JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Eastern Illinois baseball pounded out a season-high 21 hits in game one but couldn't make a five-run lead holdup and ended up losing both ends of a doubleheader at Jacksonville State, 12-11 and 8-5, Saturday afternoon.

 

Alex Gee connected for three home runs, going deep twice in game one and hitting a three-run shot in the nightcap. It was his first collegiate multi-homer game and the second time this season that he homered in both games of a doubleheader.

 

Daniel Rowe and Cam Strang both had four hits in game one, tying their season highs. Strang's career best 16-game hitting streak ended in the nightcap.

 

Strang singled home pinch runner Daniel Bracken to tie game one in the top of the ninth. Richie Derbak and Zach Borenstein both got base hits to open the inning.

 

The Panthers (13-31, 8-11 OVC) led 10-5 entering the bottom of the seventh inning of game one, but JSU (23-20, 10-6 OVC) put together a six-run rally to storm back and take the lead. The Gamecocks also scored five times in the second inning of game two, a contest in which EIU never led.

The only out Mike Recchia (4-5) was able to record in the bottom of the ninth inning of game one was on a sacrifice bunt. Pinch hitter Jay Davis won the game with a single down the left field line with the bases loaded. The walk-off hit plated Steven Leach, who had opened the inning with a single.

Eastern's game one starter Josh Mueller matched his career high with 10 strikeouts for the second time this season, recording his 200th collegiate strikeout in the process. But he also issued six walks, elevating his pitch count. He threw 136 pitches before giving way to the EIU bullpen with two outs in the fifth inning.

Brent McNeil, the first Panther out of the bullpen, stranded runners on the corners in the sixth inning but was unable to get an out in JSU's six-run seventh. He gave up three hits and two walks before leaving the game in favor of Matt Miller. The Gamecocks took the lead on a two-out, two-run double by Kyle Bluestein, who also hit a three-run homer in the nightcap.

Eastern lost in walk-off fashion for the sixth time this season and fell to 2-13 in one-run games.

 

Derbak finished the day 5-for-9, recording three hits in game one and being the lone Panther with multiple hits in the nightcap. Rowe was 5-for-6 with three walks and three runs scored. Gerik Wallsten had three hits and three RBIs in game one. Wallsten had a two-run single in EIU's three-run second inning and another run-scoring hit in a five-run sixth inning.

 

Eastern scored all five runs with two outs in the sixth inning of game one. The Panthers recorded four consecutive hits two-out hits in the frame. Ben Thoma knocked in a pair with the bases loaded on a base hit to left. Wallsten, Rowe and Matt Kucharski all followed with a run-scoring hit.

 

Gee hit solo shots in the second and seventh innings of game one. He connected for his three-run homer in the third inning of the nightcap, cutting the JSU lead to 6-3. Borenstein had a two-run single in the fifth inning to make it a 7-5 game but EIU did not score the rest of the way in the seven-inning game.

 

Eastern's game two starter Mike Hoekstra (3-4) gave up a season-high eight runs (four earned) over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four and did not issue a walk. Four of the five runs he surrendered in the second inning were unearned after he committed a throwing error early in the frame. Bluestein connected for his three-run homer with two outs and after the inning should have already been over if not for the error.

Sunday's series finale is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch.