Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – EKU took a 7-6 lead in the seventh, but couldn't hold off Central Arkansas in a 9-8 loss on Friday.
 
The Colonels tied it in the bottom of the first inning when Will King hit a 2-run home run over the wall in left field.  It was his sixth of the season.
 
EKU (21-13, 8-6 ASUN) took the lead in the fourth.  With one out and runners at second and third, Conner Davis cleared the bases with a double down the left field line.  Two batters later, Roderick Criss II capped the 3-run inning and put the home team in front 5-2 with a RBI double to center.
 
The Bears scored twice in the sixth and twice in the seventh to retake the lead.  Drew Sturgeon was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh to force in the tying run.  A ground out from Noah Argenta was enough to bring in the go-ahead run and make it 6-5 in favor of UCA.
 
Criss started the bottom of the seventh with a single through the left side.  Jalen Jones followed with a single down the right field line.  With two outs later in the inning, Logan Thomason ripped a single up the middle to tie the game.  King followed with a single to center to score Jones and make it 7-6.
 
The first four batters reached in the top of the eighth for Central Arkansas (16-17, 10-4 ASUN) with a single to left center off the bat of Hunter Hicks tying the game for the fourth time.  Andrew Pollum gave UCA the lead again with a run scoring single to left field.
 
King had a 3-for-5 day with two runs and three RBIs.  Davis was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
 
Hicks was 3-for-6 with a run and two RBIs for the Bears.  Pollum finished 3-for-4 with two runs and two driven in.
 
The series finale will be Saturday at noon.  There will be an Easter Egg Hunt on the field after the game.  The Lexington Legends will play the Wild Health Genomes at Earle Combs at 6 p.m. on Saturday.  Tickets can be purchased at EKUSports.com/2022BaseballTix or call 844-3-GOBIGE.