Boxscore: PDF | HTML
AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Eastern Illinois baseball took an early lead thanks to a four-run second inning but stranded 10 men on base, including leaving the bases loaded with no outs in the ninth, as Indiana hung on to defeat the Panthers, 9-6, Thursday afternoon in spring break action at Lake Myrtle Stadium.
Curt Restko led the way for EIU with two hits and a season-high three RBIs. He delivered a two-out, two-run double in the second inning, the second of three consecutive run-scoring hits after an error extended the frame.
Eastern (3-13) cut Indiana's lead to 7-6 with two runs in the top of the sixth but was unable to pull even. The Hoosiers (7-9) tacked on an insurance run in the sixth and seventh innings.
Down by three in the ninth, the first three EIU hitters reached safely. But IU closer Chris Squires struck out Alex Gee and Daniel Rowe before getting Cam Strang to ground out to end the game.
The Panthers left at least one runner on base in seven of the nine innings, including runners on the corners in the eighth.
Eastern starter Mike Recchia (1-2) was charged with seven runs (five earned) on six hits over five innings. He gave up a two-out, two-run homer in the Hoosiers' four-run second and a solo shot in the fourth.
Recchia and Dillon Roark, the first Panther out of the bullpen, issued a combined seven free passes. Recchia walked three, all in the first inning, and hit the first two batters of the second. Roark hit a batter in the sixth and issued a leadoff walk an inning later. Both runners ended up scoring.
“It was a tough loss. We left too many men on base and our pitchers put too many men on base. It was all-around bad baseball,” EIU head coach Jim Schmitz said.
Ryan Dineen and Zach Borenstein singled home runs in the second inning, helping EIU capitalize on the two-out error committed by the IU third baseman on a ball hit by Strang.
Gee doubled and Rowe followed with a base hit to begin the sixth. Gee scored on a wild pitch and Rowe on a groundout to third by Restko.
Eastern did not collect a hit in the ninth but still managed to load the bases. Shawn Ferguson reached on an error, Richie Derbak was hit by a pitch and Ben Thoma drew a walk after falling behind in the count initially.
The Panthers close out their spring break trip with Friday's 9 a.m. game against No. 27 Ohio State. The contest is slated to be played at Chain of Lakes Stadium in Winter Haven, Fla.
