CHARLESTON, Ill. – Mike Recchia went the distance in his return to the starting rotation, striking out a season-high nine in his first career nine-inning complete game and leading Eastern Illinois baseball to a 5-2 rubber game victory against UT Martin Sunday afternoon at Coaches Stadium.

Recchia (4-4) limited UTM (20-23, 5-10 OVC) to five hits, three coming from No. 3 hitter Ty Nelson, and issued only one walk. He kept the Skyhawks off the scoreboard until the sixth inning and surrendered only one earned run.

 

For the weekend, EIU's three starting pitchers – Josh Mueller, Mike Hoekstra and Recchia – worked 23 of the 25 innings in the three-game series, limiting the visitors to five runs. Each of Recchia's last three outings had been out of the bullpen, but he was tabbed to start on this day after not being needed in either game of Saturday's doubleheader.

 

“We're going to ride our horses,” EIU head coach Jim Schmitz said. “This weekend, the three guys did really, really well. Recchia was sensational. We're lucky that we've got Recchia and can move him around. Two wins is what we want and have two huge weekends ahead of us here.”

The Panthers (13-29, 8-9 OVC) scored once in the first inning and twice more in the third, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead.

 

Zach Borenstein finished the day 3-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, reaching base safely in each of his four plate appearances. Cam Strang was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, driving in a run in his first two at-bats and extending his career best hitting streak to 15 consecutive games. Richie Derbak also had two hits and an RBI.

 

“Borenstein got pitches to hit today,” Schmitz said. “That's the thing we're saying to him, 'just get pitches to hit.' Cam Strang had a good one and Richie went the other way twice. But we've got to a better job of getting that lead up to four or five or six.”

 

Hitting in the nine spot in the lineup, Daniel Rowe drew a pair of walks and singled. He scored twice, including coming around from second base on an infield single by Borenstein in the sixth inning.

 

Recchia needed only 112 pitches, 77 being strikes, to pitch the first nine-inning complete game of the season by a Panther. After giving up two runs in the top of the sixth inning, he surrendered only one hit – a two-out single in the ninth – the rest of the game.

 

Recchia struck out two hitters in an inning three times and fanned the first batter of a frame on four occasions, including each of the final three innings. He worked 1-2-3 innings in the second, fifth and seventh.

 

UT Martin's ace reliever, Dan Tobik, replaced starter Drew Floyd (0-2) to open the bottom of the fourth inning and pitched the rest of the game. The Panthers scored twice on four hits against Tobik after scoring three times on five hits against Floyd.

 

Strang singled home Derbak with a two-out single through the left side of the infield in the first inning. In his next at-bat, Strang split the gap in left center for an RBI double. Alex Gee scored on the hit after he had doubled home Borenstein with a rocket off the center field fence moments earlier.

 

Rowe drew a walk in the fourth inning and scored from second base on a two-out single up the middle from Derbak.

 

Rowe was also involved in the two wildest plays of the game. With runners on first and second with two outs and Borenstein at the plate with a full count, he hit a sharp ground ball between the second baseman and the bag. Cory Stooksbury was able to get to the ball but Borenstein beat the throw to first with a head-first slide. Both runners were on the move with the pitch and Rowe was able to slide home safely ahead of Wes Patterson's throw from first base. Nelson recovered after initially dropping the ball and threw out Matt Kucharski at third base to end the inning.

 

In the bottom of the eighth, Gerik Wallsten was on first base and Rowe at the plate. Rowe tried to execute a bunt but popped the ball in the air. Tobik made an impressive diving catch along the third base line and Wallsten was caught off base between first and second. But Tobik airmailed Patterson at first base and Wallsten was able to advance after going back and tagging up.

The Panthers are idle for the upcoming week for final exams on campus before returning to action Saturday for a 1 p.m. Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at Jacksonville State.