Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – The two teams combined for 36 runs and 34 hits, but Eastern Kentucky University came out on the wrong end, falling 22-14 to visiting Xavier on Tuesday at Earle Combs Stadium.
 
A sacrifice fly by Chris Botsoe got the Colonels on the board in the bottom of the second.  EKU didn't record its first hit until Brandon DeHass singled with two runners on and two outs in the bottom of the fourth.  One run scored to make it 2-0.  A misplayed fly ball off the bat of Daniel Harris IV allowed two more runs to score.  Daniel McFarland had an RBI triple and Cornell Nixon added an RBI double to cap the five-run inning and make it 6-0.
 
The Musketeers (10-17) came right back in the top of the fifth and scored 13 runs.  Nate Soria hit a two-run home run to get the visitors on the board.  Conor Grammes tied it, 6-6, with a two-run home run later in the inning.  Sam Flamini hit a grand slam to make it a 10-6 game.  Joe Gellenbeck's two-run home run down the right field line capped the big inning, putting Xavier up 13-6.
 
The Colonels (12-17) cut into the deficit in the bottom half of the fifth on a three-run home run from Dehass, a freshman.  It was the first of his career.  A RBI triple from McFarland closed the gap to 13-10.
 
Alex Holderbach's team-leading sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot, made it 18-12 in the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
"You have to learn from situations and say we didn't execute certain pitches or we didn't take the swings we needed to," Eastern Kentucky Head Coach Edwin Thompson said.  "Ultimately, we have to find a way to not have those big innings. We kept fighting and fighting, but we just couldn't get a stop.  I like our fight, but our execution just wasn't where we needed it to be tonight."
 
Dehass had a 3-for-4 game with two runs and five RBIs.  Nick Howie went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.  Darren Williams started on the mound for Eastern and allowed just two runs on four hits in four and one-third innings.  He did not walk a batter and struck out six.
 
"Darren Williams did a great job," said Thompson.  "It was a pitching duel for the first four innings.  Darren came out and threw strikes and commanded both sides of the plate and executed secondary stuff."
 
Gellenbeck finished 4-for-6 with two runs scored and five driven in.

EKU will host Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series starting Friday at 6 p.m.
 
"We have to stay positive because we have a chance to come back home Friday night against SIUE and get back to where we need to be," Thompson said.