Madison Central grad Ben Fisher breaks EKU’s single-season HR record

Ben Fisher broke Eastern Kentucky’s single-season home run record when he hit his 22nd in a 9-2 loss to Ohio Valley Conference leader Tennessee Tech on Saturday at Earle Combs Stadium in Richmond.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, the former Madison Central star took the first pitch he saw for a ball and then fouled off the second pitch. The senior deposited the third pitch over the wall in right field to break the program record of 21 home runs.

Kyle Nowlin set the previous mark last season.

“It’s a remarkable accomplishment for Ben,” EKU Coach Edwin Thompson said. “Our program has a lot of history. A lot of great players have come through here, many major leaguers. It’s really special to see Ben set the record for home runs, especially here at home in front of our fans.”

Fisher began the weekend tied for first in the nation in home runs. He finished Saturday’s game 2-for-3 with a walk, a run and an RBI.

The two teams will conclude their series at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Ryan Flick’s 2-run single in the first inning gave the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead. Matt Olive cut the deficit in half with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the inning.

David Garza extended the lead to 4-1 in the top of the fifth when he drove in two runs on a single through the left side. The Colonels closed to 4-2 on Fisher’s record-breaking dinger in the bottom of the fifth inning. However, Eastern never got any closer.

Tech’s Chase Chambers hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh.

Trevor Putzig finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored and one RBI. Jake Usher (4-1) tossed seven innings, allowed two runs on three hits, walked six and struck out three.

This story was originally published May 13, 2017 at 7:42 PM with the headline "Madison Central grad Ben Fisher breaks EKU’s single-season HR record."