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TAMPA, Fla. – The Panther baseball team was shutout for the second time in as many games, dropping a 4-0 contest at Big East member South Florida on Friday night at USF Baseball Stadium. EIU falls to 4-7 on the year.
 
South Florida's pitching staff tossed a one-hitter, not surrendering a Panther hit until the seventh inning. Derrick Stultz (3-0) picked up the win for the Bulls as the redshirt-senior posted eight strikeouts to only one hit in seven innings of action.
 
The Bulls got on the scoreboard early, scoring three runs on two hits and one EIU error to take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. South Florida added one more insurance run in the bottom of the fifth on a Daniel Rockhold RBI single.
 
“The first inning we played poorly,” said Eastern Illinois head coach Jim Schmitz. “It could have turned into a lopsided game, but we hung in there and did a nice job on defense and pitching. Later in the game when they had runners on base we were able to turn a couple of double plays and I was impressed with that tonight.
 
“Our middle of the lineup guys are not that healthy right now, but we are going to hang in there and get better.”
 
With one out in the top of the seventh, David Ciaglia collected the Panthers lone hit of the game with a single to centerfield.
 
South Florida had eight more hits (9-1) than EIU in the contest and committed two fewer errors (2-0). EIU left three runners on base while the Bulls left six runners stranded.
 
Mike Hoekstra (1-2) took the loss for EIU, surrendering eight hits and four runs (three earned) in six innings of work. The redshirt-senior also had three strikeouts. Relief pitchers Darin Worman and Scott Houdek combined to only allow one hit while striking out three South Florida batters in the final two innings.
 
Defensively, the Panthers turned two double players while catcher Jacob Reese caught two runners stealing.
 
The Panthers return to action at 5 p.m. CST on Saturday, March 10 in game two of the series with South Florida.