CLINTON, S.C. - Presbyterian College's perfect start
at home came to an end on Saturday afternoon as Eastern Kentucky downed the Blue
Hose, 10-8. PC trailed by seven runs in
the fifth inning but scored five runs over the final four innings to cut the
lead to two and have a chance for the win with the final bat.
Aaron
Preston and Nate Horton went yard for the Blue Hose (2-8) in the game while
Preston and Jesse Harmon each tallied two RBI.
Overall, five players recorded two hits in the game for the Blue Hose. Eastern Kentucky (3-3) logged two home runs
while the number nine hitter, Matt Phipps went 3-for-4 in the game.
Both teams
had an inauspicious start to the game as three errors were committed in the
first inning. The first batter in both
innings reached base on an error.
In the
second inning, EKU produced three runs off four hits while stranding two in the
frame. The Colonels tacked on two more
runs in the third to go up 5-0.
In the
bottom of the third, Matt Hill started the inning with a one-out double. Leadoff hitter Aaron Preston, who came on to
replace the injured Nate Chong, plated Hill on the redshirt freshman's first
career home run. The long ball over the
left field fence cut the EKU lead to 5-2.
But it was
EKU who blew the game open with a four-spot in the fourth inning. Most of the damage came from Anthony Ottrando's
fifth home run of the season.
The Blue
Hose answered in the bottom of the fourth when Jesse Harmon scored from first
base on a double by Carl Della Torre.
The RBI was Della Torre's first of the season.
The Colonels
scored their 10th run of the game with a home run in the sixth off
the bat of Phipps. However, it would be
the last on the game for Eastern Kentucky.
Down 10-3 in
the sixth inning, PC sparked the comeback when Alex Loftin's sacrifice fly
allowed Gabe Grammer to come home.
In the
seventh, Nate Horton hit a first pitch no-doubt home run to left field. His second four-bagger of the season cut the
lead to five runs at 10-5.
PC was
scoreless in the eighth and in need of big bats in the final inning. The Blue Hose came up determined in the final
inning as Horton and Kenny Bryant set the table with a pair of singles. Gabe Grammer brought the first run in with a
double and Harmon brought the two runners in with a big single of his own to
make the score 10-8 and no outs.
Unfortunately, the next batter grounded into a double play to clear the
bases and Alex Loftin's fly out to center ended the game.
PC starting
pitcher Steven Richardson (0-3) took the loss on the hill. He worked four complete innings and allowed
nine runs off ten hits while striking out two.
The Blue Hose bullpen worked the final four innings with Joe Hammond,
Tim Corbin, Andrew Foushee and Drew Wingo combining to hold EKU to one run off
three hits in the final five innings.
Stephen
Hefler (1-0) took the win for EKU with five innings of work, allowing four
runs, two earned off five hits. Ryne
Purcell picked up his second save of the season with a three-pitch outing to
retire the final Blue Hose batter.
The rubber
match of the weekend series will start on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. Jesse Harmon will go to the mound for
PC. He will be opposed by EKU's Anthony
Bazzani.
