Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – The two teams combined for 21 runs and 30 hits, but Eastern Kentucky came up short in a 13-9 loss to visiting Western Kentucky on Tuesday at Earle Combs Stadium.
 
EKU entered the eighth down three, 11-8, and the first two batters of the inning were retired.  Alex Holderbach kept the inning alive with a single through the left side.  Will Johnson and Chris Botsoe walked to load the bases.  Western's third baseman knocked down a hard hit ball down the line by Nick Howie to save multiple runs from scoring.  Howie beat the throw to first and Holderbach scored to get the home team within two.  However, the Colonels left the bases loaded and didn't get any closer.
 
Holderbach finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBIs.  Botsoe had a 2-for-4 day, scored once and drove in two.  Cornell Nixon was 1-for-3, drew three walks and scored three times.

"We did not execute well enough on defense tonight," Eastern Kentucky Head Coach Edwin Thompson said.  "Give credit to Western for coming in and posting four runs in the first. I liked out fight and look forward to getting back to conference play on Thursday."
 
Western Kentucky (13-12) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, but the Colonels came right back in the bottom of the frame and got back in the game.  Botsoe had a two-run double and Howie made it a 4-3 game with a run scoring single to right center.
 
The Hilltoppers added two runs to their lead in the top of the second on a two-run home run by Steven Kraft.  However, EKU had the answer again.  With runners on second and third, and one out in the bottom of the second, Holderbach blasted his fifth home run of the season to tie the game 6-6.
 
Eastern (9-16) took the lead in the bottom of the fourth on Ryland Kerr's RBI single down the right field line.  This time WKU had the answer, platting three in the top of the fifth to take the lead back, 9-7.
 
Another RBI by Kerr, on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth, made it a one run game, 9-8, in favor of the visitors.  Kerr would finish 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.
 
Jacob Rhinesmith went 3-for-4 with two walks, two runs and three RBIs for Western Kentucky.
 
Eastern Kentucky goes on the road for a three-game series at the University of Tennessee at Martin later this week.  The series begins on Thursday at 7 p.m.  Game two on Friday is also scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday.  The series finale is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m.