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HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana scored five of its six runs in the game's final two innings, rallying for a 6-5 walk-off win against Eastern Illinois baseball in the season opener for both teams Friday evening.
The Lions scored twice in the bottom of the ninth, tying the game on a squeeze bunt and winning it with a one-out, bases-loaded single.
New EIU closer Matt Miller retired the first batter he faced in the ninth but it turned out to be the only out he recorded in the fame. A walk to the No. 2 hitter in the SELU lineup ignited the rally. Arlington Heights, Ill., native Jeff Harkensee, who had homered to open the eighth, followed with a base hit, putting runners on the corners.
The Lions opted for the squeeze bunt with their cleanup hitter at the plate. Miller fielded the bunt and flipped to catcher Gerik Wallsten, but Phillip Freeman slid in safely under the tag.
Miller walked the next hitter to load the bases and Cody Gougler played the hero with a base hit to right center.
Eastern starter Josh Mueller worked five shutout innings, giving up only two hits and striking out six. Freshman Daniel Rowe went 4-for-5 at the top of the lineup in his collegiate debut. Ben Thoma, Curt Restko, Rowe and Wallsten all delivered an RBI for EIU.
The Panthers capitalized on seven SELU errors in the game, four of their five runs being unearned. However, EIU hitters drew only one walk versus eight strikeouts and also grounded into inning-ending double plays in the third and sixth.
Eastern scored three times in the top of the seventh inning, sending eight men to the plate, to open up a 4-1 lead. Wallsten plated the first run with a squeeze bunt. Rowe followed with a run-scoring single up the middle and scored on an error later in the frame.
The trouble for the EIU bullpen began with Mike Martin on the mound and the Panthers leading 5-1 in the eighth. After Harkensee's leadoff homer, Martin hit the next batter and gave up a run-scoring double. Miller retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth but the third run of the inning came around on a two-out single.
The Panthers had tacked on an insurance run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Restko, plating Richie Derbak after he had led off with a single. Eastern also scored the game's first run in the sixth on a double from Zach Borenstein and opposite-field single by Thoma.
Game two of the series is slated for 2 p.m. The probable pitching matchup is EIU's Mike Recchia (Jr, RHP) vs. SELU's Stefan Lopez (Fr, RHP).
