RICHMOND, Ky. - Coach Jim Ward's Eastern Kentucky University Colonels put together an eight-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat the visiting Southeast Missouri Indians, 12-5, at Turkey Hughes Field Sunday afternoon.

The Colonels' rally started with one out in the bottom of the eighth of a 4-4 game as first baseman Lee Chapman singled to left centerfield and third baseman Jason Sharp was hit by an inside fastball by righthanded reliever Chad Bogenpohl. Second baseman Alex Goss hit a ground ball to SEMO shortstop Steve Lowe who mishandled the play and whose throw to second baseman Kyle Yount was late for the force at second base.

This error opened the flood gates as Colonel leftfielder Tom White was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in the go-ahead run. Bogenpohl was relieved by righthander Jerry

Wolsey. Backup catcher Mike Schneider hit a ground ball up the middle that Lowe couldn't handle for an error, making it 6-4.

Freshman shortstop Kiley Vaughn then jumped all over Wolsey's first pitch lining a bases-clearing double down the leftfield line, upping the count to 9-4. A run-scoring single by rightfielder Sean Murray and a two-run single by Sharp closed the scoring for the Colonels.

A key to the win which makes Eastern 14-10 overall and 1-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference was the outstanding pitching performance by senior righthander Eric Bess who went eight innings, allowing four runs, only two of which were earned, struck out six, only walked one and at one point in the game retired 18 straight batters. He moves to 4-2 on the year.

"I thought Eric pitched a great game, kept us in it until our bats started going there in the eighth," said Ward. Junior lefthanded reliever Mike Martini yielded a leadoff home run by Indian centerfielder Jeremy Johnson in the ninth before striking out the final two batters to end the game.

Murray led the Eastern hit parade with a 3-5 day and his sixth home run of the season, while Chapman, Sharp and Vaughn were all 2-4. Vaughn had four RBI's and Sharp had three for the Colonels who dropped a twinbill to Southeast (8-11, 2-1 OVC) Saturday, 1-0 and 11-4.

Eastern travels to Athens, OH, for a single game Tuesday afternoon before traveling to Clarksville, TN, for a three-game OVC set next weekend with Austin Peay. EKU's next home game is a Mar. 30 encounter with Kentucky.