OVC Tournament Central

JACKSON, Tenn. -- Game on. After more than a five-hour delay, the Eastern Illinois-Murray State is set to resume.

Eastern Illinois and Murray State are currently delayed by rain and lightning in the ninth inning of the OVC Tournament elimination game, with Murray leading 12-3.

With Murray State defeating Eastern Kentucky in the 11 a.m. game, Eastern Illinois baseball will take on the Thoroughbreds Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. in an elimination game in the loser's bracket of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

Murray was a 10-2 winner against EKU, surviving an elimination game for the second day in a row. Eastern will be the home team after being the visitor in each of its first two games of the tournament.

The 'Breds will be playing their second doubleheader in as many days. Due to a lights malfunction Wednesday night, the first Murray-EKU game was moved to Thursday morning. The Colonels won that game but lost late Thursday night to Tennessee Tech. Murray eliminated Southeast Missouri in its second game Thursday.

Eastern won both regular-season meetings with the 'Breds, sweeping a doubleheader April 25 in Murray. But the 'Breds have won each of the last two tournament meetings, ending EIU's season in 2003 and 2009. Murray won last year's OVC Tournament meeting in walk-off fashion after the Panthers took a one-run lead into the bottom of the ninth.

Mike Recchia is expected to start on the mound for EIU. Murray will start Alex Love (Jr, RHP) and possibly use numerous pitchers.