ATHENS, Ohio ? On the strength of a two-run sixth inning that broke a 2-2 tie, Eastern Michigan ended Ohio?s eight-game hitting streak Sunday afternoon at Bob Wren Stadium by a final of 6-3.

With the two teams deadlocked at 2-2 through the first five frames, the Eagles broke through on the Ohio bullpen in the sixth. With Yale Silverman (Baton Rouge, La.) on the mound for the Bobcats, the Ohio reliever retired the first two batters of the inning before he surrendered a walk and three-straight singles, the last two of which were RBI hits to push EMU ahead to stay at 4-2.

The two teams were tied after the third inning 1-1, and again after the fourth frame, but the Eagles plated two runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to prevent the series sweep by Ohio.

?We?ve got to give Eastern Michigan credit,? Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone said. ?Their hitters were better than our hitters and their pitchers were better than out pitchers today, so they deserved to win.?

After the Eagles went in order ? all on groundouts ? in the first, Bryan Buck (Hudson, Ohio) led off with a single to left for the Bobcats in the home half of the first and advanced to second on contact by Brian Colopy (Columbus, Ohio), who was thrown out at first after a diving stop by Eastern Michigan second baseman Josh Ivan. Phil Sabatini (Oakmont, Pa.) then singled through the right side to bring home Buck for the game?s first run. Sabatini advanced to second on the throw but would be stranded when, after an Anthony Gressick (Lancaster, Ohio) walk, Ben Crabtree (Roxbury, Conn.) struck out swinging and Gressick was caught stealing.

EMU?s Matt Moffett, who came into the series among the league leaders in batting, recorded his first hit of the series to lead off the Eagles? second, doubling off the wall in right center. Ohio starter Dan O?Rourke (Monongahela, Pa.) never allowed him to advance, however, retiring the next three EMU batters.

Walker took a pitch to left field to get things started in the Ohio second, and advanced to second base on a wild pitch, but EMU right-hander Matt Dillard retired the next three batters to squelch the Ohio scoring threat.

After he allowed just one EMU batter to reach in the first two innings, O?Rourke got in a bind in the third. The first batter was retired, but four-consecutive Eagles reached, the final on a RBI single to left field by Ben Jones to tie the game at 1-1. O?Rourke thwarted further damage when he induced an inning-ending double play.

After just one Ohio batter reached in the bottom of the third, the Eagles got back to work on O?Rourke in the top of the fourth. EMU loaded the bases to chase the Bobcat starter and, with Daniel Weiss (Cincinnati, Ohio) on in relief and two outs, Jeff Davis? single through the right side brought home the Eagles second run of the game. Sabatini cut down a possible second EMU run of the inning at the plate on the play, however, to keep the Eagles advantage at 2-1.

The Bobcats wasted no time in knotting the score. With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Crabtree took a Dillard offering over the right field wall for his third solo shot in the series. The hit drew to a close the Eagles? starter?s outing, but reliever Jeff Fischer retired three of the next four batters to keep the score at 2-2.

After plating the two go-ahead runs in the sixth, a two-run shot over the left centerfield wall off the bat of EMU?s Brad Hrovat in the seventh, the Eagles? first home run of the series, extended the lead to 6-2.

The Bobcats added a run in their last at-bat to cut the EMU lead to 6-3 on a RBI single by Buck, but Dusty Hammond (Bellefontaine, Ohio) was thrown out at the plate just after Jared Willis (Logan W.Va.) crossed and Colopy grounded out to end the game.

Silverman (0-3) took the loss in relief for Ohio after he allowed two earned runs on three hits in 1 1/3 innings of work. O?Rourke, in his fourth start of the season, allowed two runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Sabatini finished 2-for-4 and recorded multiple-hit performances in each of the series? three games. Crabtree?s home run was the 27th of his career and moved him into a three-way tie for ninth place on Ohio?s all-time list with Mike Schmidt and Jason Arbinger.

Fischer (1-3) earned his first victory of the season in relief for EMU. The right-hander didn?t allow an earned run over 5 2/3 innings of work and struck out four Ohio batters.

?He had his change-up going effectively and had a lot of our guys fooled with his change-up and breaking ball, so I thought he pitched very well and gave them a big lift coming in and throwing like he did,? Carbone said.

Davis finished with three hits to lead the EMU offense.

The Bobcats will be back in action at Bob Wren Stadium throughout the upcoming week, starting with non-conference games on Tuesday against Otterbein and Wednesday versus West Virginia State. Both games are set to start at 6 p.m.