After spotting Eastern Kentucky a run in the first inning, Morehead State's baseball team erupted for 13 runs over the next three frames and rolled to a 15-4 victory over the Colonels Sunday at Allen Field to secure a series sweep.
MSU (14-5/4-2 OVC) has now swept the Colonels two straight times when the regular season series is held in Morehead. EKU slipped to 11-8 and 0-3 in the OVC.
"I thought we played very well for the most part all weekend," said head coach Mike McGuire. "It was a great weekend. We have aspirations of winning the OVC, and when you stumble out of the block like we did at Belmont last weekend, you have to find a way to sweep a series to make up for it and we did."
The Colonels scored on a wild pitch in the first inning, but MSU exploded to eight runs in the second, two more in the third and three in the third to push ahead 13-1. The second inning featured five walks issued by EKU starting pitcher Brennan Kelly (2-2), and the Eagles took advantage, sending 13 hitters to the plate. MSU scored runs on six singles and a bases-loaded walk.
A two-run homer by senior center-fielder Connor Pauly, who nailed home runs in all three games of the series, highlighted the third inning. Junior right-fielder Arthur Sells then cranked his first Eagle home run, a three-run bomb, in the fourth inning.
In between, Eagle starter Will Lozinak (3-0) only allowed five hits through seven innings and three runs. He also sat down five EKU hitters via strikeouts in tossing a career-best 105 pitches.
A sac fly by senior first baseman Trevor Snyder and RBI ground out from junior Dom Peroni closed the Eagle scoring in the sixth and eighth innings, respectively, while EKU got three more runs via home runs in the fifth and ninth stanzas.
MSU finished with 13 hits, including a 3-for-3 day from senior left-fielder Jake Hammon. Pauly, senior shortstop Reid Leonard, Sells and sophomore catcher Brody Shoupe contributed two hits apiece. Shortstop Daniel Harris had two of the Colonels' seven hits.
Morehead State steps out of OVC play this weekend, hosting Alabama State Tuesday (4 p.m.) and Wednesday (1 p.m.).
