Boxscore | Tournament Central

PADUCAH, Ky. – Jacksonville State scored eight times before Eastern Illinois baseball finally got on the board in the fifth inning and defeated the Panthers, 11-5, Thursday evening in the second round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

 

The Gamecocks (30-24) scored three times with two outs in the third and sent 11 men to the plate in the fifth en route to posting a five-run frame. Jax State chased EIU starter Josh Mueller (8-1) before he could record an out in the fifth, handing him his first loss of the season.

 

The Panthers (36-13) hit into three double plays, stifling potential rallies in the second, third and sixth innings. But JSU starter Daniel Watts (5-5) also pitched well, limiting EIU to one run (which was unearned) on four hits through five innings.

 

“Obviously, it was not a good day to say the least,” EIU head coach Jim Schmitz said. “We didn't come out with any edge. Josh Mueller wasn't sharp and their guy was. Yesterday in their game against Morehead they had a lot of energy. J-State came in here with a mission. They kind of knocked us down and we never really got up. It's just one loss, that's the nice thing about a two-and-out tournament. We've got to regroup. That's a concern I have right now to be honest. We get the winner of Morehead-Murray. It's nice that Murray lost because it would be tough to comeback tomorrow at 11 [a.m.]. We'll try to get a win under our belts and then possibly play J-State down the road, but that's not for a day and a half.”

 

The Gamecocks pounded out 16 hits, nine coming against Mueller – the most he had allowed in a start this year. Eastern did throw out a pair of JSU players trying to stretch out hits to third and second base. Ryan Lindquist and Curt Restko both tallied outfield assists.

 

Brett Nommensen pinch hit and walked in the seventh inning, making his first plate appearance since suffering a wrist injury on April 10. He was also hit by a pitch for the team-leading 14th time in the ninth.

 

Zach Borenstein, Jordan Kreke, Alex Gee and Cam Strang each had a run-scoring hit for EIU. The Panthers scored four of their five run in the bottom of the ninth. Borenstein finished with a team-high three hits.

 

Eastern used five different relief pitchers, each recording three outs, after Mueller was pulled in the fifth.

 

Through the first two days of the OVC Tournament, only one higher-seeded team has won a game – No. 3 Morehead State over No. 4 Southeast Missouri in Thursday's first elimination game.

 

Eastern will play the winner of the Murray State-Morehead State game Friday at 2:30 p.m. Tyler Kehrer is expected to start on the mound for the Panthers. Murray and Morehead play an elimination game at 11 a.m. Friday morning.

More Info: Contact Ben Turner, Asst. SID