CHARLESTON, Ill. – Troy Barton struck out a season-high six over five innings of two-hit ball and Ben Thoma connected for the first home run of the season by a Panther at Coaches Stadium, leading Eastern Illinois baseball to a 6-0 midweek win against Illinois College Tuesday afternoon.

Zach Borenstein matched his career high with a 4-for-5 effort, doubling home a pair of runs in the sixth inning.

Curt Restko and Alex Gee both extended their hitting streaks with first-inning singles. Restko has now hit safely in 10 consecutive games, matching the longest streak of his career with the longest streak of the season by a Panther. Gee's personal-best streak is now at nine games. Both players have hit safely in every game they have played since the team returned from the spring break trip.

Barton retired 11 consecutive hitters after giving up an infield single to begin the game en route to earn his first collegiate victory. He struck out the side in the third inning and worked three 1-2-3 frames total. Seven of the nine outs he recorded on balls put in play were ground outs.

Brent McNeil was also sharp in relief, working 2 2/3 innings of one-hit ball. The only hit he surrendered was a two-out single in the sixth.

“I'm really happy with Troy and all the ground balls,” EIU head coach Jim Schmitz said. “He didn't pitch well in his last start at Saint Louis. And McNeil had some nice velocity. Even just having [Richie] Derbak in the lineup was fun.”

Derbak went 0-for-2 after entering the game as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning, seeing his first action since March 23 due to an ankle ailment.

The Panthers (7-20) scored a single run in each of the first two innings. Despite a strong blowing in for much of the day, Thoma connected for a two-run shot to left center in the fifth. It was his fourth homer of the season and 12th career.

“Thoma hit his home run in about 25 mph winds,” Schmitz said. “He and Borenstein came out about for an hour yesterday to hit extra and they got five of our hits. We're trying to get the middle of the lineup going.”

Brad Schweigert and Ryan Dineen teamed up on a nice 4-6-3 double play to bring the quickly-played game to an end. Eastern's second shutout victory of the season took only two hours and 20 minutes.

Gee singled home Restko in the first inning with an opposite field single. Dineen led off with a single and scored on a Gerik Wallsten sacrifice to left an inning later.

Borenstein singled in front of Thoma's fifth-inning homer. Nick Priessman and Restko were aboard via a base on balls when Borenstein dropped a wind-aided double into left center in the sixth.

The Panthers return to action Wednesday for a 3 p.m. road game at Chicago State.