MARTIN, Tenn. – Josh Mueller pitched the first nine-inning complete game by a Panther since 2007 in game one, but Eastern Illinois baseball's 13-game win streak, which was the longest active run in the nation, came to an end in the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader split at UT Martin. The Panthers won 10-3 and lost 13-3.

The winning team pounded out 14 hits in both games. No. 27 Eastern (23-6, 8-1 OVC) was limited to only six hits in game two.

Mueller (6-0) struck out a season-high nine in his second career complete game. He scattered eight hits and surrendered only two earned runs. He struck out five of the final six batters he faced, retiring the final seven batters of the contest in consecutive fashion.

 

UT Martin (11-18, 2-6 OVC) knocked around all three EIU pitchers in game two, scoring five earned runs in four innings against starter Tyler Kehrer (3-2). Brian Morrell gave up hits to all four batters he faced and Mike Martin surrendered two runs in the sixth after bringing the fifth inning to a close.

 

“It's pretty simple, Josh Mueller was outstanding,” EIU head coach Jim Schmitz said. “Josh hung in there. We knew these guys swing the bats. They smoked a couple balls early on. We manufactured some runs with little hits here and there. It seemed like nothing big, but then boom, we were up big.

 

“Kehrer was not sharp. He left many balls up and in the middle of the plate. We know they're aggressive hitters. One guy was sharp and the other wasn't. I told the guys, 'UT Martin has always played us hard.' We've got to pitch better tomorrow.”

 

UT Martin blew game two open with a six-run fifth inning. Trailing 5-2 in the top half of the frame, the Panthers had the bases loaded with one out but were unable to further cut into the deficit.

Jordan Kreke had three doubles on the day and was 3-for-3 with two RBIs in game one. Richie Derbak hit EIU's lone homer of the day, a two-run shot in the ninth inning of game one en route to a three-hit, three-RBI showing.

Zach Borenstein was the only Panther to collect multiple hits in game two.

Eastern was without Brett Nommensen and Gerik Wallsten in the nightcap. Both players are nursing sore wrists. Expected to start against the left-handed pitcher in game two, Alex Gee was unable to play as well. Nommensen was replaced by Ryan Lindquist in center field in the fourth inning of game one.

 

The Panthers capitalized on three UTM errors in game one, scoring six unearned runs. Leading 4-1 entering the sixth inning, EIU blew the contest open with a four-run rally.

 

Kreke scored EIU's first run of the day in the second inning after he was hit by a pitch to begin the frame. Derbak and Borenstein followed with singles, Kreke scoring on the latter.

 

The following frame, Nommensen ignited a rally with a one-out double. Jordan Tokarz and Zach Skidmore then posted back-to-back singles, the second hit plating Nommensen. Tokarz was thrown out at home trying to score on a botched double play, but Kreke knocked in Skidmore with a two-out double.

 

Derbak later singled home Skidmore with two outs in the fifth inning. The following frame, Curt Restko reached on an error to ignite the four-run rally. Lindquist plated him with a double and scored on a two-bagger by Jake Samuels. Tokarz had singled earlier in the inning and eventually sprinted home on a wild pitch. Kreke then plated Samuels with another two-out hit.

 

Derbak hit his third home run of the season after Kreke had led off the ninth with a double.

 

Entering the fifth inning of game two, EIU had been limited to only two hits by UTM starter Brendan Lozupone (1-2). Samuels, Borenstein and Restko each singled in the fifth to get the line moving. After a walk to Tokarz, Derbak picked up an easy RBI when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. But Lozupone struck out Skidmore and got Ben Thoma to fly out to center field to end the threat.

 

The loss was EIU's first since March 18 against Bradley at a neutral site in Florida.

Saturday's series finale is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch.

More Info: Contact Ben Turner, Asst. SID