Box Scores:  Game 1  |  Game 2

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Kentucky split an Ohio Valley Conference baseball doubleheader on Saturday to secure a series win over Eastern Illinois.
 
The Colonels (22-15, 9-6 OVC) won the first game, 7-3, before dropping game two, 10-9.  EKU has won four straight conference series.
 
In game one, Eastern Kentucky jumped out to a 4-0 lead and that's all starter Kaven Brown would need.  The senior entered the weekend tied for the national lead in wins with seven.  He picked up his eighth after allowing three runs on nine hits over seven innings.  He walked three and struck out four.  It was his fourth straight quality start and fifth of the season.  He's thrown seven or more innings in each of his past four starts.  Brown's eight wins are the most by an EKU pitcher since Matt Fyffe went 9-1 in 2012.
 
A run scoring single by Nick Howie and a sacrifice fly from Chris Botsoe put the Colonels in front 2-0 in the first inning.  Botsoe doubled the lead with a two-run home run in the top of the third inning.  It was his fourth of the season.
 
A three-run home run by Hunter Morris in the bottom of the third got the Panthers back in the game, but that's all they would get.  Daniel Harris IV hit a two-run home run for the Colonels in the top of the sixth to make it a 6-3 game. 
 
Brown gave way to Aaron Ochsenbein in the eighth and the EKU closer secured the win with his sixth save of the season.  He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out five over the final two innings.
 
Botsoe finished 1-for-4 with a run and three RBIs.  Will Johnson went 3-for-5 and scored twice.
 
In game two, Logan Thomason turned a 1-0 Eastern Kentucky deficit into a 3-1 lead when he drove the first pitch he saw over the wall in left center in the top of the second inning.  After EIU scored another run in the bottom of the third, the Colonels pulled away with four in the top of the third.  A.J. Lewis got it started with a sacrifice fly.  Harris drove in a run with a single up the middle and scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to make it a 7-2 game.
 
Johnson hit a solo home run in the sixth, his 11th of the season.  Lewis added an RBI ground out in the seventh to stretch the margin to 9-2. 
 
The Panthers rallied, scoring five in the bottom of the seventh and one in the eighth to get back into the game.  Grant Emme had a two-run single in the big inning for the home team.  His sacrifice fly in the eighth made it one-run game, 9-8.  EIU completed the comeback in the bottom of the ninth.  With two outs and a runner on second, Keith Kerrigan tied it with a single.  Trey Sweeney followed with a game-winning single through the left side.  Sweeney finished 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs.
 
The Colonels will begin an Ohio Valley Conference series at home against Jacksonville State on Thursday.  The opener of the three-game set is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Earle Combs Stadium.