Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team nearly defeated its second Southeastern Conference foe of the season on Tuesday at Tennessee, but a walk-off single by Chris Hall in the bottom of the ninth won it for the host Vols, 4-3.
 
Junior Cole Warrenfeltz finished with four hits for EKU (17-25), including a game-tying RBI single with two outs in the top of the eighth that scored freshman Alex Holderbach and made it 3-3.
 
However, Tennessee (24-17) responded with a clutch, two-out hit of its own in the bottom of the ninth, as Hall laced a 2-1 pitch down the right field line, plating Jared Pruett and handing the Vols the walk-off win at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
 
Holderbach finished 3-for-5 with a run scored for the Colonels.
 
The EKU pitching staff was effective against UT's lineup. Junior right-hander Brian Mroz (0-3) received the loss, despite going 2.2 innings in which he surrendered only two runs on two hits. Junior right-hander Caleb Johnson started on the hill for the Colonels and tossed three innings, allowing only one run on four hits. Another junior right-hander, Taylor Blair, gave up two runs on two hits in three innings of solid relief.
 
Right-hander Hunter Martin (3-0) earned the win for Tennessee, hurling 1.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to become the pitcher of record.
 
After Tennessee opened the game with a run in the bottom of the first, EKU took the lead with two in the top of the third. Senior Kenny Hostrander drew a leadoff walk to open the frame, and went to second on a base hit by Warrenfeltz. After both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by junior Shea Sullivan, senior Mandy Alvarez plated Hostrander with a sacrifice fly to deep center and senior Kyle Nowlin brought home Warrenfeltz with a single up the middle.
 
The Vols tied it with a solo homo run by Vincent Jackson in the sixth and then retook the lead when Derek Lance scored on a bases-loaded balk in the seventh.
 
However, the Colonels did not back down. Holderbach led off the top of the eighth with a single up the middle, went to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by junior Logan Starnes and then scored the tying run with two outs on a single by Warrenfeltz.
 
EKU upset another SEC opponent, No. 13 Mississippi State, by a score of 16-12 in Starkville on March 15.
 
The Colonels return to action this weekend when they host OVC foe Eastern Illinois in a three-game set at Turkey Hughes Field.