COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech scored three times in the bottom of the ninth inning, completing a comeback from a 5-0 first-inning deficit and finishing off a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series sweep of Eastern Illinois baseball, 6-5, in walk-off fashion Sunday afternoon.

The Panthers (9-25, 4-8 OVC) scored five times on four singles and two walks in the first inning, but had only two base runners the rest of the game. It was the only inning of the 25 played in the three-game series in which EIU was able to score.

 

Dillon Roark (1-2) was able to retire the first batter he faced in the ninth inning, but three straight singles set the stage for the walk-off finish. A.J. Kirby-Jones, who leads the OVC in home runs, was intentionally walked with one out to load the bases. Chad Oberacker singled on the first pitch of his at-bat, plating a pair to win the game.

 

Eastern suffered its fifth walk-off loss of the season and fell to 2-10 in one-run games.

 

Tennessee Tech (18-19, 4-5 OVC) pitchers Chason Choate and Stephen Pryor (3-3) teamed up for 8 2/3 innings of scoreless two-hit relief. Choate retired 13 consecutive batters beginning with the final out of the first inning. Pryor retired 11 of the 12 batters he faced over 3 2/3 innings, striking out six.

Eastern starting pitcher Josh Mueller put together his best start since returning from shoulder soreness, giving up two unearned runs over 6 1/3 innings. He matched his season high with eight strikeouts. Both runs he surrendered came on bases-loaded walks in the fifth inning after an error extended the frame.

 

Mueller struck out the final batter of an inning in the third, fourth and fifth. He fanned Kirby-Jones with the bases loaded in the fifth but Oberacker worked the count full and drew a walk to force in a run.

 

Tech's No. 9 hitter, Zephan Guyear, ignited the ninth-inning rally with a one-out single to left field. Austin Wulf and Tate McMillan followed with base hits as well. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch with Kirby-Jones at the plate. With first base open and the possibility of a double play ending the game, Kirby-Jones was put on. Oberacker put the finishing touches on a 3-for-5 day and 5-for-11 series with the game-winning hit up the middle.

 

Eastern took advantage of Tech starter Nick Price early. The only out the freshman righthander recorded was on an RBI groundout to third base off the bat of Richie Derbak.

 

Curt Restko and Zach Borenstein ignited the first-inning rally by both drawing walks to begin the game. Restko worked the count full and Borenstein was given first base on four consecutive pitches.

 

Ben Thoma executed a bunt to advance both runners and ended up beating out the play for a single. Alex Gee followed with a base hit up the middle, plating Restko. Borenstein scored on Derbak's subsequent groundout.

 

Cam Strang singled home Thoma and chased Price. Ryan Dineen executed another sacrifice bunt, squeezing in Gee and also moving Strang into scoring position. Gerik Wallsten capped the scoring with an RBI single up the middle.

 

Gee drew an inning-opening walk in the sixth but was left at third base. Daniel Rowe singled with one out in the seventh and stole second base, but was also stranded.

 

Brent McNeil pitched in relief for the second game in a row, working an inning and two-thirds. He retired five of the seven batters he faced, but a two-base error by Daniel Bracken in center field turned an Oberacker single into a triple to begin the eighth. A groundout to first base allowed the unearned run to score.

 

The Panthers have been swept in each of their first two OVC series on the road this season. Eastern is 3-23 away from Charleston this year and has lost 14 consecutive games played away from Coaches Stadium.

The Panthers return to action Wednesday when they host Illinois at Grimes Field in Mattoon's Peterson Park. The 6:35 p.m. game is slated to be televised live on WEIU-TV. Admission is free and fans are encouraged to keep foul balls Wednesday evening in Charleston's sister city.