CHARLESTON, Ill. – Josh Mueller and Mike Hoekstra both pitched seven efficient innings but Eastern Illinois baseball could only manage a doubleheader split with UT Martin, winning the series opener 7-3 and losing the nightcap 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Coaches Stadium.

 

Mueller (2-1) gave up only one run on five singles and four walks, striking out eight in his finest all-around outing of the season. He improved to 3-0 as a Panther against UT Martin (20-22, 5-9 OVC).

 

Coty Green (8-2) won a pitcher's duel with Hoekstra in the nightcap. Eastern (12-28, 7-8 OVC) did not score until the final frame of the scheduled seven-inning game. Green surrendered only one run on five singles while striking out six. Hoekstra (3-3) gave up two runs on six hits, including a solo homer, while striking out three. Neither pitcher issued a walk.

 

“It was two good games and obviously great pitching out of [Hoekstra] and Josh Mueller,” EIU head coach Jim Schmitz said. “We just, offensively, let [Green] get his momentum going in the game and never really got a chance to get going until the end. We got a split. Tomorrow we're looking for another win to get two for the weekend. That's what we need to get into the OVC Tournament. Tomorrow's a big game. I don't normally put big on it, but we've got to get a win there with the two weekends we have ahead of us.”

 

Cam Strang finished the day 3-for-6, extending his career best hitting streak to 14 consecutive games, the longest of the season by a Panther. He drove in a run in each of his first three plate appearances in game one and scored EIU's lone run in the nightcap after singling in his final at-bat.

 

Ben Thoma connected for a two-run homer, his fifth of the season, in the seventh inning of game one. He was one of five Panthers to record two hits in the series opener, as EIU finished with 12 as a team. Ryan Dineen was the lone Panther to have two hits in the nightcap.

 

Ty Nelson led the way for UTM with a 4-for-8 day, recording two hits in both games. Jordan Owen connected for his team-leading 13th home run of the season to leadoff the second inning of game two. Brent Morris knocked in a key insurance run with a two-out single in the fourth inning of the nightcap.

 

Eastern turned a pair of double plays behind Hoekstra in game two to stay within striking distance going into the final inning. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Strang and Dineen recorded the only consecutive hits of the game against Green. Strang went first to third on Dineen's base hit down the right field line, bringing the potential go-ahead run to the plate.

 

Thoma plated Strang with a sacrifice fly to right field but pinch runner Nick Priessman was stranded at second base after Green struck out pinch hitter George Kalousek to close out his complete-game victory.

 

The Panthers scored in four of the first five innings of game one against UTM starter Alex Boshers (2-6). The first hitter of the inning reached safely and scored in the second, third and fifth.

 

But EIU took an early lead thanks to back-to-back two-out hits from Alex Gee and Strang in the bottom of the first. With Richie Derbak and Gee on base, Strang hit a blooper into short center field. UTM center fielder Jerron Casey got a glove on the ball but it popped free when he collided with second baseman Cory Stooksbury. Derbak scored on the play.

 

Thoma led off the second inning with a double down the left field line and scored on an opposite-field base hit by Daniel Rowe.

 

Zach Borenstein led of the third and fifth innings with singles through the right side and scored on Strang's sacrifice fly and base hit to center field, respectively.

 

Borenstein was 0-for-3 in the nightcap, failing to reach base safely in an Ohio Valley Conference game for the first time this season.

 

Green retired EIU in 1-2-3 fashion in three of the first four innings. Only a single by Rowe with two outs in the third inning kept Green from retiring the first 13 EIU hitters in order.

 

Mueller struck out two batters in an inning twice and fanned the first batter of a frame three times. The Skyhawks' only run against Mueller came home on a two-out single in the sixth inning after he issued a walk and hit a batter earlier in the frame.

 

Brent McNeil worked a scoreless eighth inning out of the EIU bullpen. He has not given up an earned run in his last 10 1/3 innings.

Sunday's rubber game is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Troy Barton is slated to make his first career OVC start for Eastern.