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JACKSON, Tenn. – Murray State jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, scoring seven times in the second inning, to cruise to a 14-4 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament victory against Eastern Illinois baseball Friday and in the process end the Panthers' season.
The game was delayed for five hours and 17 minutes in the top of the ninth inning due to rain and lightning.
Alex Gee accounted for EIU's first three runs with an opposite-field homer in the fifth inning of his final collegiate game. It was his second long ball of the tourney and 10th of the season. He also singled in his first at-bat.
Zach Borenstein had three hits, finishing the season as EIU's leader in all three Triple Crown categories (.353-11-47). He became just the third player in the program's OVC era (1997-present) to accomplish the feat.
Murray State (28-27-1) pounded out 22 hits to win its third consecutive elimination game, scoring multiple runs (three) in the top of the first inning for the third game in a row. The Thoroughbreds ended EIU's season for the second year in a row after the Panthers had won both regular-season meetings. Murray will take on the loser of Saturday morning's Tennessee Tech-Jacksonville State game Saturday at 3 p.m. The Tech-JSU game was postponed until 11 a.m. Saturday morning due to the same inclement weather that delayed the EIU-Murray contest.
After earning the victory in relief Wednesday against Southeast Missouri State, Mike Recchia (6-6) was ineffective as a starter on this day. He gave up 10 runs (five earned) on nine hits through an inning and two-thirds.
Meanwhile, MSU starter Alex Love (8-1) went the distance one day after picking up the win in relief Thursday versus SEMO. He gave up only four runs (three earned), three coming on Gee's homer in the fifth inning. Eastern (18-35) already trailed 11-0 at that juncture.
Matt Miller and Dillon Roark held their own in relief. Miller went 4 1/3 innings, giving up two runs. Roark pitched two scoreless innings.
In the three and four holes in the Murray lineup, Wes Cunningham and Bryan Propst went a combined 8-for-10 with five RBIs and five runs scored. Leadoff man Zach Noonan was 4-for-6. Propst also had four hits to improve to 12-for-18 in the tourney.
The Panthers will have to bid adieu to four seniors but are expected to return at least six starters for 2011.
