shea Sullivan singled in Nowlin and junior Matt Olive drew a bases loaded walk to score senior Mandy Alvarez.
 
The Colonels pulled to within one in the bottom of the second when Alvarez blasted his seventh home run of the season to left center, scoring junior Cole Warrenfeltz to make it 5-4.
 
Junior Ben Fisher knotted it up with a leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the third.
 
After Morehead State retook the lead with a run in the top of the fifth, EKU scored the game's decisive runs in the home half of the inning. Olive was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and went to second on a bunt single by junior Logan Starnes. The next batter, Warrenfeltz, went down on strikes, but Nowlin followed that up by lacing a base hit into center field that scored both Olive and Starnes and gave EKU the lead for good.
 
Sullivan plated freshman Alex Holderbach with a single in the bottom of the seventh to give EKU an insurance run, but the Colonels did not need it.
 
Junior right-hander Brian Mroz shut down the Morehead State offense over the final four innings of the game, allowing no runs on one hit while striking out five batters. He earned his third save of the season.
 
Senior southpaw Luke McGee (1-2) retired the final batter of the fifth to become the pitcher of record and earn his first win of the season.
 
Curtis Wilson (0-2) picked up the loss for Morehead State, throwing 2.1 innings and allowing Nowlin's game-winning RBI hit in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Alvarez, Nowlin and Sullivan all drove in two runs apiece for the Colonels.
 
Snyder paced Morehead State at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.
 
EKU and Morehead State will meet in game two Saturday at 4 p.m.