Colonels homer way past SDSU

Sunday, February 28

Wilmington, N.C.

9:00 AM

South Dakota State University

0-8

Eastern Kentucky

4-4

South Dakota State

Eastern Kentucky

2/28/2016 2:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Kyle Nowlin homered three times and drove in four runs to lift Eastern Kentucky to a 6-4 victory over South Dakota State in the finale of the Hughes Bros. Challenge for both teams Sunday morning at Brooks Field.

EKU evened its record at 4-4 overall, while the Jackrabbit baseball team dropped to 0-8 on the season.

Nowlin opened the scoring with a two-run home run to left-center in the bottom of the first inning.

SDSU knotted the game at 2 in the top of the second with a two-out rally. Skyler Wenninger reached on a bunt single and Thomas McMacken walked before Phil Velez hit an opposite-field single to right to score Wenninger. Freshman Marcus Hahn followed with a single up the middle to plate McMacken.

Eastern Kentucky regained the lead with single runs in both the second and third innings, including Nowlin's second home run of the game, a solo shot down the left-field line that pushed the Colonel lead to 4-2.

The Jackrabbits drew back within a run at 4-3 in the top of the fifth. Velez led off with a single, moved to third on a double by Hahn and scored on a groundout by Paul Jacobson.

The Colonels tacked on insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings, capping their scoring on Nowlin's third homer of the game as he greeted Jackrabbit reliever Will McAffer with a leadoff home run in the seventh. Nowlin upped his season home run total to five.

SDSU starter Eldon Evans worked the first six innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits. He struck out a career-high six batters and walked only one. McAffer struck out two over the final two innings.

For EKU, Nick Cumptson earned the victory after giving up three runs over five innings. Luke McGee retired all nine batters he faced in relief, while Brian Mroz recorded two strikeouts in the ninth inning to pick up the save.

Velez, who doubled in a run in the top of the ninth, led the Jackrabbits' eight-hit effort with three hits in four at-bats with two RBI. Hahn and Wenninger each tallied two hits.

The Jackrabbits will head west for their annual Spring Break trip, opening a four-game series at Sacramento State (Calif.) on Friday.

EASTERN KENTUCKY 6, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 4
SDSU 020 010 001 4-8-1
EKU 211 001 10X 6-11-1
SDSU: Eldon Evans, Will McAffer (7) and Luke Ringhofer. EKU: Nick Cumpston, Luke McGee (6), Brian Mroz (9) and Logan Starnes.
W-Cumpston (1-0). L-Evans (0-2). Save-Mroz (2).
HR: EKU-Kyle Nowlin 3 (5).