RICHMOND, Ky. – After winning a league series at home last weekend to begin the Atlantic Sun Conference schedule, Eastern Kentucky University will host a second straight weekend series when North Alabama visits Richmond this weekend.
Friday's series-opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday's game will start at 6 p.m. and the series finale on Sunday is slated for 1 p.m. Sunday's contest will air live on ESPN+.
Baseball Bingo returns on Friday with the first three winners winning a team signed mini-bat. Sunday will be Kids Day. All kids 12 and under receive FREE admission and get to run the bases after the game. One child in attendance will be chosen to make the "play ball" announcement and another will be chosen to serve as the guest public address announcer. There will also be a special Kids Day Combo which includes a hot dog, chips and a drink for $8.
THE COLONELS
- EKU (3-18, 2-1 ASUN) won three straight games before suffering a 14-8 loss to Western Kentucky on Wednesday.
- In his last four games, sophomore catcher
Silas Shaffer is batting .462 with three runs and seven RBIs. He finished 2-for-5 with a run and two driven in on Wednesday against a Western Kentucky team that has only lost one game this season.
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Christian Howe struck out six batters in three innings of relief against WKU.
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Wyatt Foley has made six relief appearances this season and has pitched to a 2.84 ERA. He is 2-1 and has allowed only 16 hits in 19 innings of work.
- Senior
Ryker Walton will make his sixth Friday night start of the season. The righty is 1-5 with 22 strikeouts in 20 innings. Sophomore
Bradley Gagen, coming off a start against Bellarmine in which he allowed one run and struck out five in 5 2/3 innings, will get the ball on Saturday. The left-hander has a 3.98 ERA this season. Freshman right-hander
Carson van Haaren will make his second straight weekend start on Sunday.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
- North Alabama sits at 5-13 overall and 2-1 in ASUN Conference games. The Lions are coming off a conference-opening series win at home over Central Arkansas last weekend. UNA's two wins were by one run each and the Lions did not give up more than six runs in any of the three games.
- Matthew Delgado leads the team with a .339 batting average and two home runs. The senior catcher is second on the squad with seven runs and nine RBIs.
- Dylan Morrill is tied for the team lead with six appearances out of the bullpen. He is 2-0 with one save and a 3.66 ERA. The senior right-hander has struck out 24 and walked 12 in 19 2/3 innings.
- Brycen Parrish will start for UNA on Friday. The right-hander is 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings. Tripp Patterson, a freshman lefty, will get the ball on Saturday. He is 1-3 with a 3.34 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings. Sunday's starter has not been determined.
INSIDE THE SERIES
- EKU is 11-1 all-time against North Alabama and has won nine straight in the series. The Colonels are 6-0 against the Lions in Richmond.
- Last season, EKU swept the series with 10-0, 6-5 and 5-1 victories in Richmond.
