CHARLESTON, Ill. – Richie Derbak and Tristan Facer both recorded four RBIs and Eastern Illinois baseball turned a program-record five double plays behind a quality start from Tyler Kehrer, lifting the Panthers to a 13-2 victory against Tennessee-Martin Sunday afternoon at Coaches Stadium.

 

With the win, Eastern (14-13, 6-3 OVC) finished off a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series sweep and improved to 8-1 at home this season. The Panthers are currently 5-0 during their season-long, seven-game homestand. Since beginning the year 0-7, EIU has posted a 14-6 record to move above the .500 mark for the first time this season.

 

Derbak hit his first career home run in the second inning and finished the game 3-for-3. The sophomore was 6-for-9 with nine RBIs in the series. His four RBIs Sunday represent a career high.

 

Brett Nommensen, Cameron Strang and Jordan Tokarz also had three hits in the series finale as the Panthers registered 17 as a team.

 

“I'm just happy how we're hitting the ball the other way,” EIU head coach Jim Schmitz said. “Hitting doesn't go from bad to really good quickly. So we had a couple midweek games and it's getting better. It really is a momentum thing. Obviously, we didn't see the best of pitching. But I've been asking them to hit a certain way, so it was good that they were doing it.”

 

Kehrer (1-4) earned his first victory since the 2007 spring break trip with seven innings of two-run ball. The left-hander struck out seven and walked just one. The second of the two runs he surrendered was unearned.

 

The Panthers turned double plays in the second, fifth, sixth, eighth and ninth innings. Besides being a record, the five twin killings are also the most by an EIU team since turning four twice in 2004.

 

“[Kehrer]'s getting better every weekend. He's throwing his off speed for strikes,” Schmitz said. “We're finding out a little bit about our team even though it's week number seven. They really have a fun time here (at Coaches Stadium), the players do. We're 8-1 at home and we have a lot of weekends at home. 6-3 is where we want to be after three weekends. We always talk about winning two out of three. But you've got to sweep certain teams.”

 

Eastern blew open the game with multiple runs in each of the three middle innings. The game was tied at 1-1 entering the bottom of the fourth. But Derbak and Facer delivered consecutive two-run hits in a four-run frame.

 

Tokarz ignited the rally with a leadoff single. Zach Skidmore followed with the first of his two walks and a bunt base hit by Jordan Kreke loaded the bases. Derbak stepped to the plate fresh off going deep earlier in the game. He lined a pitch down the right field line for a two-run double. Facer's subsequent single up the middle led to two more runs.

 

The fifth inning began with consecutive free passes to Nommensen and Curt Restko, the latter coming on a hit by pitch scenario that also chased UTM (3-22, 0-7 OVC) starter Wes Patterson (1-3). Tokarz executed a sacrifice bunt, reaching safely after reliever Calen Sutton's throw to first was off target. Kreke knocked in the first run of the inning with a fielder's choice to third base, before Derbak and Facer followed with two-out, run-scoring singles.

 

Strang and Nommensen got things started in the sixth with back-to-back singles. Restko moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt and Tokarz plated his teammates with a base hit through the left side. Following another pitching change, Facer registered his final RBI on a bases-loaded walk.

 

Nommensen and Tokarz delivered run-scoring hits in the seventh to cap the day's scoring.

 

Eastern's first three OVC series this season have featured a feast or famine offensive output. The Panthers scored 23 and 27 runs in respective home sweeps against Morehead State and Tennessee-Martin. However, in last weekend's series at Tennessee Tech, EIU scored just three runs and lost all three games.

The Panthers' homestand continues Tuesday with a 3 p.m. midweek match-up against Illinois College.

More Info: Contact Ben Turner, Asst. SID