Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky hit four home runs, including two by
Alex Holderbach, but lost both ends of an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader to visiting Murray State on Sunday. EKU lost game one, 7-6, and dropped game two by a score of 11-10.
Eastern had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two when it was delayed because of rain. The game could not be resumed.
Holderbach hit two home runs in the first game to raise his season total to 17. He drove in four runs in both games combined and now has 69 RBIs this season. He began the weekend as the nation's leader in RBIs and eighth in the country in home runs.
Eastern Kentucky grabbed the early lead in game one, but couldn't hold off a Murray State rally in the middle innings. Holderbach staked the Colonels to a 1-0 lead in the first when he hit his first home run of the game.
Cornell Nixon had a sacrifice fly in the second inning and
Tyler Romanik hit a 2-run home run in the third to put the home team on top 4-0. It was Romanik's sixth dinger of the season, and second in as many games.
The Racers scored six runs over the middle three innings to take a 6-5 lead. Davis Sims and Ramsey Scott hit home runs in a 3-run fourth inning. A run-scoring single by Brandon Gutzler in the fifth tied the game, 4-4. Holderbach hit his second home run of the game to start the bottom of the fifth, but a two-run single by Grant Wood in the top of the sixth put Murray State on top 6-5.
EKU tied the game in the bottom half of the sixth when Nixon scored on a single through the right side by
Will Johnson. However, MSU scored what would prove to be the winning run in the top of the ninth when Gavin Wehby scored on an Eastern Kentucky error.
Holderbach went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs in game one. Romanik was 2-for-5 with a run and two RBIs. Wood had two hits in five at bats, scored a run and drove in two for Murray State.
The two teams exchanged big innings to start game two. In the top of the first, Wood hit a two-run home run to start a 4-run inning for the Racers.
The Colonels (26-23, 15-9 OVC) platted five runs in the bottom of the second to take a 6-5 lead.
Daniel Harris IV got the inning going with an RBI single to right center.
Nick Howie tied the game, 5-5, with a 3-run home run over the wall in left center.
Chris Botsoe swung the lead to EKU and capped the inning with a run-scoring single to left.
Murray State tied the game in the top of the fourth on a solo home run form Kyle Stevens and took the lead two batters later when Gavin Wehby doubled to right center to make it 7-6.
After falling behind 9-6, Eastern Kentucky got back within one on a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth by Johnson. The Colonels closed an 11-8 deficit to one with Romanik's RBI single in the sixth and Holderbach's run-scoring single in the seventh.
Johnson was 3-for-5 with a run and two RBIs in game two. Holderbach finished 2-for-3 with a walk, a run and two driven in. Howie was 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs.
Wehby was a perfect 4-for-4 with a walk, three runs and two RBIs for the Racers (22-25, 9-15 OVC).
The Colonels will have nearly a week off during final exams. EKU will return to action on Friday at No. 21 Tennessee Tech. Game one of the series is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET.
