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RICHMOND, Ky. – Behind three home runs, the Panther baseball team won its Ohio Valley Conference series finale with Eastern Kentucky, 9-7, on Sunday afternoon at Turkey Hughes Field. EIU improves to 14-19 (5-6 OVC) on the year.
 
“We kept it together after the disappointing loss on Friday,” said Eastern Illinois head coach Jim Schmitz. “Entering today's game, we talked about how important a win would be on Sunday for the rest of the season. Give credit to our guys, they just keep on working.
 
“The key this afternoon was to keep adding on runs throughout the game and we were able to do that. T.J. (McManus) got some big hits on the weekend when we needed him to come through.”
 
EIU jumped out to an early 6-0 lead, scoring in each of the first three innings. T.J. McManus hit a two-out, two-RBI home run in the first inning before the Panthers took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a ground out RBI by Caleb Howell. A Jacob Reese two-RBI single to centerfield scored two runs in the following inning for the six-run advantage.
 
The Colonels cut their deficit to one (6-5) over the next three innings – scoring three runs in the bottom of the third and two runs in the fifth – before a two-RBI home run by Nick Priessman put the Panthers ahead, 8-5, in the sixth inning.
 
A solo home run in the ninth by McManus – his second home run of the game – gave EIU a 9-5 advantage. EKU fought back in the bottom of the frame, scoring two runs on two hits before relief pitcher Adam Clark got Dustin Dunlop to ground out on the final play of the game to end the Colonels comeback and seal the victory for the Panthers.
 
EIU recorded one more hit (10-9) than EKU, but committed two more errors (2-0). The Panthers also left one more runner on base (8-7) in the contest.
 
McManus paced the Panther offense as he went 2-for-4 with three RBI and three runs. Priessman added a 2-for-4 plate performance with two RBI and two runs. Ben Thoma and Resse both chipped in two hits on the day while Ryan Dineen scored two runs.
 
Troy Barton (5-4) picked up the win for EIU, surrendering six hits and five runs (three earned) in five innings of work. Darin Worman pitched the next three innings and only surrendered one hit with one strikeout.
 
Blake Bottoms (0-3) recorded the loss for EKU, allowing five runs and three hits in 2.1 innings. Offensively, Bryan Soloman led the Colonels as he went 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and two runs.
 
The Panthers return to action on Wednesday, April 18 against Illinois at Grimes Field in Mattoon, Ill. at 6:05 p.m. The Fighting Illini won the first meeting between the two schools this season on April 10, defeating EIU 10-3 in Champaign.