NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — The Eastern Kentucky Colonels erupted for eight runs in the first inning and never looked back, routing the Lipscomb Bisons 15-3 in an ASUN Conference baseball game Saturday at Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium.

The offensive explosion, which featured three home runs in the opening frame, provided more than enough support for a dominant combined pitching effort that carried the Colonels to a decisive victory after a narrow extra-inning loss to open the series Friday night.

Eastern Kentucky sent 12 batters to the plate in the first inning against Lipscomb starter Logan Kiefer. Jackson Cauthron started the scoring with a three-run homer to right field. Two batters later, Gunnar Bingham launched a two-run shot, and Jackson Reid followed immediately with a solo blast to cap the eight-run outburst and chase Kiefer from the game.

The Colonels added four more runs in the second inning, capitalizing on two hit-by-pitches with the bases loaded to extend their lead to 12-0.

That early cushion allowed Eastern Kentucky starter Jacob Price to settle in. Price earned the win, working six innings and allowing two unearned runs on just two hits while striking out two. The Colonels’ bullpen, featuring Caleb Freeman and Cade Schneider, closed the door with three innings of scoreless, one-hit relief.

Lipscomb’s lone sustained threat came in the fifth inning, when Jordan Thomas hit a solo home run and the Bisons pushed across another run on a fielder’s choice. Thomas added an RBI double in the eighth for the final Lipscomb run.

The most important part of the game was the immediate and overwhelming offensive response from Eastern Kentucky in the top of the first inning. After a frustrating 12-inning, one-run loss the previous afternoon, the Colonels seized all momentum before Lipscomb could record an out, transforming the contest into a foregone conclusion and setting the tone for a lopsided afternoon.

Eastern Kentucky’s offense amassed 20 hits. Reid, the top star for the Colonels, finished 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, four RBIs and three runs scored. Designated hitter David Alvarez was perfect at the plate, going 5 for 5 with a walk and three runs scored. Cauthron drove in three runs on three hits, while Pedro Moreno also had three RBIs.

For Lipscomb, reliever Jevarra Martin provided a bright spot, throwing five scoreless innings of two-hit ball after entering in the third. The Bisons were limited to five hits as a team.

The victory improved Eastern Kentucky’s season record to 8-19, while Lipscomb moved to 12-12. The result defied the pregame projections from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted a 5-3 Lipscomb win and gave the Bisons a 70 percent probability of victory.

The two teams conclude their three-game conference series Sunday afternoon.