Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky scored in each of the first five innings and held Southern Illinois Edwardsville to four hits on its way to an 8-4 series opening victory on Friday at Turkey Hughes Field.
 
The Colonels (16-18, 6-7 OVC) led 5-2 going into the bottom of the fifth inning but platted three runs to put the game out of reach.  Mandy Alvarez scored on a wild pitch.  Two batters later Ben Fisher sent a pitch over the wall in right field with a runner on to polish off the inning and give the home squad an 8-2 lead.
 
Eastern starter Eric Nerl (4-2) gave up two runs in the third, one of which was unearned, and then didn't allow a run over his final three innings on the mound.  In six innings of work, Nerl allowed two runs on two hits.  He walked four and struck out four.
 
Fisher finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.  Shea Sullivan scored twice while going 2-for-4 at the plate.
 
EKU got on the board in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Alvarez.  In the second inning, Taylor Blair scored on a balk and Dakota Graham drove home a run on a ground ball to make it 3-0. 
 
Alec Skender's ground ball in the top of the third got SIUE (6-24, 3-13 OVC) on the board.  Aaron Jackson scored on an error to cut the deficit to 3-2.
 
Kyle Nowlin had an RBI double in the third and Graham platted a run with a single in the fourth to stretch the margin back to three, 5-2.  Graham finished the night 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs.
 
Logan Andersen had an RBI triple in a two-run ninth inning for SIU Edwardsville.  Jackson Layton recorded two of the Cougars' four hits and scored a run.
 
The Colonels and SIUE will continue their series with game two on Saturday at 7 p.m.