Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Cornell Nixon's leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the eighth broke a 2-2 tie and fueled a 4-run inning EKU opened Ohio Valley Conference play with a 6-2 victory over Belmont on Thursday at Earle Combs Stadium.
 
EKU (8-6, 1-0 OVC) has won five straight games and remains undefeated in four games at the new Earle Combs Stadium.  The two teams will conclude their three-game series with a doubleheader on Friday.  First pitch is scheduled for noon.
 
Nixon led off the bottom of the eighth inning with his first home run of the season.  With one out and one on, Shea Sullivan doubled down the left field line to make it 4-2.  Miles Jones added a couple of insurance runs with a two-out, two-run home run over the wall in right field.
 
Jack Piekos started for Eastern.  He did not earn the win, but did have a quality start, allowing no earned runs, five hits and striking out five over seven innings.  Alex Hamilton (3-0) got the win after pitching one and one third innings of scoreless relief.  He gave up one hit and struck out one.
 
Nixon finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.  Sullivan went 2-for-4 with a run and two driven in.  Jones had a 2-for-4 day, scored once and drove in a pair.
 
"Always good to win the first game of an OVC series," Eastern Kentucky Head Coach Edwin Thompson said.  "Still have some things to work on defensively.  Really proud of Jack Piekos, giving us seven innings and another quality start.  Really fun to see Cornell Nixon get three hits and his first home run of his career, then Miles Jones kind of putting the icing on the cake there with his first home run as well.  We battled, we didn't play as clean as we wanted to defensively but we were able to find a way to get the job done when we needed to."
 
Kyle Conger and Chas Hadden each had two hits for Belmont (5-8, 0-1 OVC).  Tyler Vaughn (0-3) suffered his third loss of the season after allowing six runs on 10 hits over seven and two-thirds innings.