INDIANAPOLIS – Butler scored three times in the fourth and fifth innings, and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to defeat Eastern Illinois baseball, 7-5, Tuesday afternoon.
The game was EIU's first since May 2 after a series of rainouts and a week off for final exams. The Panthers (34-11) closed out their midweek schedule with a 10-4 record.
Eastern loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth, but was unable to plate the potential tying run from second. The Panthers also had the bases loaded with one out in the fifth inning, but were unable to score.
Richie Derbak and
Alex Gee both hit home runs. Derbak's solo shot in the fourth got EIU on the board. Gee connected for a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the eighth that made it a 7-4 game.
Four of Butler's seven runs were unearned. A first-inning passed ball allowed the Bulldogs (12-36) to score a run on a ground out to second base. In the fourth, a two-out error extended the inning and Jason Jamerson burned EIU with a three-run homer.
“You want to get ready for the tournament, but at the same time we're worried about winning,” EIU head coach
Jim Schmitz said. “If you're not ready for the tournament it doesn't make any sense. I was really glad it was the kind of game it was. I told them I wanted it to be at least 7-4 before the eighth inning, and we had a chance to win it. We left guys on base. That could happen in the middle of the year. We just haven't been in that situation for a while. So maybe it was a wake up call a little bit, get the dust off and get back to work.”
Brett Nommensen pinch ran for
Zach Skidmore in the ninth, seeing his first action since suffering a broken hamate bone in his wrist on April 10.
Gerik Wallsten was behind the plate for the bottom of the eighth, seeing his first action since April 10 as well.
Ryan Lindquist led the way with three hits. He singled to open the third inning but was stranded on second base. His one-out double led to the bases-loaded opportunity in the fifth. The Panthers left 11 runners on base total in the loss.
Butler scored all three of its fifth-inning runs with two outs.
Matt Miller issued a leadoff walk, but picked off the runner and then struck out the batter at the plate. However, four straight hits followed, bookended by triples.
Alex Guttosch (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up the three-run homer. He should have been out of the inning if not for an error by
Jordan Kreke. A subsequent base hit set the stage for the key home run.
Eastern starter
Tyler Kehrer struck out five through three innings. The leadoff walk he issued in the bottom of the first scored on the RBI ground out.
“The layoff really affected the pitching,” Schmitz said. “Miller and Guttosch were not very sharp. We got balls up in the zone. You've got to come in and keep the ball down. [Kehrer] struggled at the beginning.”
Zach Borenstein led off the top of the ninth with a swinging-bunt single, and moved to third on a throwing error after a grounder to third base. Skidmore walked to load the bases and Kreke plated a run with a sacrifice fly to right. After Derbak popped out to left, pinch hitter
Bart Thyer was hit by a pitch. But Gee was unable to deliver for the second inning in a row, grounding out to third base.
A one-out triple by Kreke ignited EIU's eighth-inning rally. He scored on a ground out off the bat of Derbak. Chris Ulrey then walked in front of Gee's opposite-field homer.
The Panthers return to action Friday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Eastern Kentucky.
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Ben Turner, Asst. SID
