Cougars drop series opener to Colonels

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Logan Andersen
 
RICHMOND, Ky. – SIUE baseball dropped the first game of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series, falling 8-4 Friday night at Turkey Hughes Field.

SIUE fell to 6-24 overall and 3-13 in OVC play. Eastern Kentucky improved to 16-18 overall and 6-7 in the OVC.

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Eastern Kentucky starter Eric Nerl (4-2) limited the Cougars to just two runs, one earned, on two hits over six innings. He struck out four.

"He got us out of our groove a little bit tonight," SIUE Coach Danny Jackson said of Nerl. "We try to take it up the middle. He was able to live on the outside."

Conversely, EKU touched up SIUE starter P.J. Schuster (0-5) for eight runs on nine hits over five innings.

"P.J. battled tonight," Jackson said. "He was able to get outs when he got the ball down. When he was up he got hit. Unfortunately tonight he was up more tonight."

EKU scored twice in the first inning and added two runs in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead into the third inning, when the Cougars got on the board.

Jackson Layton singled to start the inning and then advanced to third on an Aaron Jackson double. Alec Skender then hit a ground ball to short. EKU shortstop Cole Warrenfeltz misfired trying to get the ball to third base. Layton scored on the ground ball and Jackson was able to advance to third and then score to cut the Colonels' lead to 3-2.

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EKU scored single runs in the third and the fourth innings to extend the lead to 5-2. In the fifth, Eastern Kentucky third baseman tripled with one out and Kyle Nowlin was intentionally walked. Alvarez then scored a wild pitch and Nowlin moved to second. First baseman Brian Fisher connected for a two-run home run with two outs to make it 8-2.

SIUE reliever Ryan Agnitsch took over for the Cougars in the sixth and kept EKU off the scoreboard the remainder of the night. He walked the first hitter he faced and then didn't allow a base runner. He struck out one.

"Ryan Agnitsch was phenomenal tonight," Jackson said. "After that first hitter he really settled in. He worked on some mechanics Wednesday (in an intrasquad game). That showed tonight."

The Cougars pushed across a pair of runs in the ninth inning. Logan Andersen tripled to drive home Kailer Smith who had walked. Andersen then scored on a passed ball.

"They're going to battle," Jackson said of the Cougars. "And we scored twice in the ninth. We lined out a few times tonight, and we left some runners on base. We didn't take advantage when we had the opportunities."

Layton finished with a pair of hits for the Cougars, who managed just four hits total.

"Layton took some really good at-bats," Jackson added. "Aaron Jackson lined out hard a couple of times."

Fisher, outfielder Shea Sullivan and catcher Logan Starnes each had two hits for Eastern Kentucky.

The Cougars and Colonels will play game two of the series Saturday night. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT.

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