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TAMPA, Fla. -- Former high school teammates Tyler Kehrer and Richie Derbak teamed up to lead Eastern Illinois baseball past Bethune-Cookman, 5-3, Saturday afternoon, as the Panthers moved to 2-0 at the Bulls Baseball Classic hosted by South Florida.
Kehrer gave up only two hits and one run, which was not earned, over seven innings. He struck out seven.
Derbak went 3-for-5 at the plate and closed out the game with an inning of scoreless relief, posting his 10th career save. He struck out the first two batters he faced after inheriting a two-on, none-out jam.
Derbak delivered a big two-out, two-run single in the first inning as well, giving the Panthers an early lead.
Brett Nommensen and Curt Restko also recorded multiple hits and Jordan Kreke scored twice in the win.
The Panthers (8-4) scored three times in the top of the first and out hit B-C 11-6 total in the win.
Zach Skidmore ignited the first-inning rally with an opposite-field, two-out single. Consecutive walks to Alex Gee and Kreke then loaded the bases for Derbak. The junior singled home a pair, extending his career-best hitting streak to 10 games in his first at-bat. Skidmore had scored on passed ball prior to Derbak's base hit.
An inning later, Restko led off with a single and eventually scored on a two-out error. Restko also knocked in a key insurance run in the seventh with a two-out base hit, plating Kreke who had opened the inning with a walk.
Kehrer gave up a double in the third and single in the fourth. He did issue five walks, but only one ended up scoring. He struck out the first hitter he faced in the first, second and fourth innings.
Eastern had a 4-0 lead and minimized the damage in the third inning. A walk and double to begin the frame set the stage for a rally. Bethune-Cookman (8-9) scored its first run on an error by Skidmore at third. But Kehrer struck out the No. 5 batter and got the next Wildcat to hit into an inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play.
The Panthers take on No. 15 Oklahoma Sunday at 11 a.m. (CDT) in the championship game of the four-team tournament. The Sooners are also 2-0 in Tampa after beating South Florida (10-1) and Bethune-Cookman (5-4).
