GAME 1 BOX  |  GAME 2 BOX

CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois opened the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference season with a pair of wins as the Panthers swept Morehead State, 3-2 and 4-1 on Friday afternoon.

EIU rallied to win the first game with two runs in the bottom of the ninth, while Josh Mueller tossed a complete game two-hitter in the Panthers' nightcap win. Brett Nommensen delivered a walk-off single with two down in the ninth inning of game one.

 

In the first game EIU scored first in the bottom of the fifth inning.  #Jordan Kreke reached on an error to open the inning and would eventually come around to score on a fielder's choice by Ryan Lindquist#.  

 

Morehead State answered in the top half of the sixth scoring two runs against EIU starter Tristan Facer.  J.D. Ashbrook and Drew Lee led off with back-to-back singles.  Both would come around to score – Ashbrook on a wild pitch and Lee on an RBI single by Michael Bottoms.

 

Tyler Brandon would relieve Facer in the sixth and close out the game picking up the win for EIU to improve to 2-0.  Quentin Morgan (1-1) was tagged with the loss as EIU pushed across two runs in the ninth.

 

The ninth-inning rally opened with a Richie Derbak double to left center. Derbak scored on a single up the middle by Sean Estand, the clutch hitting the game at 2-2. Estand then scored the winning run on Nommensen base hit to left field four batters later.

 

In the second game Mueller went the distance scattering two hits and one run as EIU won the second game 4-1.  MSU scored its only run in the top of the third as Marc Midden doubled and scored on a ground out by Nick Nail.

 

EIU responded with three runs in the bottom half of the third.  Lindquist and Jordan Tokarz had back-to-back singles.  #Zach Skidmore# had the lone RBI of the inning as EIU scored two unearned runs including one in which Tokarz was trapped in a run down between third base and home and scored as a Morehead State player dropped the ball at home plate in the run down.

 

EIU added an insurance run in the fourth as Alex Gee doubled down the left field line and scored on a single by Lindquist.  Tyler Bess went five innings for MSU falling to 1-3.

 

Lindquist had two hits to lead EIU in the night cap while Derbak had two hits in the opener.  Lee and Bottoms each had two hits for MSU in the opener.  Ashbrook and Midden had the only Eagles hits in the second game.

 

The two teams will resume their weekend series at 1 p.m. on Saturday.