Courtesy: Jeff Harwell-Zips Sports Photography Junior Phil Bednar came through with several key hits for Akron Thursday.

BRADENTON, Fla. – Junior Phil Bednar (Monroe Falls, Ohio/Stow/Ball State) matched a career high with four RBI to lead the University of Akron baseball team to a 10-4 victory over Eastern Kentucky at Academy Park Thursday afternoon.

It was the third-straight win for the Zips (8-5), who played from behind for much of the day. Vince Chiera (Akron, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), who finished with three hits, broke a 4-all tie with an RBI-single before Bednar delivered the knock-out blow with a two-run double to highlight a four-run seventh inning.

UA starter Zach Yike (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont) wasn’t sharp but pitched well enough to pick up the decision, allowing four runs in six innings of work. Yike (2-1) allowed two runs in the first and fifth innings, but kept Akron within striking distance throughout.

Eric Hash (0-1) took the loss for the Colonels in relief of starter Michael Martinez, who allowed three runs – two earned – in 4.2 innings of work.

It was also a big day for senior Doug McNulty (Homer City, Pa./Homer Center), who finished with three hits – including his first home run of the season.

The Colonels pushed a pair of runs across on a two-out single by Matt Davis in their first at-bat to take an early lead.

But the Zips got back to even in the fourth inning and took the lead in the fifth. Chiera reached on an error to start the UA fourth and moved all the way to third base on an unusual at-bat by Drew Turocy (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield), who was attempting to put down a sacrifice bunt.

Turocy bounced the first pitch he saw down the third-base line and over the bag when the third baseman chose not to field it. The sharply-hit ball rolled into left field and placed runners on second and third for Brett Savage (Perry, Ohio/Massillon/Youngstown State), who plated the first run of the inning with a ground ball.

The next batter, Bednar tied the game at 2-all with a sacrifice fly to center field and McNulty gave Akron its first lead with a two-out, solo shot to left-center in the fifth.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Dylan McMaine and Tyler Rehmel connected on back-to-back homers in the home half to put EKU back on top 4-3.

Once again, UA had an answer and tied the game with a single tally in the sixth when Savage doubled off the base of the wall in left and came across on a ball back up the middle by Bednar.

Kevin Haas (North Olmstead, Ohio/St. Ignatius) added an RBI-single in the seventh and Turocy brought home a pair with a base hit in the eighth to provide more than enough insurance for the Zips.

Akron will next play Illinois State and Bucknell in an unconventional doubleheader Friday starting at 10:30 a.m. against the Cardinals. UA will face the Bison in the second game, starting at 3 p.m.

Zips Notebook: Dating back to last season, Akron has won seven straight games in Bradenton ... Haas recorded a pair of singles against the Colonels. The sophomore has hit safely in all 13 games this season ... UA has scored 21 runs in its past two games ... Reliever Garrett Knoll (Amherst, Ohio/Amherst Steele) retired all six batters he faced in relief of Yike. The redshirt junior hasn’t allowed a run in his last three appearances, spanning 5.1 innings ... Akron’s 15 hits for the game matched a season high.