HAMMOND, La. – Ben Thoma, Brett Nommensen and Jordan Tokarz all hit home runs, leading Eastern Illinois baseball to a season-opening win at Southeastern Louisiana, 9-6, Friday afternoon.

Brian Morrell earned the win on the mound in relief, surrendering two earned runs over 4 1/3 innings. Richie Derbak pitched the ninth for his eighth career save. Eastern turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

Thoma hit a two-run homer in the top of the second inning, his first long ball as a Panther. Nommensen and Tokarz later hit back-to-back jacks in the top of the fifth.

Dating back to last season, Nommensen has now hit safely in 13 consecutive games and Tokarz has done the same in seven straight. Nommensen finished the day 4-for-4 with two doubles and an intentional walk. His homer was the seventh of his career, while Tokarz went deep for the fifth time as a Panther.

Zach Skidmore scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. He led off with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Alex Gee and scored on an error by the SELU first baseman. Skidmore also drew a bases-loaded walk to force in an insurance run in the ninth.

 

“The home runs were exciting, but the other three runs we got late in the game were just as important,” EIU head coach Jim Schmitz said. “We talked about it before the game, moving on past mistakes. We had a bad fifth inning with a couple boo-boos. That got them right back in it. Then they tied it up and had the momentum. But we regrouped and those two runs in the eighth allowed Morrell to finish off that inning, and he did what he did so well for us last year.

 

“I was happy with the way we dealt with our mistakes and then came back to win the game. I think it shows we've grown up a little bit and are a more mature team. And with nine hits and only one error, we should win a lot of games doing that.”

 

Eastern starter Josh Mueller gave up two runs on six hits while striking out six over 3 2/3 innings. He gave way to Morrell with two down and a runner on second in the fourth inning, and Morrell retired to the first batter he faced to end the frame.

 

Nommensen led off the game with a double, singled to begin the third, went deep in the fifth, doubled with two down in the seventh and was intentionally walked with first base open in the ninth. He posted his fourth career four-hit game.

 

Nommensen scored the game's first run when Tokarz was thrown out at second on a double steal in the first inning.

 

The following frame, Derbak singled in front of Thoma, who connected for a two-run, opposite-field bomb to right center.

 

Nommensen and Tokarz hit their back-to-back homers with two down in the fifth, putting EIU up 6-2. Southeastern Louisiana answered with three runs in the bottom half of the frame, capitalizing on two walks and an error. The Lions tied the game with an RBI groundout an inning later.

 

Jordan Kreke put the ball into play that the first baseman misplayed in the eighth. He took second as Skidmore scored and moved up to third on failed pickoff play. Derbak plated Kreke with a sacrifice fly to center.

 

Ryan Lindquist led off the ninth with a base hit and took second on a sac bunt by Curt Restko. Three consecutive walks followed before SELU escaped the inning thanks to a 6-4-3 double play.

The Panthers did not post their first true road victory last season until March 26. The victory was EIU's first in a season opener since 2004.

The middle game of the season-opening series is slated for a 3 p.m. first pitch Saturday.

More Info: Contact Ben Turner, Asst. SID