Box Score

CONWAY, Ark. – Eastern Kentucky scored four runs in the ninth to break a 3-3 tie and beat Central Arkansas 7-3 on Saturday.  With the win, the Colonels clinched at least a share of the ASUN Conference West Division title.
 
The Colonels will begin play at the ASUN Tournament in Fort Myers, Florida on Tuesday.  Opponent and game time will be determined later Saturday evening.  EKU began the day tied with Lipscomb for first place.  A win by the Bisons on Saturday afternoon will mean the two programs will share the division championship.
 
After UCA scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game 3-3, Charlie Ludwick began the top of the ninth with a single to left field for Eastern Kentucky (35-19, 20-10 ASUN).  Conner Davis followed with a double to move the go-ahead run to third base.  Khalil Bell broke the tie with a sacrifice fly to left.  Ron Franklin Jr. also hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3.
 
Jalen Jones kept the ninth inning alive with a single up the middle before Max Williams hit a 2-run home run to cap the 4-run inning.
 
Eastern Kentucky's 35 wins ties the 1999 squad for the most in a season since 1990 when the Colonels won 42.
 
Will Brian retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth, including the final two on strikeouts.
 
Michael Schuler started for EKU and pitched brilliantly through six and two-thirds innings.  He allowed two unearned runs on three hits and a walk while striking out four.
 
Ludwick staked the Colonels to an early lead when he led off the top of the second with a home run over the wall in right.  Kendal Ewell's RBI single and Will King's RBI double in the third made it 3-0 in favor of the visitors.
 
The Bears (24-29, 18-12 ASUN) climbed back into the game with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, an inning in which the Colonels made three uncharacteristic errors.  Schuler retired the first two batters on seven pitches.  An error on a fly ball kept the inning going.  One run came home on another error.  Tanner Leonard's double plated a second unearned run to cut the Central Arkansas deficit to one.
 
With two outs and the tying run at third base in the bottom of the eighth, Drew Sturgeon singled on a dribbler down the first base line and Trey Harris scored.
 
Ewell, Jones and Ludwick each finished with two hits.  Ludwick scored twice and drove in a run.  Jones scored twice as well.  Ewell had a run and an RBI.  Williams went 1-for-5 with a run and two RBIs.
 
Sturgeon had a 2-for-3 day with a run and an RBI.