Box Score
RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team showed some fight in front of a packed house, but could not topple the No. 2 University of Louisville Cardinals as the Colonels lost, 14-4, on Tuesday afternoon at Earle Combs Stadium.
EKU (21-20, 7-11 OVC) found itself down 7-0 after two innings, thanks in part to two Brendan McKay two-run homers .
Ryland Kerr got the first hit of the day for the Colonels in the bottom of the third inning with a single to center field.
Cornell Nixon followed him to the plate and notched a double that trickled down the left field line, giving Kerr enough time to score from first base. Eastern trailed 7-1 after the third.
The Cardinals (34-6, 17-4 ACC) responded with a three-run top of the fourth when McKay hit his third home run of the day, a three-run shot over the wall in center field, giving Louisville a 10-1 advantage.
The score remained the same until the bottom of the sixth when Eastern rallied. Nixon led off the inning with single to left center, and
Shea Sullivan drew a walk in the next at-bat. An
Alex Holderbach double brought Nixon home, and put Sullivan on third. With the bases loaded after
Taylor Blair was hit by a pitch,
Logan Starnes singled to right field, bringing Sullivan and Holderbach across the plate. The Colonels finished the inning down 10-4, but this is as close as they would get.
Louisville added four more runs in the eighth and ninth, including the fourth McKay home run of the day, matching the most any player has hit in a game the season. In the end the Colonels were outgunned and fell to the Cardinals, 14-4.
Nixon and Starnes led the way for Eastern, Nixon with two hits and Starnes with two RBIs.
McKay finished the day with four home runs and nine RBIs. Drew Ellis picked up three hits and one RBI for the Cardinals.
"We had an amazing crowd here today," said EKU Head Coach
Edwin Thompson. "Not the result we wanted, but they're the No. 2 team in the nation for a reason. This is a great learning experience for our guys, we'll be ready to compete this weekend when we get back to conference play."
The Colonels get to stay home this week as they will host the Jacksonville State Gamecocks for an Ohio Valley Conference series this weekend. First pitch for the series opener is set for 7 p.m. on Friday.
