April 13, 2011
Final Stats
Photo Gallery
ATHENS, Ohio-Eastern Kentucky left fielder A.J. Jamison and third baseman Bryan Soloman collected four hits apiece as the visiting Colonels fended off an Ohio comeback to escape Bob Wren Stadium with a 5-4 win Wednesday evening.
EKU improved to 11-22, while Ohio dropped to 15-18.
Jamison also drove in two runs and second baseman Matt Phipps went 2-for-5.
Ohio left fielder Jensen Painter and first baseman Taylor Emody also went 2-for-5, while Painter drove in two runs. Right fielder Adam Gecewich drew three walks and roped a two-run double as well.
EKU reliever Macon Smith (1-0) picked up the win, giving up one run on two hits with one strikeout and one walk in one and two-thirds innings. He came on in relief of starter Paul Duncan, who gave up one run on three hits with two strikeouts and three walks in four and one-third innings. Ryne Purcell nailed down his third save by getting the final three outs with two strikeouts and yielding a walk.
Ohio reliever Brett Barber (3-2) took the loss after giving up two runs on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks. His appearance followed that of starter Tyler Backstrom, who went five innings, giving up two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Fellow relievers Shane Henkel and Ryan Burgett posted scoreless innings as well.
The Colonels jumped on top with a run in the first and fifth innings, but Ohio tied it on Painter's two-run double to center in the bottom of the fifth.
EKU pushed the lead to 5-2 with a pair of runs in the sixth and one in the eighth before the Bobcats responded with two in the bottom half on Gecewich's hit.
The Bobcats threatened in the ninth after Painter reached base on a two-out hit, but Emody's shot to right was snared by Michael Garcia at the warning track to end the game.
Black stole his second base of the season with a swipe of second in the second inning. Jamison stole his first two bases of the season in the first and eighth frames.
The Bobcats will be back in action Friday at 6 p.m. when they take on Northern Illinois in the first of a three-game series this weekend at Bob Wren Stadium.
