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CHAMPAIGN, Ill.  – The Panther baseball team committed a season-high five errors on Tuesday evening, falling to in-state rival Illinois by a score of 10-2 at Illinois Field. EIU drops to 12-17 on the year.
 
“We did not have a good showing tonight,” said Eastern Illinois head coach Jim Schmitz. “We played some sloppy baseball. We haven't played sloppy baseball all year and this was not the team to do it with.”
 
After being defeated by the Panthers in both meetings last season, the Fighting Illini took revenge by scoring 10 runs on 11 hits. Illinois scored 10 unanswered runs, including eight through the first three innings, before the Panthers scored two runs in the top of the sixth to cut their deficit to eight (10-2) on a Brant Valach two-out, two RBI double to centerfield.
 
EIU added one more run in the eighth inning when Nick Priessman crossed home plate on a wild pitch to make the score 10-3.
 
Illinois posted two more hits (11-9) than the Panthers and committed four fewer errors (5-1). Both squads stranded eight runners on base.
 
Valach paced the Panthers at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Jacob Reese added three hits and a run while Priessman chipped in two hits and a run.
 
Luke Bushur (1-1) took the loss for EIU, surrendering three hits and six runs (three earned). A total of five unearned runs were scored by the Illini. Relievers Darin Worman and Adam Clark combined to only allow one run with five strikeouts in the final four innings.
 
Brian De La Torriente (1-0) picked up the win for Illinois, throwing six strikeouts and surrendering three runs in 7.1 innings of work. Jordan Parr paced the team at the plate as he went 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.
 
The Panthers return to action on Wednesday, April 11 when they play host to Illinois College at 2 p.m.