MATTOON, Ill. – Jordan Kreke and Zach Skidmore teamed up to drive in seven runs, four coming with two outs in an inning, and three Panther pitchers limited Illinois to three hits in Eastern Illinois baseball's 13-3 blowout win Tuesday evening at Grimes Field in front of a crowd of over 1,700 fans.

 

The Panthers (17-15) scored all 13 runs in the first four innings, sending 10 men to the plate in both the first and third. All four first-inning runs scored with two down in the frame. Eastern then blew the game open with a six-run third.

 

All three hits EIU starter Mike Recchia (2-0) surrendered came in the third inning. Tyler Brandon and Ross Jeske later teamed up for five innings of hitless relief. Jeske, a Mattoon High School product, retired all six batters he faced. Illinois (18-13) entered the game batting .331 as a team for the year.

 

Kreke singled home a run in the first and then connected for a two-run double in the fourth. Skidmore, meanwhile, registered an RBI in each of his first three plate appearances. The junior delivered a big two-run single in the first, knocked in another run with two-out base hit an inning later and capped his four-RBI night with a sacrifice fly in the third.

 

Ryan Lindquist hit his second home run of the season to leadoff the fourth inning, drilling an opposite-field shot off the scoreboard in right.

 

Eastern drew 11 walks against six UIUC pitchers and also capitalized on four Illini errors to score its 13 runs on just nine hits. Every Panther in the lineup reached base safely at least once and eight of the nine starters scored a run.

 

“We started taking pitches and then boom, you've got some walks and [the Illinois pitchers] had to just throw it over the plate,” EIU head coach Jim Schmitz said. “So we made the right decision to take some pitches in that first inning. After that, Mike Recchia and Tyler Brandon were pretty good. I think no matter what the score, I knew we had a chance to win. Our [pitching staff] has only been giving up three or four runs a game. Everyone knows it offensively and the confidence is there that our pitchers are going to hold them. A couple of their pitchers did not do a good job and we took advantage of it, and that's what we're supposed to do.”

 

Jordan Tokarz drew three walks on the night, including a two-out free pass in the first inning that ignited the four-run rally.

 

After Tokarz and Richie Derbak walked in the first, Kreke plated EIU's first run of the game with a base hit to right center. Skidmore extended the rally with a two-run single through the right side of the infield. Consecutive errors allowed the final run of the frame to score.

 

Curt Restko was hit by a pitch to open the second inning. Skidmore plated him with a two-out single to right field.

 

The big six-run third began with three consecutive walks to Cameron Strang, Lindquist and Brett Nommensen. Illinois made a pitching chance after the third free pass and Restko greeted the new UIUC hurler with a two-run single to left. Then with one out and the bases still loaded, Kreke doubled to left center, plating two more. Skidmore followed with a sacrifice fly and Kreke scored after the Illini shortstop threw the ball away on an infield single by Tristan Facer.

 

Besides blowing the game open, the rally was also important because Illinois had cut EIU's lead to two with a three-run third inning.

 

Nommensen drew his second walk of the game after Lindquist's homer in the fourth and scored on a two-out error by the Illini first baseman.

 

Eastern has won each of the last two Coles County match-ups against Illinois after winning 10-6 at Coaches Stadium in 2006.