The Colonels had scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to take what looked to be a commanding 8-3 lead. That would not be the case as command issues greeted the EKU pitching staff in the bottom of the inning.
Taylor Mathews started the inning by being hit by a pitch. A fielder’s choice put a runner on first with one out before Rick Linton was hit by a pitch. Paul Ritzheimer delivered an RBI single through the left side to roll the order over. Ty Stetson became the third batter to be hit by a pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch scored one run, and Brandon Elliott followed with an RBI single through the left side. Brandon Eggenschwiler pulled the Breds to within one run with a groundout to first. Mike Kozlowski became the fourth Bred to be hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners. The second wild pitch of the inning tied the game. After a walk to Dylan Wheeler, Mathews stepped to the plate for the second time in the inning and delivered the game-winning single just off the tip of the glove of a leaping first baseman.
Freshman Cody Maerz (3-2) made the lead stand as he gave up a two-out single, but got the next batter to hit into a fielder’s choice to short. Maerz finished by allowing two hits over 1.1 innings of shutout relief.
The Breds (21-33, 9-21 OVC) wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard in the first inning. Elliott and Kozlowski each singled up the middle and Wheeler drove in two runs with a double into the right-field corner.
EKU (20-32, 16-13 OVC) took the lead in the third on a Doug Teegarden RBI single and a two-run double by Shaun Ball.
MSU answered back to tied the game in the fourth on a Noah Zipko single off the side of the mound, scoring Kozlowski who doubled to start the frame.
RBI singles from Alex Hughes and Kenny Hostrander gave the Colonels a 5-3 lead in the sixth. The eighth inning saw EKU extend the lead on a bases-loaded walk and a p air of RBI singles from Bryan Soloman and Kenny Wurzelbacher.
Austin Rexroat (0-1) took the loss for the Colonels as he gave up two runs on one hit, one walk, one hit batter and two wild pitches in one-third of an inning.
The Breds collected 12 hits as a team, with the seniors collecting 11 of those hits. Elliott and Kozlowski each collected three hits, while Wheeler and Ritzheimer had two each.
