Box Score
 
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Matt Olive launched two home runs, but the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team could not capitalize as it lost to the Eastern Illinois Panthers, 11-9, on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Colonels (21-19, 7-11 OVC) faced a 5-0 deficit heading into the third inning, but that is when EKU struck back. Ryland Kerr led off the inning with a single to center field, and then hustled out a run on a Shea Sullivan double two batters later. After Sullivan advanced to third, Alex Holderbach stepped to the plate and sent a ball over the wall in right center, making it a 5-3 game.
 
EKU kept chopping away at the lead in the top of the fourth when Olive notched his first home run of the day. A scoreless bottom of the fourth left the door open for Eastern in the fifth. Single from Holderbach and Nick Howie put runners in scoring position for Daniel McFarland who singled through the right side to score Holderbach and tie the game, 5-5.
 
The Panthers answered by scoring a run in the bottom of the fifth, making it 6-5, but the Colonels we're not done yet.
 
Kerr led the sixth inning off with a single, and advanced to second on a Cornell Nixon bunt. A balk put Kerr on third, and Sullivan brought him home with a sacrifice to right field. Ben Fisher followed Sullivan at the plate and singled to left field. Holderbach drew a walk in the next at-bat, and a wild pitch in the following at-bat moved the runners to second and third. Howie singled to left field to bring both Fisher and Holderbach home and give EKU an 8-6 lead heading into bottom of the sixth.
 
After another scoreless inning from EIU, Olive picked up his second home run of the day in the seventh, giving the Colonels a 9-6 lead. Olive tripled his season home run total as he entered today's game with one.
 
EIU tied the game when Jimmy Govern blasted a three-run homer in the bottom half of the seventh. The Panthers took the lead with a two-run eighth to secure the 11-9 victory.
 
Kerr led the way for Eastern with three hits and two runs. Howie also had three hits, while Olive, Sullivan, Fisher and Holderbach had two hits each.
 
"It was a difficult weekend for us," said EKU Head Coach Edwin Thompson. "I loved the fight we showed today, and the fight we showed all weekend. Not the result we wanted, but we're going to move past this and get ready to keep competing."
 
The Colonels return to Richmond to host the No. 2 Louisville Cardinals on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Earle Combs Stadium.