Box Score
 
RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team took the lead into the ninth inning, but the Jacksonville State University Gamecocks rallied to hand the Colonels a 5-4 loss at Earle Combs Stadium Saturday evening.
 
The Colonels (21-22, 7-13 OVC) took the lead in the first inning when a throwing error by JSU third baseman Joe McGuire allowed Ben Fisher and Nick Howie to score and put EKU up 2-0.
 
The Gamecocks (22-18, 10-10 OVC) tied the game with a two-run fourth inning when Clayton Daniel scored on a Trent Simpson double, and Simpson scored on an Andrew Naismith single.
 
The score remained 2-2 until the sixth inning when Shea Sullivan doubled to left center, and Alex Holderbach brought him home with a single through the right side to give EKU a 3-2 lead.
 
Jacksonville State came back to tie the game again in the eighth inning when Nolan Greckel scored on a Simpson groundout.
 
Facing a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the eighth, Holderbach led off the inning for the Colonels and blasted a ball over the wall in left center. The sophomore's seventh home run of the season gave EKU a 4-3 lead as the game went into the ninth, but that is where things got messy.
 
A lightning delay forced both teams off the field, and when the game resumed 95 minutes later JSU took the lead on a Nic Gaddis single that plated Josh Bobo and Naismith, giving the Gamecocks a 5-4 lead.
 
Cornell Nixon singled to start the bottom of the ninth, and Fisher drew a walk to put the winning run on first, but the Colonels could not capitalize and fell, 5-4.
 
Holderbach led the way for EKU with two hits and two RBIs. Nixon and Sullivan also had two hits each.
 
The Colonels return to action for the series finale against Jacksonville State on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Earle Combs Stadium.